燕山大学 刘立军 编写
TRANSCRIPT
Women who don't pay attention to family finances could be courting disaster.
Janet Lombardi was married to a lawyer for 25 years. They had two children. Then the family's finances collapsed.
Lombardi discovered her husband had credit card debt and there were liens against their Long Island home which had a big subprime mortgage:
"The watershed moment in my situation was when I called my financial advisor and I had no idea that my husband has been siphoning money out of the accounts and when I called him he said to me he said get yourself a good lawyer, a good accountant and a private eye."
Lombardi had to sell her home to pay off the $500,000 in debt her husband had accrued. Lombardi says she wants other women to be aware of financial warning signs like compulsive debt:
"Somebody who just not minding their finances, who just keeps using a credit card. Who thinks that magically there's going to be some money to pay for all of the things that they're buying"
Lombardi says that experience has taught her that it's a good idea for both partners in a couple to check on their finances on a monthly basis.
She's written a memoir about financial ruin called "Bankruptcy: A Love Story."
I'm Carole Zimmer.
Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/201902/579233.shtml
VOCABULARY
1. court v. (动词 + 名词短语) (formal) to do sth. that might result in sth. unpleasant happening 招致，酿成，导致（不愉快的事）。例如：
to court danger/death/disaster招致危险 / 死亡 / 灾难
As a politician he has often courted controversy. 作为政治人物，他常常招致争议。
2. liens n.(不可数名词) ~ (in/over sth.) (law 律) the right to keep sb.'s property until a debt is paid 扣押权，留置权（扣押某人财产直至其偿清债务）
3. subprime mortgage n. 抵押贷款
4. watershed n. (可数名词) ~ (in sth.) an event or a period of time that marks an important change 转折点，分界线，分水岭（标志着重大变化的事件或时期）。例如：The middle decades of the 19th century marked a watershed in Russia's history. 19世纪中叶标志着俄国历史的转折点。
5. siphon v. (informal) to remove money from one place and move it to another, especially dishonestly or illegally （尤指私自或非法）抽走，转移（钱）。例如：She has been accused of siphoning off thousands of pounds from the company into her own bank account. 她被指控把公司的几千英镑转移到了自己的账户里。
6. accrue v. (动词 + 名词短语) to allow a sum of money or debts to grow over a period of time （使钱款、债务）积累。例如：The firm had accrued debts of over $6m. 该公司已积欠了600多万元的债务。
7. compulsive adj. (of behaviour行为) that is difficult to stop or control 难以制止的；难控制的。例如：compulsive eating/spending/gambling强迫性进食 / 消费；上瘾的赌博
8. memoir n. memoirs (复数) an account written by sb., especially sb. famous, about their life and experiences（尤指名人的）回忆录；自传
QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
(Q1) What collapsed in Janet Lombardi’s family?
(A) Finances.
(B) Marriage.
(C) Building.
(D) Health.
(Q2) What’s the suggestion of Lombardi to couples in the news?
(A) Get them a good lawyer and a good accountant.
(B) Get them a good accountant and a private eye.
(C) Check on their finances on a weekly basis.
(D) Check on their finances on a monthly basis.
KEY
(Q1) A。细节题。命题出处：Janet Lombardi was married to a lawyer for 25 years. They had two children. Then the family's finances collapsed.
(Q2) D。细节题。命题出处：Lombardi says that experience has taught her that it's a good idea for both partners in a couple to check on their finances on a monthly basis.