拜登停建特朗普边境墙
燕山大学 刘立军 供稿
【TRANSCRIPT】
This is VOA news. Via remote, I'm Marissa Melton.
U.S. President Joe Biden signed executive orders Tuesday to continue dismantling former President Donald Trump's restrictive immigration policies. During the signing, Biden said "I'm not making new law. I'm eliminating bad policy." Biden's immigration plans include an attempt to reunite families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexican border.
In the first hours of his presidency two weeks ago, Biden acted to halt construction of Trump's $16 billion wall along the border with Mexico and sent a far-reaching immigration bill to Congress. U.S. lawmakers have been stalemated between liberals looking to ease the path to U.S. citizenship and conservatives seeking to stem unauthorized immigration. Biden's immediate focus is on the 3,100-kilometer southern border with Mexico, where Mr. Trump tried to keep thousands of migrants from Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala from entering the United States. Trump led repair and expansion of a border wall and imposed tough detention and deportation policies for those who made it across the desolate border terrain and into the United States.
Amazon.com Inc. on Tuesday said founder Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO and become executive chairman as the company reported its third consecutive record profit and quarterly sales above $100 billion for the first time. Net sales rose to $125.56 billion as consumers turned to the world's largest online retailer for their holiday shopping. Bezos, who started the company 27 years ago, said in a note to employees he would stay engaged in important initiatives but also want the time and energy for other projects.
From Washington D.C., you're listening to VOA news.
【VOCABULARY】
1. dismantle v. to end an organization or system gradually in an organized way （逐渐）废除，取消。
2. halt v. to stop; to make sb. / sth. stop （使）停止，停下
3. stalemate n. a disagreement or a situation in a competition in which neither side is able to win or make any progress （辩论或竞赛中出现的）僵局，僵持局面。例如：The talks ended in (a) stalemate. 谈判陷入僵局，无果而终。
4. liberal n.自由党人，自由主义者
5. conservative n.保守党人，保守派
6. detention n. the state of being kept in a place, especially a prison, and prevented from leaving 拘留，扣押，监禁
7. deportation n. 驱逐出境
8. desolate adj. empty and without people, making you feel sad or frightened 无人居住的，荒无人烟的，荒凉的。例如：a bleak and desolate landscape 一片荒凉的景色
【QUESTIONS】
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. U.S. President Joe Biden signed executive orders Tuesday to dismantle former President Donald Trump's restrictive immigration policies.
2. One of Biden's immigration plans is to reunite farmers that were separated at the U.S.-Mexican border.
3. Biden's immediate focus is on the 3,100-kilometer southern border with Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
4. Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.com Inc.
5. Jeff Bezos will step down as executive chairman and become CEO.
6. Bezos started the company 29 years ago.
【KEY】
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
(T) 1. U.S. President Joe Biden signed executive orders Tuesday to dismantle former President Donald Trump's restrictive immigration policies.
(F) 2. One of Biden's immigration plans is to reunite farmers that were separated at the U.S.-Mexican border.
（正确表达）One of Biden's immigration plans is to reunite families that were separated at the U.S.-Mexican border.
(F) 3. Biden's immediate focus is on the 3,100-kilometer southern border with Mexico, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala.
（正确表达）Biden's immediate focus is on the 3,100-kilometer southern border with Mexico.
(T) 4. Jeff Bezos is the founder of Amazon.com Inc.
(F) 5. Jeff Bezos will step down as executive chairman and become CEO.
（正确表达）Jeff Bezos will step down as CEO and become executive chairman.
(F) 6. Bezos started the company 29 years ago.
（正确表达）Bezos started the company 27 years ago.
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