英语听力精选进阶版 7131

Background:美国前总统林肯多年前写给一名男孩的书信以6万美元的高价（41万人民币）在美国售出。当这名八岁男孩告诉同学他见到了总统时，不仅没人相信而且他还受到众人的一阵讥讽。

Abraham Lincoln was facing the biggest crisis in American history. The Southern states had seceded¹ from the Union and civil war was imminent².

But shortly after his inauguration³ in 1861 he still found time to write to a distressed⁴ eight year-old boy. George Patton had met the newly-nominated candidate the year before with his journalist father but he faced howls of disbelief when he told his classmates.

A teacher wrote to the White House and back came the terse⁵ four-line reply confirming the meeting.

Abraham Lincoln set the ideal for the presidency⁶ that all his successors have aspired⁷ to. The brief letter feeds the legend of the man and the austere⁸ gentility for which he was renowned⁹.

GLOSSARY¹⁰ 词汇表

crisis 危机 

seceded 推出/脱离 

the Union 联邦政府 

civil war 内战 

imminent 即将爆发的 

inauguration 就职仪式 

distressed 压抑的 

newly-nominated candidate 新任命的候选人 

howls of disbelief 一阵讥讽 

terse 简短的 

set the ideal 创立了一种理想 

successors 继任 

aspired to 渴望/追求 

austere 严格的/严厉的 

gentility 绅士气派/优雅 

renowned 著名的

Questions and Answers

Was America a troubled country at the time of the letter? 

Yes. Lincoln was facing the biggest crisis in American history.

Who was George Patton? 

George Patton was the little boy whom Abraham Lincoln met.

True or false? Abraham Lincoln wrote the letter when he was a presidential candidate. 

False. He met George Patton when he was a candidate, but wrote to him shortly after his inauguration.

True or false? The letter feeds Lincoln’s legend because it is friendly and he was renowned for being a friendly man. 

False. The letter feeds Lincoln's legend but it is terse and he was an austere man. However, the fact that he found time to write the letter is a sign of his gentility.

1 seceded   

v.脱离，退出( secede的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The Republic of Panama seceded from Colombia in 1903. 巴拿马共和国于1903年脱离哥伦比亚。
• One of the states has seceded from the federation. 有一个州已从联邦中退出。 来自辞典例句

2 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

3 inauguration   

n.开幕、就职典礼

参考例句：

• The inauguration of a President of the United States takes place on January 20.美国总统的就职典礼于一月二十日举行。
• Three celebrated tenors sang at the president's inauguration.3位著名的男高音歌手在总统就职仪式上演唱。

4 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

5 terse   

adj.(说话，文笔)精炼的，简明的

参考例句：

• Her reply about the matter was terse.她对此事的答复简明扼要。
• The president issued a terse statement denying the charges.总统发表了一份简短的声明，否认那些指控。

6 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

7 aspired   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She aspired to a scientific career. 她有志于科学事业。
• Britain,France,the United States and Japan all aspired to hegemony after the end of World War I. 第一次世界大战后，英、法、美、日都想争夺霸权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 austere   

adj.艰苦的；朴素的，朴实无华的；严峻的

参考例句：

• His way of life is rather austere.他的生活方式相当简朴。
• The room was furnished in austere style.这间屋子的陈设都很简单朴素。

9 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

10 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。