高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)InCloseRaceObamaBattlesforSecondTerm素材
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)AnalystsSayDiverseCoalitionHelpedObamaWinElection素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：Analysts-Say-Diverse-Coalition-Helped-Obama-Win-Election Jim MaloneNovember 09, 2012W ASHINGTON ¡ª President Ba rack Obama won a second four-year term in office this past week thanks in large part to a strong voter turnout from the same Democratic coalition that helped first elect him four years ago -- women, minorities and young people.The diverse and youthful voting coalition behind President Obama was on full display at an election night watch party at a nearby bistro. The president benefit ted from a strong turnout among women, Afr ican Americans, Hispanics and younger voters.¡°Women and minorities put Barack Obama over the top, and there should be a big, huge red-letter warning sign for Republicans that they can¡¯t win just with their white Protestant base," notes Lichtman. "We are increasingly becoming a non-white nation.¡±Republican baseThe crowd at the Romney election party in Washington was predominantly white and universally disappointed.While Romney won a majority of white voters in the election, he had less succes s in winning over women, younger people and minority voters.Republican strate gist Ford O¡¯Connell says that will have to change.¡°I think the Republicans have to recognize that they have to g et beyond their echo chamber and actually help make inroads with other groups," O'Connell says, "because there are a lot of pre-conceived notions about Republicans that some minority groups harbor, and it¡¯s up to Rep ublicans to reach out and sort of cha nge that perception.¡±When Ronald Reagan won the presidency in 1980, white voters made up 85 percent of the electorate. This year they only made up 72 percent.Generation gapIn addition to minority voters, Republicans face a major challenge in drawing more support from younger voters, pollster S cott Rasmussen says.¡°There is a huge generation gap in American politics. People over the age of 40 strongly prefer Governor Romney. People under 40 strongly prefer President Obama,¡± Rasmussen explains.Republicans must either adapt to the changing U.S. demographics or brace for more defeats, says analyst Thomas Mann of the Brookings Institution.¡°And the so-called yo uth vote that was going to fall off was actually, according to initial estimates, a higher percentage of the electorate than in 2008, and African Americans stayed where they were at 13 percent," Mann says. "It is a long-term losing strategy, so conversations are going to be taking p lace.¡±Unless the Republican Party can broaden its appeal beyond older white voters, diverse Democratic celebrations like this one could become routine.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)GabonHopesEnglishWillbeGoodforBusiness素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：Gabon-Hopes-English-Will-be-Good-for-BusinessRicci ShryockNovember 05, 2012Gabon’s president recently announced the country will adopt English as a s econd official language in addition to its current French.For Gabonese businessmen working around the world, English is more useful, said Gabon’s presidential spokesman, Alain Claude Bilie By Nze, w ho denied any political motivation behind the decision and said the move was more about business and education.“It’s a decision that comes from the will of the Gabonese who want to do business as well. Most of Gabonese who work in business right now work in the Middle East, Dubai, China and elsewhere. They need English to do b usiness,” he said.Passassim Nanguit, a spokesperson for the West African bloc of the Francophone International Organizat ion, said both languages help enable workers to conduct business throughout West Africa.“It’s better for business to speak English and French. Both. In Africa, there are Francophone and English-speaking countries. That’s why Ghana and Nigeria are into French. Also South Africa,” said Nanguit.At Ghana’s Alliance Francaise school, staff coordinator Caroline T atareau said English-speaking Ghanaians come to learn French to make themselves more attractive as job candidates.“Most of the time the people who came to learn French, they came only to add something on their CV,” she said.While oil-producing Gabon sees English as a way to better prepare its w orkforce, Ousmane Paye, special assistant to the Secretary General of the Francophone International Organization, said African nations must continue speaking and promoting French, so that it too is seen as a language of the marke tplace.“We must work on this a lot. We mu st work so that the French language is not something to be seen on the pa ge, but also to be used. Not just the language of literature, poetry, philosophy, must also be a language of economy, of science and technology,”said Paye.In 2009, Rwanda also made the switch from English to French. According to Gabon’s presidential spokesperson, the country will n ot abandon French, but will ensure that English is taught in first grade at schools and adults who want to learn the language will have access to classes.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)PresidentBarackObamawonreelection素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：President-Barack-Obama-won-re-electionChris SimkinsNovember 07, 2012WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama won re-election to a second term in a close r ace against Republican challenger Mitt Romney. Growing optimism about the economy and a big voter turnout among Democrats appeared to make the difference.Reaction to President Barack Obama's victory was swift and passionate. Across the country, Obama supporters cheered. Supporters of Mitt Romney were left wondering why the Republican's White House bid fell short.In his victory speech, President Obama pledged to work with Congress to solve the nation's problems."And in the com ing weeks and months I am looking forward to reaching out and working with leaders of both parties to meet the ch allenges we can only solve together," he said. "Reducing our deficit. Reforming our t ax code. We have got more work do.Romney said it's time to put partisan politics aside and work together for the good of the country."This is a time of great challenges for America, and I pray that the president will be successful in guiding our nati on," said Romney.The economy ranked as the top issue by nearly 60 percent of voters surveyed as they left polling places. Analysts say an improved economy made the difference in the key state of Ohio, where President Obama was credited with preventing the collapse of the U.S. auto industry and saving jobs."It is not campaigns that decide elections, it is governing," said Allan Lichtman, a political science professor at American University in Washington. "And it's not just the economy, but it is a broad range of governing factors.Another surprise of this election was the gender gap. Obama won women voters, while a majority of men voted for Romney. President Obama also did well with minorities, especially Hispanics, who gave Democrats their largest margin of support since 1996.Lichtman says the Republican Party needs to broaden its suppo rt."The Republican Party will not survive unless it figures out a way, and that is goin g to be really hard to appeal to minorities and to appeal to women, given their stance on abortion, on immigration, on civil rights," he said. "That is a tough task for Republicans.Obama will again face a divided Congress. Democrats retained control of the U.S. Senate while Republicans kept control of the House of Representatives.Analysts say the president's supporters know their celebration could be short lived unless he and lawmakers find common ground to solve the nation's pressing problems.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力2012年11月合辑(文本)US-Patriotic-Millionaires-Tax-Us-More素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：US-Patriotic-Millionaires-Tax-Us-MoreJeff SwicordNovember 15, 2012In Washington - a group cal ling themselves "Patriotic Millionaires," storming Capitol Hill with their m essage for the president and Congress: “tax us more, w e can take it.”“We have the fastest growing rate of inequality in the developed world," said one.They are in line with President Obama, who has vowed to raise taxes on the wealthiest Americans as part of a budget deal needed to avoid the looming crisis. The so-called "fiscal cliff" would force tax increases and deep budget cuts if there is no deal by December 31st.“When it comes to the top two percent, what I am not going to do is exten d a tax cut for f olks who don’t n eed it. That would cost close to a trillion dollars," said President Obama.But House Speaker John Boehner has made it clear the wealthiest Americans should not see the ir taxes go up.“I have outlined a framework for how both parties can work together to avert the fiscal cliff without raising t ax rates," said Boehner.The Patriotic Millionaires disagree with Speaker Boehner. They take issue with the Republican Party’s argument that taxing wealthy job creators will lead to fewer jobs. T.J. Zlotnitsky is CEO of iControl Systems, a data management company.“When I make a decision about whether or not I am going to hire people to help grow my business I make those decisions strictly on the basis of whether the company needs them, whether the customers demand them, whether doing so will grow the busines s. In terms of my own personal tax rates, that never factors in," he said.The millionaires argue that over-burdening the middle-class with taxes to pay for the U.S. deficit would be far worse for the economy.“It is especially important abou t the middle class. If you lose the middle class, you are losing customers. So a strong middle class that is helped by a fair tax systemleads long-term to a healthy economy," said Frank Patitucci, CEO of NuCompass Mobility..'Patriotic Millionaires' has more than 200 members across the United States, who work in the fields of finance, entertainment, and technology.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)ObamaMeetsChineseJapaneseLeadersatEastAsiaSummit素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：Obama-Meets-Chinese-Japanese-Leaders-at-East-Asia-SummitOn the final day of his Southeast Asia trip, President Barack Obama met with Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao and Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihik o Noda on the sidelines of the East Asia Summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.It was the first meeting between the president and Premier Wen since their talks at the last East Asia Summit in Bali last year and since Obama's re-election to a second term. The two have met five times in all.As the two largest global economies, the president says China and the United States have a special responsibility to lead the way to ensu re sustained and balanced global economic growth."It is very important that as two of the largest economies in the world, that we work to establish clear rules of t he road internationally for trade and investment, which can increase prosperity and global growth," said Obama.Premier Wen congratulated Obama on his re-election and spoke about the importance of a strong Sino-American relationship, calling it important for peace, stability and prosperity in the Asia-Pacific region and the world.In describing the talks to reporters, Deputy Nat ional Security Adviser Ben Rhodes offered additional specifics, noting that meeting was the last the two will have, given leadership changes in China."They discussed the importance of the U.S. and China consistently ma intaining our cooperation on a bilateral and global level. They discussed security issues including Iran. They discussed economic issues, including our commitment to strengthen the rules of the road in the global economy,” said Rhodes. “And, they discussed regional stability, reaffirming that China is part of our engagement here in this important region a critical part of that engagement, and our interest again in resolving territorial disputes and maritime disputes consistent with international rules of the road."In his only other bilateral meeting at the East Asia Summit, President Obama met with Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda of Japan.Those discussions focused on the U.S. - Japan alliance. Washington has urged Tokyo and Beijing to resolve tensions about disputed islands in the East China Sea.Although there were expe ctations Japan would announce it is joining the Trans-Pacific partnership, a new free trade initiative, Rhodes says that did not happen.Obama's Southeast Asia trip has enabled him to fill in more details of the U.S. economic and security shift to the Asia-Pacific region, of which nations in the Association of Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN) a re a crucial part.He addressed the shift toward the end of his speech in Rangoon, Burma."The United States of America is a Pacific nation. We see our future as bound to those nat ions and peoples to our West,” he said. “As our economy recovers, this is where we believe we will find tremendous growth. As we end the wars that have dominated our foreign policy for a decade, this region will be a focus of our efforts to build a prosperous peace.”In their final statement, U.S. and ASEAN leaders say they are elevating the annual leaders meeting to a summit.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)BurmatoWelcomeOb
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：Burma-to-Welcome-Obama-for-Historic-VisitBarack Obama is set to become the first U.S. president to visit Burma on November 19, in what is seen as encouragement for President Thein Sein's reforms. But human-rights groups say the visit comes too soon because Burmese reforms are fragile and oppression continues in Kachin and Rakhine states.Burma is set to welcome U.S. President Barack Obama for meetings with President Thein Sein and oppositio n leader Aung San Suu Kyi.Newspaper seller Oo Zay Yar says the na tion welcomes Obama and hopes his visit can help push moves toward democracy even further."I am proud of my country because Obama is coming to visit. I hope many political changes can happen after his visit. Economic developme nt can happen as well," said Oo Zay Yar.The historic trip will be the second time that Obama will sit down with the former political prisoner, now politician, Aung San Suu Kyi, and his first one-on-one meeting with the Burma's president.A former prime minister in the country's military government, Thein Sein and the opposition leader have driven reforms. And Obama's visit is intended to support their efforts. But the Asia Deputy Director for Human Rights Watch, Phil Robertson, says Obama's trip is premature."We still have hundreds of political prisoners in prison. We have a whole raft of rights repressive laws, administrative decrees, that the government has not even touched, has not even mentioned that they will repeal," said Robe rtson.Robertson also notes ongoing fighting with rebels in Kachin state and recent violence directed at Muslims in Rakhine, also known as Arakan."The violence that took place in June has now expanded to new areas within Arakan state, and there are still other areas where it could spread further, unless action is taken because the underlying forces here and the underlying root causes have not been addressed by the g overnment," he said.The director of Bangkok's Institute of Security and International Studies, Thitinan Pongsudhirak, says Obama's visit needs to strike a balance."The Obama administration has to show that reforms are rewarded. The lifting of sanctions and re-engagement by the private sector of the U.S. Thein Sein has to show his people that there are some fruits from reform," said Pongsudhirak.Tun Linn Aung says his parents worked this juice stand for 30 years, and he hopes Obama's visit will bring more American investment and better jobs."I do not think his trip is too early. I think this is the right time. Now our country has already passed the transitional period," said Tun Linn Aung.In recognition of progress, the United States already has suspended tough economic sanctions against Burma and sent its first ambassador to Rangoon in more than two decades.。
高中英语 VOA常速听力11月合辑(文本)USImmigrantsWantObamatoAddressEconomyImmigration素材
VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：US-Immigrants-Want-Obama-to-Address-Economy-ImmigrationLos Angeles has one of the largest and most diverse immigrant populations in the United States. People from Latin American and countries throughout Asia live in this melting pot. A visit though immigrant neighborhood s in the city on Wednesday helped to provide a gauge of people’s reactions to President Barack Obama re-election.It might seem like another work day in Los Angeles, with people waiting for the bus and drivers stuck in traffic. But the future seems a little brighter, said Justin DeToro, an immigrant and student from the Philippines.“Tuitions are go ing up, so I’m really worried about what my future is. But Obama being president gives me higher hope,” he said.DeToro, like many immigrants in Los Angeles, is undocumented. They cannot receive federal financial aid for school and cannot work here legally. Many support the president an d hope he will reform U.S. immigration po licy during his second term in office.Sarah Martinez said she has high expectations for the president.“That he accomplishes the Dream Act [immigration reform legislation] so a ll the students that are immigrants can actually have their own paper s now. The economy first of all. I think, that he needs to fix the economy,” said Martinez.Korean American Judy Kang agrees.“I know that it’s going to be hard, but hopefully [the president can do this]. I know that it’s going to be hard,” said Kang.Chinese American Peter Wang voted for Obama's challenger, former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney.Wang said he was thinking of a change after four years - to have a new president lead the United States. But Wang said he is not too disappoin ted his candidate lost. He said he can see a benefit to Obama being president because he is the first African Americ an president. Wang said the world can see the United States truly is a democratic country, blacks as well as whites can be president, as long as they have the support of the people.。
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VOA常速英语听力2012年11月合辑（文本）：
In-Close-Race-Obama-Battles-for-Second-Term
Carolyn Presutti
November 02, 2012
WASHINGTON — As the November 6 election nears, President Barack Obama seems to have come back from his poor performance at the first presidential election debate against contender Mitt Romney. In the campaign’s final days, Obama is trying to project himself as presidential and in charge.
Four years ago, Barack Obama was elected 44th president of the United States. The Democratic Party nominated him at a highly charged conventio n that focused on public disenchantment with the nation’s struggling economy. Mr. Obama capitalized on the issue with his motto, “Change We Can Believe In.”
Mr. Obama has been in the White House now for nearly four years. The ec onomy has improved, but not as much as many hoped. Some political experts say Obama has learned the vast difference between campaigning and governing.
Jennifer Lawless directs the Women & Politics Institute at America n University.
“A lot of the promises he made were contingent on the idea there would be some kind of bipartisan effort in Washington. And right after John Boehner was elected speaker of the House of Representatives, it became clear that the Republicans' number one goal was to make sure that was not going to happen,” said Lawless.
One example is the so-called Dream Act. It would have granted citizenship to law-abiding immigrants w ho arrived in the U.S. illegally as children. It was endorsed by the president, but never made it out of Congress.
In June, Obama announced that the U.S. will temporarily stop deporting the immigrants who qualified under the Dream Act. Meanwhile, his administration has deported more illegal immigrants than any president in history.
Obama kept his campaign promise to reform the nation’s health care system. While the resulting law has been highly controversial, the Supreme Court up held its major provisions.
He pushed for, and Congress approved, a $787-bill ion economic stimulus package a nd then implemented a bailout for American automakers General Motors and Chrysler.
On Obama’s watch, Osama bin Laden, blamed for the September 11, 2001 terror attacks, was located in Pakistan and killed in a surprise military operation.
The president withdrew U.S. forces from Iraq, increased the number of troops in Afghanistan and signed a new arms control treaty with Russia.
Obama is t he first African-American to be elected president. He also is the first sitting president to support legalizing sam e-sex marriage.
As Obama faced his challenger, Republican Mitt Romney, in their first debate, the president enjoyed a small but consistent lead in national public opinion polls. But the president performed poorly in that deb ate and Romney gained ground.
Obama has been directing his campaign message mostly to younger voters, women, minorities and the middle class. In recent weeks, the country's economy improved marginally,which could help the president.
In the final week of the campaign, Obama cancelled campaign appearances to direct the government’s response to Hurricane Sandy. The Republican governor of Ne w Jersey, who had be en a harsh critic, praised Obama for his role in the disaster.
Barack Obama was born in Hawaii in 1961. He and his wife, Michelle, have two daughters, Malia and Sasha.
Vice President Joe Biden again joins Obama on the Democratic ticket. Biden was a six-term U.S. senator and is considered a foreign policy expert.。