【美国精神】第80期

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。

Explanation:   

  When Franklin D. Roosevelt became president of the United States, he said, “the only thing we have to fear (or be afraid of) is fear itself." This phrase became very well known and gave inspiration¹ (or hope) to millions of Americans who were living in very difficult times. Roosevelt became president in 1933 during the Great Depression, which was a period of time when the U.S. economy was doing very poorly.  

 

  President Roosevelt did many things to help Americans during the Great Depression. He had a plan called the New Deal that helped the unemployed² (or people who couldn’t find jobs), made the banking³ system better, and helped to strengthen the economy. 

 

  Then, just when the Great Depression was ending and the U.S. economy was getting better, World War II began and President Roosevelt had many new challenges (or things that are difficult to do). He started rationing⁴, letting people have only small amounts of things that were also needed by the army. He also worked to expand (or make bigger) the manufacturing industry (or the part of the economy that makes things) in the United States. He approved the law that created a minimum wage, which is the smallest amount of money that a person can be paid for each hour of work. 

 

  President Roosevelt served (or worked as president) for 12 years, from 1933 to 1945. He was the only U.S. President who has served more than two terms (or two four-year periods). After his presidency⁵, the 22nd Amendment⁶ (or change to the law) to the U.S. Constitution was made, so that no president could serve more than two terms. 

 

  He was a very strong president, yet his body was weak (or not strong). President Roosevelt was almost paralyzed⁷ (or unable to move) in the lower part of his body. He used a wheelchair, which is a special chair on wheels, but he almost never let people see him using it. 

 

问题：

分享到：