主餐一道：泛听练习
以下段落是摘自新闻里的一些重要信息,并不是一个段落的听写。空内信息可在本新闻中全部找到,大家可以根据这些信息复述新闻。
一、泛听建议：
1、完整听一遍，掌握大意。
2、继续听，特别注意关键信息。遇到相似的词，写下来。
3、复述新闻。
From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.
这里是华盛顿NPR新闻，我是拉克什米·辛格。
The US Senate is taking procedural votes on competing bills aimed at avoiding the across-the-board spending cuts known as the sequester, which are set to _1_ tomorrow. The GOP measure has failed to get enough votes to advance. A vote is underway on a democratic bill. NPR's Craig Windham reports Senate majority leader Harry Reid is accusing Republicans of being completely inflexible for refusing to consider _2_ tax loopholes and _3_ subsidies as a part of the plan.
美国参议院正在进行程序性竞争议案投票，以避免将于明天生效的全面自动减支计划。共和党的议案未能获得足够的支持票数。现在正在对民主党的议案进行投票。据NPR新闻的克雷格·温德姆报道，参议院多数党领导人哈里·里德指责称，共和党人拒绝考虑修补税务漏洞、减少补贴的行为完全不予变通。
Reid says polls show the vast majority of Americans, and even the majority of Republicans, favor reducing the federal deficit with the combination of spending cuts and revenue increases.But GOP Senator John Cronyn says president Obama already got all the revenue he's going to get in the deal that _4_ the fiscal cliff.'He got a $ 600 billion in additional tax revenue from the American people. So where is the balance to that.'That $ 600 billion in revenue was only half of what the president thought though, and less than House Speaker John Boehner _5_ the failed talks in 2011 aimed at achieving a so-called grand bargain on deficit reduction. Craig Windham NPR News, Washington.'The only republicans in America that don't agree, are those that serving Congress.'
里德表示，投票表明大多数美国人，甚至是大多数共和党人赞成以减支和增加税收的方法减少联邦赤字。“全美唯一不同意这项方案的共和党人，就是那些在国会任职的人。”但共和党参议员约翰·克罗宁则表示，奥巴马总统在财政悬崖议案中已获得了所有的税收。“他从美国民众那里得到了6000亿美元的额外税收。那已达到了平衡。”但是那6000亿美元的税收只是总统计划的一半，而且低于众议院议长约翰·博纳提出的目标，2011年博纳在减少赤字的谈判中想达成所谓的大交易，但最终减赤谈判以失败告终。NPR新闻，克雷格·温德姆华盛顿报道。
Today is the deadline for filing briefs in the proposition eight same-sex marriage case before the US Supreme Court. NPR's Nina Totenberg has previously reported the administration will file a brief citing with those contending the California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional.
今天是就反同性婚姻的8号提案向美国最高法院提交诉书的最后限期。NPR新闻的妮娜·托滕伯格此前报道，政府
将递交诉书，政府认为加利福尼亚州禁止同性恋婚姻违反宪法。
What is still unknown is what legal argument the administration makes in the brief to be filed later today. The president has sent mix signals as to whether he'll urge the court to strike down all state laws banning same-sex marriage or a limited number of laws or just California's law. Best bet is a middle ground , urging the court to take one step at a time instead of taking a giant leap. Nina Totenberg NPR News, Washington.
政府在今天稍晚时候递交的诉书中将涉及何种法律论证目前还不清楚。总统将呼吁法院取消禁止同性婚姻的法律
，是涉及所有州，还是个别州，还是只是加州，目前并不明朗。最适当的方法就是采取中间立场，呼吁法院一步
步慢慢来，而不是采取过大的举措。NPR新闻，妮娜·托滕伯格华盛顿报道。
词汇解析：
1. contend
vi.争夺；竞争；奋斗；争斗
vt.声称，主张；争论，争辩；斗争，战斗
eg. The government contends that he is fundamentalist.
政府认定他是原教旨主义者。
eg. American businesses could soon have a new kind of lawsuit to contend with.
美国公司可能很快就要有一种新型的官司去应付了。
eg. Even the best athletes have to contend with the ineluctable fact that they will grow older and must someday face opponents who are younger, faster, and stronger.
即使是最好的运动员也会变老，他们得与这不可避免的事实相抗争，并且必将有一天要面对更年轻、更快和更强的对手。
2. best bet 最好的办法，最佳措施
eg. Your best bet is to say nothing about it.
你最好的办法就是对此事闭口不谈。
eg. Make them see you are the best bet for the position.
让他们觉得你是竞争这个职位的最佳人选。
eg. New zealand and australian cities continued to show they are probably the best bet for cheap but high quality living, with scores consistently around 50 or below.
新西兰和澳大利亚各城市的表现依旧良好，这表明它们可能是追求高质量低成本生活的人们的最佳选择：它们的得分仍旧在50左右或更低。
3. middle ground 中间立场；中立；妥协；
eg. Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground.
谈判未能达成任何妥协。
eg. Many desperately want to find some rational middle ground.
许多人拼命想找到某种理性的中间立场。
eg. Even though reaching some middle ground is so difficult, we still should try our best.
尽管达成折衷很困难，但是我们还是应该尽全力试试的。
参考答案：
1、take effect 2、closing 3、reducing
4、avoided 5、offered in |