英语时文泛读 Current News Articles for Extensive Reading

1. 英语时文泛读Current News Articles for Extensive Reading BOOK I

2. Law in Everyday Life

3. I. Overview • This unit is about US law in everyday life.

4. Structure • In this unit, you will read 3 passages about various aspects of US legal system in everyday life. Note how the American people react in a situation where law is involved.

5. You’re Being Duped The ratification process of laws is rather chaotic and the public feel cheated. Text A

6. Traffic laws on drunk drivers are not severe enough. Get ‘Em Off the Road! Text B

7. The inefficient supervision of unqualified teachers is an urgent problem. Expel These Teachers Text C

8. Focus of this session

9. II. Text A You’re Being Duped • Main Idea of the Text • The ratification process of laws is rather chaotic and the public feel cheated.

10. Aurhor Michael Crowley is an American journalist, and currently senior editor and columnist at The New Republic magazine. He is also a frequent contributor to GQ magazine, Slate.com, the Readers Digest, and the Washington City Paper. He guest-blogged for a time at Talking Points Memo.He grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, graduating from Philips Exeter Academy in 1990 and Yale in 1994 Background Information

11. Source Readers Digest online edition (The attached is the website page Feb 20, 2009) Background Information

12. The United States Congressis the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of two houses, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Both senators and representatives are chosen through direct election. As provided by the United States Constitution, each of the 435 members of the House of Representatives represents a district and serves a two-year term. House seats are apportioned among the states by population. The 100 Senators serve staggered six-year terms. Each state has two senators, regardless of population. Every two years, approximately one-third of the Senate is elected. Cultural Notes

13. Cultural Notes • CBS Broadcasting Inc. (CBS) is one of the largest radio and television networks in the United States. The name is derived from the initials of Columbia Broadcasting System, its former legal name. The network is sometimes referred to as the Tiffany Network, which alludes to the perceived quality of CBS programming during the tenure of its founder William S. Paley. It can also refer to some of CBS's first demonstrations of color television, which were held in a former Tiffany & Co. building in New York City in 1950.

14. Cultural Notes • The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the United States federal government agency that collects taxes and enforces the internal revenue laws. The Internal Revenue Service is a bureau of the Department of the Treasury under the immediate direction of the Commissioner of Internal Revenue. The Commissioner has general superintendence of the assessment and collection of all taxes imposed by any law providing internal revenue. The Internal Revenue Service is the agency by which these functions are performed.

15. Language Points Words and Expressions • snoop through (para 1): to pry into the private business of others [美口]探听, 窥探 • eg. The policeman has special permission to snoop through/into the office records. • 那位警察获得特许可调查该室档案.

16. Language Points • fine print (para 4): the part of a contract that contains reservations and qualifications that are often printed in small type 极小的字体 • tuck into (para 5): hidden in 藏进 • eg. Do tuck your shirt into your trousers, dear, it looks so silly hanging out. • 快把衬衣扎到裤子里去，亲爱的，露在外面很难看。

17. Language Points • throw together (para 6) to assemble hurriedly 匆匆拼凑, • The boy just threw together a composition and hand it in. • 男孩匆匆拼凑了一篇作文就交上去了。 • line up (para 12) to arrange for someone to be available for an event 争取到 • eg. He’s already got a new job lined up. • 他已经谋得了一个新工作。

18. Language Points Difficult Sentences • Only after it was too late to change the legislation did someone in the office of North Dakota Sen. Kent Conrad read the fine print and notice the threat to privacy..(para. 4) • 本句为倒装句，其基本结构为Only --did--. 句子强调的是等到发现这种情况却已经为时太晚。

19. Language Points • You can bet the gun lobby wasn’t among those left in the dark..（para.8) • You can bet是口语的说法，意思是“确定，当然”；those left in the dark 此处指一般民众都不清楚其中的玄妙，而gun lobby支持持枪游说集团并不包括其中，即他们是知情人的意思。

20. Language Points • That same bill with the tax-snooping provision was also loaded with pork, like $1.5 million for a project to determine the feasibility of transporting chilled water from Lake Ontario to two New York counties, and $70,000 for the Paper Industry International Hall of Fame in Appleton, Wisconsin. (para 7) • 本句中的pork 指联邦或州政府给手下人的好处，like 为介词，引导一个由and连接的并列介词宾语作pork的补语。