搜索关注在线英语听力室公众号:tingroom,领取免费英语资料大礼包。
(单词翻译)
Disasters Pose Leadership, Political Challenges for US Presidents
Just a week before the U.S. presidential election, Hurricane Sandy battered1 huge areas of the U.S. East Coast.
President Obama suspended campaigning to oversee2 the response. "The election will take care of itself next week. Right now our number one priority is to make sure we are saving lives," Obama said.
As the storm eased, the president was in New Jersey3, with the state's Republican governor, Chris Christie. The governor, a supporter of the Republican presidential candidate Mitt4 Romney, praised Obama.
Romney, in a tight race with Obama, also temporarily suspended campaigning. He urged Americans to contribute to relief efforts.
"I appreciate your generosity5, it is part of the American spirit, the American way to give to people who are in need," Romney said.
A politician’s handling of a disaster can leave a lasting6 mark on public perception.
In 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated7 the U.S. Gulf8 coast. In New Orleans, levees failed, leaving communities under water, and more than 1,800 people died.
Hurricane Katrina response
President George W. Bush flew over the area. And he praised Michael Brown, who headed the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
The president was criticized for failing to lead a robust9 government response. Brown was forced to resign.
Within weeks of the storm, President Bush's approval ratings dropped, in large part because of Katrina.
In August 1992, President George H.W. Bush's response after Hurricane Andrew lashed10 the state of Florida was widely criticized as too slow. His approval ratings were already low because of the poor economy, and a few months later, he lost his race for re-election.
Mark Merritt, president of Witt Associates, an emergency management company that has worked with Democratic and Republican administrations, says President Obama de-politicized the response to Hurricane Sandy.
"I think the presidents that have been effective, President Clinton was probably the best, and President Obama is showing that type of leadership now is, when you put that aside it all works out for the best. People want to see a strong leader, they don’t want to see a politician," Merritt said.
Americans so far are giving Obama high marks on how he has handled Hurricane Sandy.
A Washington Post/ABC poll found that 78 percent described the president's response as excellent or good. The same poll showed two thirds of Romney supporters also praising the president's handling of the storm.
1 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
2 oversee | |
vt.监督,管理 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
3 jersey | |
n.运动衫 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
4 mitt | |
n.棒球手套,拳击手套,无指手套;vt.铐住,握手 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
5 generosity | |
n.大度,慷慨,慷慨的行为 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
6 lasting | |
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
7 devastated | |
v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词);摧毁;毁灭;在感情上(精神上、财务上等)压垮adj.毁坏的;极为震惊的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
8 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
9 robust | |
adj.强壮的,强健的,粗野的,需要体力的,浓的 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
10 lashed | |
adj.具睫毛的v.鞭打( lash的过去式和过去分词 );煽动;紧系;怒斥 | |
参考例句: |
|
|
本文本内容来源于互联网抓取和网友提交,仅供参考,部分栏目没有内容,如果您有更合适的内容,欢迎 点击提交 分享给大家。