英语课程计划-The International Day

The International Day of Democracy¹ started in 2007. The United Nations General Assembly² decided³ to have a special day to raise awareness⁴ of living in a democracy. They chose September 15th as that day and invited every country and member organization to focus on the benefits of democracy. The U.N. declared there was no single model of democracy. A resolution said all democracies⁵ share common features “and that democracy does not belong to any country or region”. The U.N. said: “Democracy is a universal value based on the freely-expressed will of people to determine their own political, economic, social and cultural systems, and their full participation⁶ in all aspects of life.”

The International Day of Democracy website claims democracies can have many advantages for their citizens. The main one is to ensure people’s basic freedoms. “In a democracy, people are able to think, say and do what they wish within the law and with respect for others, to practice their beliefs and to live the kinds of life they choose.” Another advantage is that a democracy meets popular needs. The more influence ordinary people have over their government, the more likely government will meet their basic needs. The website says democracies treat people equally and are free from discrimination. It does say many of the world’s democracies fall short of achieving this. There is perhaps no country that has true equality.

1 democracy   

n.民主政治，民主制度；民主精神，民主作风

参考例句：

• Democracy is based on good will and mutual understanding.民主建立在善意和相互理解的基础上。
• Did democracy have its beginnings in Athens? 民主制度是创始于雅典吗？

2 assembly   

n.集会(不可数)；会议(可数)，装配(不可数)

参考例句：

• He took his seat in an unobserved corner of the assembly room.他在会议室一个不为人注意的犄角坐下来。
• It was very quiet in the assembly hall.会场里静悄悄的。

3 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。

4 awareness   

n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智

参考例句：

• There is a general awareness that smoking is harmful.人们普遍认识到吸烟有害健康。
• Environmental awareness has increased over the years.这些年来人们的环境意识增强了。

5 democracies   

民主( democracy的名词复数 )； 民主国家； 民主精神； 民主权利

参考例句：

• Emergent democracies created markets that were ripe for exploitation. 新兴的民主国家创造了可供开拓的成熟市场。
• The new democracies face tough challenges. 这些新兴的民主国家面临着严峻挑战。

6 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。