VOA慢速英语2011-For Arizona Girl, a Life of Hope With Tra

Christina Taylor Green was born on September eleventh, two thousand one, the day when terrorists attacked the United States. A book published the following year, "Faces of Hope," showed fifty babies born that day, one from each state. One was Christina.

Last Saturday, the nine-year-old girl was among six people killed by a gunman at a political event in Tucson, Arizona. She was the youngest victim, and the first to be buried. On Thursday, a flag recovered from the World Trade Center in New York flew outside the church where her funeral took place.

Services took place Friday at the same church for another victim, Arizona's chief federal judge, John Roll.

A neighbor had invited Christina to meet her congresswoman at a "Congress on Your Corner" event near a store. The third-grader had recently been elected to the student council at school.

But she also had other interests besides politics. She was the only girl on her Little League baseball team, and wanted to become the first woman in the major leagues.

President Obama and first lady Michelle Obama attend at the memorial service for the victims held Wednesday at the University of Arizona

The gunman wounded Representative Gabrielle Giffords and thirteen other people, including the neighbor who brought Christina.

On Wednesday, President Obama spoke¹ at a memorial service held at the University of Arizona. He talked about each victim, including Christina Green.

BARACK OBAMA: "I want to live up to her expectations. [Applause] I want our democracy to be as good as Christina imagined it. I want America to be as good as she imagined it. [Applause] All of us -– we should do everything we can to make sure this country lives up to our children’s expectations. [Applause]"

Doctors say Representative Giffords continues to make progress, although they cannot predict the extent of her recovery. She was shot through the brain. Police believe she was the main target of the attack -- the first shooting of a member of Congress in more than thirty years.

Officials continue to investigate the twenty-two-year-old suspect. Jared Loughner withdrew from a local community college after being suspended last September because of fears about his behavior.

Christina Taylor Green

Arizona has some of the nation's least restrictive gun laws. Arizonans have a long tradition with guns -- even Congresswoman Giffords talked about owning one.

Mr. Loughner did not have a record of crimes or mental problems that would have prevented him from buying a gun. Two men seized him as he stopped to reload, and a woman pulled away his ammunition³. Some lawmakers are proposing to renew a former ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines, like what the gunman had. These can hold more than thirty rounds.

But the National Rifle Association has worked hard to fight restrictions⁴ on weapons.

Many political leaders have joined the president in appealing for unity². But the shooting has also led to debate about whether or not the nation's heated political talk is enough to incite⁵ violence.

A majority of Americans believe heated political speech played little if any part in the Arizona shooting. That was the finding of a USA Today-Gallup public opinion survey. Also, only about one in five people said they believe stronger gun controls would have prevented the shooting.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.

1 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

2 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

3 ammunition   

n.军火，弹药

参考例句：

• A few of the jeeps had run out of ammunition.几辆吉普车上的弹药已经用光了。
• They have expended all their ammunition.他们把弹药用光。

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 incite   

v.引起，激动，煽动

参考例句：

• I wanted to point out he was a very good speaker, and could incite a crowd.我想说明他曾是一个非常出色的演讲家，非常会调动群众的情绪。
• Just a few words will incite him into action.他只需几句话一将，就会干。