【美国精神】第81期

Explanation:

  World War II, or the Second World War, was truly a global war, or a war that affected¹ the whole world. Most of the powerful countries in the world were involved in the war in one of two alliances (or groups of countries that work together during a war): the Allies and the Axis². The Allies included the United States, the United Kingdom, the USSR (which would later become Russia and other countries), France, and Poland. The Axis included Germany, Italy, and Japan.

  Membership or participation³ in each of the alliances was fluid, meaning that it changed over time as some countries became part of the Allies and the Axis and other countries left them. The United States was a late entrant to the war, meaning that the U.S. was not one of the first countries in World War II, but began fighting later. Most of the people in the United States wanted the country to follow isolationism, or a type of government that does not get involved in foreign affairs, or things that are happening in other countries. However, on December 7, 1941, Americans changed their mind, or changed what they thought about isolationism.

  The United States had a naval⁴ base, or a place where the country’s military ships are kept, in a place called Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. On December 7, 1941, Japanese planes attacked (or fought against) Pearl Harbor. The Japanese bombed (or dropped weapons that explode) on Pearl Harbor, destroying many U.S. ships and planes and killing⁵ almost 2,400 Americans.

  The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor as a preventative measure, or something that might keep something else from happening. Although the United States wasn’t fighting in the war yet, the Japanese knew that the United States might become involved. The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor to try to make it impossible for the United States to enter the war. In fact, however, when they bombed Pearl Harbor, it was the final push, or the last thing that needed to happen, for the United States to decide to enter the war.

 

问题：

Who did the United States fight in World War II?

Answer:

Japan, Germany, and Italy

1 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

2 axis   

n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线

参考例句：

• The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
• The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。

3 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

4 naval   

adj.海军的，军舰的，船的

参考例句：

• He took part in a great naval battle.他参加了一次大海战。
• The harbour is an important naval base.该港是一个重要的海军基地。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。