Sunday Marks 100th Anniversary of Ronald Reagan's Birth

Sunday, February 6, marks the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ronald Reagan, America's 40th president. He is remembered as the Great Communicator - and as the man who helped to end tensions with the former Soviet¹ Union.
Ronald Reagan was a well known Hollywood actor before he became governor of California.? His election as president in 1980 thrust him into the international spotlight².
At the Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California, scholars and authors have been assessing Mr. Reagan's impact, and ordinary Americans are recalling his legacy³.
Ronald Reagan had an important insight into the Soviet Union, says presidential biographer Richard Reeves. "That communism could not sustain itself and that the time had come to move from containment⁴, which was the American policy before he became president, to a more confrontational⁵ face toward communism. And it worked, I think, far beyond his wildest dreams," he said.
But the Reagan administration also faced controversy⁶ in the Iran-Contra scandal, a secret arms sale to Iran, which was under an arms embargo⁷. Members of the Reagan administration diverted some of the proceeds to anti-communist guerrillas in Nicaragua.
Michael Genovese studies the presidency⁸, and says it was black mark on the administration.
"And all presidents have mixed legacies⁹, some good, and some bad," Genovese said. "Reagan contributed to the demise¹⁰ of the Soviet Union. He helped bring the economy back. He helped bring 'morning in America' back. But he was also the president who brought in huge debt. When he became president, we were the world's largest creditor¹¹ nation. When he left office, we were the world's largest debtor¹² nation, something we still haven't recovered from."
Mr. Reagan had strong beliefs and was guided by principle, says scholar Robert Rowland. "But then also pragmatism. He was willing to compromise. He was willing to take what he could get and work with the other side," Rowland states.
Mr. Reagan built a conservative coalition¹³, but Rowland says he might not see eye to eye with some modern conservatives.
"They remember him as opposing government of all kinds, and that simply is not his legacy. He cut the growth of government but not government itself. He tried to reform government. He certainly was not a contemporary Tea Party Republican," he adds.
Scholars say Mr. Reagan's greatest strength was understanding leadership and how to communicate his vision to Americans.

1 Soviet   

adj.苏联的，苏维埃的；n.苏维埃

参考例句：

• Zhukov was a marshal of the former Soviet Union.朱可夫是前苏联的一位元帅。
• Germany began to attack the Soviet Union in 1941.德国在1941年开始进攻苏联。

2 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

3 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。

4 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

5 confrontational   

adj.挑衅的；对抗的

参考例句：

• Fans love rappers partly because they strike such a confrontational pose. 乐迷热爱这些饶舌艺人一定程度上是因为他们所采取的那种战斗姿态。 来自互联网
• You prefer a non confrontational approach when it comes to resolving disputes. 面对争端，你不喜欢采用对抗性的手段来解决。 来自互联网

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

8 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

9 legacies   

n.遗产( legacy的名词复数 )；遗留之物；遗留问题；后遗症

参考例句：

• Books are the legacies that a great genius leaves to mankind. 书是伟大的天才留给人类的精神财富。 来自辞典例句
• General legacies are subject to the same principles as demonstrative legacies. 一般的遗赠要与指定数目的遗赠遵循同样的原则。 来自辞典例句

10 demise   

n.死亡；v.让渡，遗赠，转让

参考例句：

• He praised the union's aims but predicted its early demise.他赞扬协会的目标，但预期这一协会很快会消亡。
• The war brought about the industry's sudden demise.战争道致这个行业就这么突然垮了。

11 creditor   

n.债仅人，债主，贷方

参考例句：

• The boss assigned his car to his creditor.那工头把自己的小汽车让与了债权人。
• I had to run away from my creditor whom I made a usurious loan.我借了高利贷不得不四处躲债。

12 debtor   

n.借方，债务人

参考例句：

• He crowded the debtor for payment.他催逼负债人还债。
• The court granted me a lien on my debtor's property.法庭授予我对我债务人财产的留置权。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。