英语听力精选进阶版 13227

Obama visits 'home' in Ireland

Report

If the residents of Moneygall need any advice on how best to welcome an American president, they might turn to their counterparts in another small Irish village, Ballyporeen, which, in 1984 played host to the great grandson of a local man who emigrated to the US, President Ronald Reagan.

President Obama is following in the footsteps, not just of President Reagan, but also of a wave of presidents dating back to John F Kennedy. President Kennedy paid the first visit of a serving US president to Ireland in 1963, a four day trip which saw huge crowds turning out to greet him as he toured the country and visited his ancestral home. He was followed in 1970 by President Richard Nixon, whose family history was traced to County Kildare.

President Bill Clinton made three visits to the island of Ireland during his two terms in office. His Irish legacy¹ though resides in the crucial part he played in the Northern Ireland peace process, although he too can trace ancestry² here, to County Fermanagh.

President George W Bush is thought to have Irish roots as well, in County Down. Like President Clinton, his visits were aimed at consolidating³ the Northern Ireland peace process.

And now the people of Moneygall prepare to welcome their US president; all thanks to a son of the village who left for New York in 1850, at the tender age of nineteen.

The links between Ireland and America are forged on countless⁴ such stories, there are thirty six million Americans who claim Irish ancestry, according to US Census⁵ figures. Every year, thousands of Americans travel here to reconnect with their family heritage.

Later on, in Moneygall, their president will do exactly the same.

Ruth McDonald, BBC News

1 legacy   

n.遗产，遗赠；先人(或过去)留下的东西

参考例句：

• They are the most precious cultural legacy our forefathers left.它们是我们祖先留下来的最宝贵的文化遗产。
• He thinks the legacy is a gift from the Gods.他认为这笔遗产是天赐之物。

2 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

3 consolidating   

v.（使）巩固， （使）加强( consolidate的现在分词 )；（使）合并

参考例句：

• These measures are meant for consolidating the system of basic medical care. 这些举措旨在夯实基层医疗体系，让老百姓看大病不必出远门。 来自互联网
• We are consolidating the Chinese and English versions of our homepage. 我们将为您提供中英文版本一起的主页。 来自互联网

4 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

5 census   

n.(官方的)人口调查，人口普查

参考例句：

• A census of population is taken every ten years.人口普查每10年进行一次。
• The census is taken one time every four years in our country.我国每四年一次人口普查。