(完整版)Unit2VoiceofCourageMicrosoftWord文档

1、Unit Two: History and PersonalityText AVoice of CourageBy Jonathan AlterA few days after Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into office, he sat in the White House working on a radio speech about the countrys banking crisis, scheduled for delivery on Sunday, March 12, 1933. It was the depths of the

2、Depression, with a quarter of Americans out of work, homeless and destitute. Glancing out the window, FDR saw a workman taking down the inaugural scaffolding on the White House grounds.I decided Id try to make a speech that this workman could understand, he told Louis Howe, his chief aide.The Americ

3、an economic system was in a state of shock. On Saturday, March 4, a few hours before FDRs swearing-in, the governors of New York, Illinois and Pennsylvania signed orders closing banks in those states. The New York Stock Exchange had suspended trading, and the Chicago Board of Trade bolted its doors

4、for the first time since its founding in 1848. The terrifying runs that began the year before on more than 5,000 failing banks had stripped rural areas of capital and now threatened to overwhelm American cities.This was the bottom. If you had your money in a bank that went bust, you were wiped out.

5、With no idea whether banks would reopen, millions of people hid their few remaining assets under their mattresses, where no one could steal them without a fight.Roosevelts inaugural address at the Capitol had begun to restore hope, with his standout line, The only thing we have to fear is fear itsel

6、f. Yet the greatest applause came when he said that if his reform program was not adopted, I shall ask Congress for the one remaining instrument to meet the crisis: broad executive power to wage a war against the emergency.Then FDR used a new medium in a new way to change millions.The first Presiden

7、tial radio broadcast was introduced by Robert Trout of CBS, who read from a folksy script approved by FDR: The President wants to come into your home and sit at your fireside for a little fireside chat. FDR brought natural talent to the role. His speaking voice was a beautiful, relaxed tenor, not th

8、e contrived basso profundo of pompous politicians.Roosevelt owed much to technological good fortune. In 1921, the number of radios in the United States was in the thousands. By 1928, there were 9 million, and by 1932, 18 million, with about half the households owning at least one radio. Herbert Hoov

9、er had appeared on one of the first telecasts produced by an infant technology called television, but neither he nor anyone else knew how to use the broadcasting medium effectively.Roosevelt, though, was different.All afternoon, workers busily removed the gold pieces and Presidential china patterns

10、in the Diplomatic Reception Room on the White House ground floor. In came bulky electrical equipment and telephone cables, connected to a desk and built-in microphone. Meanwhile, Roosevelt pictured people gathered in the parlor, listening with their neighbors, wrote Frances Perkins, who witnessed ma

11、ny broadcasts. As he talked, his head would nod and his hands would move in natural, relaxed gestures. His face would light up as though he were actually sitting with people.The ritual went this way: Upstairs, FDR would put the finishing touches on every word and phrase. He was obsessed with punctua

12、tion. Grace Tully, his secretary, sometimes inserted extra commas when she typed, leading her boss to gently upbraid her for wasting the taxpayers commas. His real concern was timing. He read aloud at about 100 words a minute, but he adjusted his pace for effect. At 6 p.m., Roosevelt had his throat

13、sprayed for a sinus problem. Then he enjoyed cocktails and dinner.Moments before the first Fireside Chat was to air, there was a crisis. No one could find his leather-bound reading copy. Panic ensued for everyone except FDR, who calmly picked up a smudged, mimeographed copy. After sipping from a gla

14、ss of water, he read the words perfectly on the air.The beauty of that first prime-time radio speech was its clarity. FDR walked people through the basics of banking without being patronizing. He outlined the process for deciding which banks to open. He made everyone understand it, even the bankers,

15、 Will Rogers quipped later.In the middle of the speech, Roosevelt said simply, I can assure you that it is safer to keep your money in a reopened bank than under the mattress. By raising an issue that made so many feel shameful, he lifted the shame offering listeners a way to strike a patriotic blow

16、 by simply depositing money into a solvent bank. Those who planned instead to withdraw money were gently thrown in with an unsavory lot. Hoarding, the President said, has become an exceedingly unfashionable pastime.Then he returned to themes so popular in his inaugural. Confidence and courage are th

17、e essentials in carrying out our plan. Let us unite in banishing fear. We have provided the machinery to restore our financial system. Together we cannot fail.Jim Farley, a top political advisor, wrote that if judged by its impact, this speech may have been the greatest single utterance by an Americ

18、an President. No other talk ever called forth such a wave of spontaneous enthusiasm and cooperation. With 60 million people listening, the effect was immediate. The next day, Monday, March 13, newspapers reported long lines of Americans anxious to redeposit their money. The New York Stock Exchange,

19、closed for over a week, opened 15 percent higher, the largest one-day surge in more than half a century. Within a week, most of the recently closed banks reopened.Gerald Ford, about 20 at the time, remembered FDRs Fireside Chats as big events we would all stop and listen. Ronald Reagans biographer,

20、Lou Cannon, has written that Reagans metaphors were the offspring of FDRs. And Bill Clinton recalled hearing his grandfather talkabout how he sat in rapt attention, then went to work the next day feeling a little different about the country.After the first Fireside Chat, FDR relaxed in his office. A

21、t 11:30 p.m. he said, I think its time for beer. Preparations for a bill to speed the end of Prohibition began that night.Vocabulary1. swear v. to admit someone to a particular office or position by directing themto take a formal oath 宣誓2. delivery n. giving a speech in public 演讲3. destitute adj. ha

22、ving no money, no food, no home etc. 困穷的4. inaugural adj. (of an official speech) first, and marking thebeginning of sth. important就职的 , 开始的5. scaffolding n. a set of poles and boards built into a structure forworkers to stand on outside of a building 脚手架6.aide n. sb. helping a person with an import

23、ant job, esp. a politician 助手 , 副7.swearing-in n. making a promise to do a job correctly 宣誓就职8.suspend v. to officially stop something from continuing, esp. for a shorttime 暂停9.boltv. to lock a door or window by sliding a bolt across 上门闩overwhelm10. v. to surprise someone very much so that they do n

24、ot11.asset n. the property of a person, company, etc., esp. of value 资产12.mattress n. the soft part of a bed to lie on 床垫13.Capitol n. the building in Washington D.C. where the US Congressmeets国会大厦14.restore v. to make something return to its former state or condition 恢复15.standout adj. a person or

25、sth. in a group much better than all the rest 出色的 , 杰出的16.Congress n. the group of people elected to make laws in the US,使人不知所措know how to reactconsisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives (美国等国的 )国会 , 议会17. executive adj. relating to the job of managing a business or organization and m

26、aking decisions 行政的18. wage v. to begin and continue a war, a battle, etc. 发动6.folksy adj. (infml.) esp. AmE friendly and informal 和气的 , 无拘 束的script n. the written form of a speech, play, film etc. 手稿 , 原本tenor n. a hi

27、gh male singing voice 男高音contrived adj. seeming false and not natural 人为的 , 做作的basso profundon. (pl. basso profundos) a deep bass sing voice 低音pompous telecast bulky adj. feeling oneself better than others 浮夸的 n. sth. broadcast on television 电视广播 adj. bigger and difficult to carry or store 体积大的parlo

28、r n. (old-fashion) a room in pubic buildings to receive guests 会客室obsess v. to be talking or worrying about sth. all the time 着迷punctuation n. the marks to divide writing intosentences, phrases, et(标点, 标点符号upbraid v. (fml.) to blame sb. having done sth. wrong 责备timing n. speed 调速spray v. to force li

29、quid out of a container in a stream of very small drops 喷射sinus n. the spaces in the bones of ones head connected to the inside ofone s no窦air v. to broadcast a program on television or radio (用无线电，电视)播送panic to think clearly惊慌, n. a sudden strong feeling of fear or nervousness making sb. unable 恐慌e

30、nsue vi. to happen after or as a result of something 跟着发生smudge v. to make a dirty mark on a surface 弄脏mimeograph n. a copy made by using a duplicator 油印品n. the time in the evening with the largest number of people watching television 黄金时段prime-timepatronizing adj. showing oneself better, or more in

31、telligent高人一等的quip v. to say something clever and amusing 嘲弄assure v. to tell positively or con fide ntly向保证solvent adj. having enough money to pay your debts 有偿付能力的unsavory adj. disgusting 令人讨厌的lotn. a group or set of people or things 一批，一类人或物hoarding n. store 贮藏47. pastime n. something enjoyable o

32、r interesting 消遣 , 娱乐48. theme n. the main subject or idea in writing, speech, film, etc. ( 谈话 , 写作等 的) 主题49. banish 50. utterance 51. spontaneous v. to try to stop thinking about something or someone 消除 n. (fml.) something a person says 说话 adj. not planned or organized, buthappening by itself 自发的 ,

33、 自然产生的52. surge n. a sudden increase in amount or number 剧增53. rapt adj. attentive 全神贯注的Phrases and expressions1. work on:2. take down:to try hard to improve or achieve something 从事于；致力于to separate sth. into pieces 拆卸3. go bust:to go bankrupt 俚 破产 ;完蛋4. wiped out:not before noun (infml.) extremely t

34、ired 精疲力竭的5. the finishing touch:the last detail 最后一笔6. walk sb. through sth.: to help sb. learn or become familiar with sth. 帮助某人了解某事8. call forth:7. strike a blow for sb./sth.:to help achieve an aim 帮助某人获得成功to produce a particular reaction 使起作用Notes1. Jonathan Alter : Jonathan Alter (1957-) is a c

35、olumnist and senior editor for Newsweek magazine, where he has worked since 1983. For nearly two decades, he has written a widely acclaimed column that examines politics, media, and social and global issues. For more than a decade, he has worked as a contributing correspondent to NBC News.2. Frankli

36、n Delano Roosevelt : Franklin D. Roosevelt(1882-1945), the thirty-second President of the United States (1933-1945). Assuming the Presidency at the depth of the Great Depression, Franklin D. Roosevelt helped the American people regain faith in themselves. He brought hope as he promised prompt, vigor

37、ous action, and asserted in his Inaugural Address, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself.3. The Depression : The “ Great Depression(1929”-1939) was a period in United States History when business was poor. Banks, stores, and factories were closed and left millions of Americans jobless, homel

38、ess, and penniless. Many people came to depend on the government or charity to provide them with food. The Depression became a worldwide business slump of the 1930s that affected almost all nations. 大萧条4. The New York Stock Excha nge : The New York Stock Excha nge (NYSE), nickn amed the Big Board, i

39、s a New York City-based stock exchange. It is the largest stock exchange in the world.纽约证券交易所5. The Chicago Board of Trade : An importa nt market in Chicago, US, i n which futurecon tracts for the delivery of commodities are bought and sold.芝加哥交易所6. Robert Trout :(1909-2000) an American broadcast ne

40、ws reporter, best known for his radiowork before and duri ng World War II. He an chored CBS News coverage of World War II and coined the phrase fireside chat to describe Preside nt Fran kli n D. Roosevelts radio addresses to the n ati on.7. CBS: Columbia Broadcasting System 哥伦比亚广播公司8. Herbert Hoover

41、 :(1874-1964) a US politicia n in the Republican Party and Preside nt of theUS from 1929 to 19339. Frances Perkins : (1882-1965) secretary of labor for the 12 years of Franklin D. Roosevelts preside ncy and the first woma n to hold a Cabinet post10. Will Rogers : (1879-1935), first an Indian, a cowb

42、oy, then a national figure11. Jim Farley : (1888-1973) ap po in ted by FDR postmaster gen eral and party chairman in 1933 and later one of FDRs closest political advisors12. Gerald Ford : (1913-2006) Thirty-eighth Preside nt (1974-1977)13. Ron ald Reagan : (1911-2004) the fortieth Preside nt of the

43、Un ited States (1981-1989)14. Lou Cannon :(1933-) an American non-fiction author and biographer. He covered Reaganfor over twen ty-five years and the author of Preside nt Reaga n: The Role of a Lifetime15. Bill Cli nto n (1946-):the forty-seco nd Preside nt of the Un ited States (1993-2001)16. Prohi

44、bition : the period from 1919 to 1933 in the US when the production and sale of alcoholic drinks was illegal 禁止，阻止，美 禁酒令ExercisesI. Questio ns for discussi on1. Why does the author say that the America n econo mic system was in a state of shock?2. What is the most encouraging line in FDR s speech?3.

45、 Why does the author say that Roosevelt owed much to tech no logical good fortune?4. How did FDR s speech affect people and why?5. How do you understand the title and does the wordcourage in the title only refers to thecourage show n by FDR?II. Fill in the bla nks with the words from the box. Change

46、 the form where n ecessary.ensue wage overwhelm restore obsess destitute panic folksy assets delivery suspend adopt banish quip assure1. Youll have to work on your , for you ll face a large audience.2. The unprecedented floods left many people and homeless.3. Sales of the drug will be temporally unt

47、il more tests are completed.4. I was completely by his generosity to offer me the opportunity to use his luxury carwhen I first met him.5. He was once an immigrant worker but has now a corporation with $2 billion in .6. She was hoping that the Mediterranean climate would her to full health and energ

48、y.7. The courts were asked to a more flexible approach to young offenders instead of asevere punishment.8. The council has a vigorous campaign against the proposal put forward by the newlyelected president.9. The Smiths have lived in the town for more than 50 years and they have a special love for t

49、he town which has a certain charm.10. A lot of young girls are by their weight and most of them choose to go on a diet.11. The whole nation is in a state of following the unexpected attacks from the world.12. The new governor is busy solving problems that from food and medical shortages.13. When per

50、suaded to give up smoking, he would “ Giving up smoking is easy. Ive doneit hundreds of times.”14. She is seriously ill for the moment, but her doctor has us that shell be fine in no time.15. The parents are trying to the unpleasant memory from their son s mind.III. Complete the sentences with the c

51、orrect form of the given words.1. The two boys were friends all the week, and embattled enemies on Saturdays.(swear)2. A postman is a man employed to letters and parcels. (delivery)3. Policy and action alike gained immediate and support at home. (overwhelm)4. The of this policy would relieve them of

52、 a tremendous burden. (adopt)5. In recent years, many childrens welfare institutions have raised funds to have operations for disabled children in welfare institutions. (restore)6. Publication of his biography was to coincide with his 70th birthday celebrations.(timing)7. Bertha tried to speak, but

53、her throat was dry, and she could no word. (utterance)8. He consumed a large plateful of the very stew. (unsavory)9. Is it better to spend your money today or every penny in the bank for tomorrow?(hoarding)10. It is a well-known fact that the English have an with their weather and that, givenhalf a

54、chance, they will take about it at length. (obsess)IV. Paraphrase the following sentences from the text.1. The terrifying runs that began the year before on more than 5,000 failing banks had stripped rural areas of capital and now threatened to overwhelm American cities.2. If you had your money in a bank that went bust, you were wiped out.3. Roosevelt owed much to technological good fortune.4. Th