【美国精神】第1期

 Explanation:

    Back in 1787, more than 200 years ago, the United States of America didn’t exist the way it does today. There were just 13 states, and after they gained independence from Great Britain, they had a very weak government. They struggled to survive (or continue to exist) for several years with this weak government, but they had many problems. So the 13 states decided¹ to work together and write a new document (or written record) to make the country stronger and more unified² (or as one group), so they could work better together as one nation. They called this new document the Constitution.

    The word “Constitution” comes from the verb to constitute³, meaning to put things together. The Constitution joined (or put together) the 13 states into a new country. Since that time, the Constitution has been the supreme⁴ (or highest) law in the United States. Everyone who lives in the United States must obey (or follow) the Constitution. If there is a disagreement over whether something is legal (agrees with the law) or illegal (against the law), we use the Constitution to help us to resolve⁵ (or decide) the issue. That’s why it is the highest and most important legal document inthe country.

    The Constitution was written during the summer of 1787 at a meeting called the Constitutional Convention⁶ in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was a long, hot summer that year when the 55 delegates⁷ (or representatives) met to write this new set of laws. Everyone had a different opinion (or thought or belief) about how the new government should be organized. This is not surprising, since the delegates had many different experiences and backgrounds. They were lawyers, teachers, doctors, and military men, and more. The delegates also had some things in common: they were all white men (no women or non-whites were allowed to participate in the Constitutional Convention), and they were all wealthy (or had a lot of money) and owned land. The president (or leader) of the Convention was the famous military general, George Washington, who later became the first president of the United States.

    The delegates discussed and argued for many weeks, but they finally agreed on a set of laws that would form (or create) their new government. The document they produced (or made) is what we call the Constitution.

 

问题：

What is the supreme law of the land?

Answer:

The Constitution

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 unified   

(unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的

参考例句：

• The teacher unified the answer of her pupil with hers. 老师核对了学生的答案。
• The First Emperor of Qin unified China in 221 B.C. 秦始皇于公元前221年统一中国。

3 constitute   

vt.组成，构成，形成，设立，建立，任命

参考例句：

• A whole consists of parts,the parts constitute the whole.整体由部分组成，部分构成整体。
• The company will constitute you captain of the ship.公司将任命你担任这艘船的船长。

4 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

5 resolve   

vt.解决，解除；决定，决心

参考例句：

• It's up to him to resolve this problem.这个问题应由他来解决。
• This did not shake his resolve.这事并未动摇他的决心。

6 convention   

n.惯例，习俗，常规，会议，大会

参考例句：

• How many delegates have checked in at the convention?大会已有多少代表报到？
• He sets at naught every convention of society.他轻视所有的社会习俗。

7 delegates   

代表，代表团成员( delegate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The conference was attended by delegates from 56 countries. 此次会议有来自56个国家的代表出席。
• Delegates expressed strong opposition to the plans. 代表强烈反对这些计划。