【听英文对话做选择】竞选演说

Ladies and gentleman. Our country has come to a crossroad, and now you have the power to change the political landscape of America. As I have said time and time again, if you elect me to be your face in congress, there are several things I will do to ensure that your needs are met day in and day out across this land.

First of all, I plan on proposing new legislation that will invest more tax dollars in our public schools, not only to meet the needs of today, but to encourage developing minds for the future. Such new funding would be used to hire and retain good teachers, build and renovate¹ new schools, and give great tax breaks to classroom teachers. To accomplish this, I am proposing no new taxes increases, but rather a rechanneling of our existing tax revenue to meet these demands. Now, the incumbent² and his staff have been talking about this for years with little progress. I plan to change all of this now.

 

Second, economic development is on the minds of most of you, particularly with regard to our downtown area. For many years, economic prosperity has been neglected by current government leaders, and I plan to change all of that. I am proposing a city center revitalization project that would promote new businesses, new residential³ areas, and new open green areas to bring people back to the heart of our city. Current leaders have allowed the new city to die, preferring to invest in sport arenas⁴ in the outlying areas.

 

And third, I am proposing the construction of a light rail train system, to be built over the next decade, to meet the growing demands of better and more efficient transportation for years to come. My opponent and his administration have lacked the vision of long-term solutions, preferring to take a look and see approach. Such a short sighted stance fails to consider the needs of future generations . . . our children and our grandchildren. My generation doesn't want to be remembered for a road we build today, but for a more visionary transportation system for our future.

 

And finally, my opponent has cited my inexperience as a reason why you shouldn't vote for me. However, I am not a career politician who has lost touch with the everyday needs and concerns of day-to-day people. My work as an educator and business owner has given me a unique perspective on the pains and challenges you face.

 

If elected, I promise to give my all to my elected position and make sure your issues and concerns are fully⁵ addressed at the local and national level.

 

Thank you.

 

1. Which statement is true about the candidate's first point on taxes?

A. New school funding will be generated by eliminating tax breaks.

B. Taxes will be used to retain teachers for the future.

C. Property taxes should be used to improve existing schools.

2. What is the speaker's main point about economic development?

A. The candidate is proposing the development of new housing downtown.

B. New sport arenas should be built to revitalize the local economy.

C. More green areas should be developed in the suburbs to improve recreational opportunities.

 

3. What can we infer from the politician's third point?

A. More roads need to be built for future generations.

B. Long-term solutions to improve transportation traffic will include trains.

C. More efficient means of transportation will be supported by the federal government.

 

4. What reason is given for voting for the candidate at the end of the speech?

A. He understands the needs of the common man.

B. He has had a long career as a politician.

C. He has fought against big business interests.

 

正确答案：

1. Taxes will be used to retain teachers for the future.

2. The candidate is proposing the development of new housing downtown.

3. Long-term solutions to improve transportation traffic will include trains.

4. He understands the needs of the common man.

 

1 renovate   

vt.更新，革新，刷新

参考例句：

• The couple spent thousands renovating the house.这对夫妇花了几千元来翻新房子。
• They are going to renovate the old furniture.他们准备将旧家具整修一番。

2 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

3 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

4 arenas   

表演场地( arena的名词复数 )； 竞技场； 活动或斗争的场所或场面； 圆形运动场

参考例句：

• Demolition derbies are large-scale automobile rodeos that take place in big arenas. 撞车比赛指的是在很大的竞技场上举行的大型汽车驾驶技术表演。
• Are there areas of privacy in the most public of arenas? 在绝大部分公开的场合中存在需要保护隐私的领域吗？

5 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。