英语听力精选进阶版 7214（在线收听）

Background: 沃利斯-辛普森，这位曾让英国国王爱德华八世为她放弃了大英帝国王位的女人，可能还爱着她的前夫，恩斯特-辛普森。在多封沃利斯写给恩斯特的、没有被曝光过的书信中，沃利斯透露了当年她自己的孤独感，和自己对于这场婚姻的不确定性。

The popular image is that of a rather cold, scheming woman who wormed her way into the affections of Britain's future king. But previously unseen letters suggest that Wallis Simpson was an insecure woman who felt trapped by her relationship with Edward. The letters have been uncovered by Anne Sebba. She says they show that Wallis Simpson might still have been in love with her second husband Ernest Simpson.

Additional extracts reveal the extent of Mrs Simpson's continued love for her former husband, even writing to him while on her honeymoon with Edward. Anne Sebba says that as an American, Mrs Simpson loved the access to the highest levels of English society, to be showered with expensive jewellery, to be the mistress of the future king. But she expected the eventual fate of most mistresses, which is to be dumped.

But he didn't dump her, causing the biggest constitutional crisis for centuries. Despite the widespread criticism of his relationship with the American divorcee, Edward VIII renounced his throne in December 1936. Edward and Mrs Simpson married in June 1937 following her divorce from Ernest.

Glossary 词汇表

scheming 惯耍阴谋的;诡计多端的 

to worm (her) way into (something) 慢慢钻进了（什么地方） 

insecure 没有安全感 

to feel trapped 被困住了 

to uncover 被发现了 

to be showered with 被大量给予（某物） 

to be dumped 被抛弃了 

a constitutional crisis 宪法危机 

widespread criticism 多方的批评 

to renounce 声明放弃

Questions:

1. What does public opinion think of Wallis Simpson? 

That she was a cold and scheming woman who seduced Edward VIII.

2. How did she expect her relationship with the king to end? 

She expected him to dump her as it happens to most royal mistresses.

3. When did she write to her former husband Ernest? 

When she was on her honeymoon with Edward.

4. True or false? Edward was Wallis Simpson’s second husband.

False. Edward was her third husband. According to the report, her second husband was Ernest.