New U.S. Congress opens, Boehner elected House Speaker

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- The 112th Congress of the United States was called to order on Wednesday, and John Boehner was elected (当选)Speaker in the House of Representatives.
    In his first address as the House's top member, Boehner focused on cutting the government's record deficit¹ and creating jobs. He replaced Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat（民主党人） whose party lost to the Republicans last year in the mid-term elections.
    "Our spending has caught up with us, and our debt will soon eclipse the size of our entire economy. Hard work and tough decisions will be required," said Boehner.
    Before Boehner spoke², Pelosi addressed the lawmakers and introduced Boehner.
    In the House of Representatives, 87 new Republican members and nine new Democrats³ were sworn in at noon, shifting control of the chamber⁴ officially to the Republican party. Republicans now hold a 242-193 edge in the House.
    After his address, which ended amid loud cheers from the chamber, Boehner took the oath of office and then administered the oath to the rest of the lawmakers en masse.
    On the Senate side, Vice⁵ President Joe Biden gave the oath of office to Senators, while the House began a long roll call that ended in Boehner's election.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。