【慢速听力 3 篇 as】Trump Signs Order Aimed at Fighting。。。
No.1
AS IT IS
Trump Signs Order Aimed at Fighting Anti-Semitism at US Colleges
December 13, 2019
President Donald Trump holds up an executive order he signed to help combat anti-Semitism in the U. S., during a Hanukkah reception in the East Room of the White House, Dec. 11, 2019, in Washington.
This week, United States President Donald Trump signed an executive order aimed at fighting anti-Semitism at universities and colleges across the country.
The measure interprets part of a U.S. civil rights law to include members “of a group that shares common religious practices.” Part of the law bars discrimination based on race, color and national origin in federally-supported programs.
The Trump administration said it will, as a policy, extend protections under the law to Jewish people.
Some major Jewish organizations praised the action. They said it means that universities could lose federal money if they do not stop discrimination against Jews at their schools.
Rabbi Abraham Cooper is with the Simon Wiesenthal Center, a Jewish rights organization. He said, “This is a very critically important move…that will set an environment wherein Jewish students who were targeted with anti-Semitism on university campuses in America will actually have…protection and recourse.”
Cooper added that he believed the issue had support in both major political parties. “This is not a Republican or a Democratic issue,” he said.
Other Americans, however, said they were unsure about recognizing Jews as a national group.
Moly Jong-Fast is a Jewish American writer and a critic of Trump. She says Jewishness is not a nationality. “I am an American because that’s where I live,” she said.
Jong-Fast told VOA that she believes Trump is, in her words, “very anti-Semitic.”
But Matt Brooks, president of the Republican Jewish Coalition, disagrees. He says Trump’s executive order was meant to protect Jewish people. He said that some organizations and activists who oppose Trump are having a hard time explaining the president’s “action to defend the Jewish Community from anti-Semitism.”
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The executive order triggers Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. That law requires colleges and other educational organizations that receive federal money not to discriminate based on race, color or national origin.
Religion is not covered under the Civil Rights Act. Administration officials say they decided to interpret Judaism as a nationality so that violations at colleges could be punished.
Officials said that Hindu, Muslim and Sikh students already are protected from discrimination under Title VI of the law. They said that is because of the shared ancestry and ethnic qualities that each group has.
On Wednesday, President Trump signed the order at a ceremony marking the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah at the White House. He called the order “a very powerful document.”
Some opponents of the measure worry that it could limit freedom of speech at schools. They say it could be used to stop criticism of Israel’s policies toward Palestinians.
Jermemy Ben Ami is president of J Street, a non-profit group that deals with Jewish issues. He said the executive order appears designed less to fight anti-Semitism than to limit free speech and hurt critics of Israel.
Also criticizing the order was the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel. It said the action will lead to abuse of federal funding to limit academic freedom and Palestinian rights.
The American Civil Liberties Union called the order unnecessary. It said the protection already exists under Title VI. The group’s National Legal Director David Cole said, “The government cannot equate speech criticizing Israel with unlawful discrimination.”
Anti-Israel feelings have increased at U.S. colleges and universities. The Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement has organized events targeting the Jewish state. Some of those events have led to harassment of Jewish students.
I’m Mario Ritter, Jr.
Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this Associated Press report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
Semitism – n. a policy or program designed to help Jews
interpret –v. to explain the meaning of something in a certain way
origin –n. the place where a person or group comes from
recourse –n. the ability to do something in order to deal with a problem or situation
trigger –v. to cause someone to behave in a certain way
academic – adj. of or related to a school or education
harassment –n. to bother someone in a repeated way over time
No.2
AS IT IS
Britain Officially Starts Withdrawal From the European Union
December 13, 2019
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his Conservative Party have won a big victory in general elections.
Results show the Conservatives won a clear majority of the 650 seats in Parliament. Johnson is now likely to act on his promise to lead Britain out of the European Union (EU).
The country is set to withdraw from the EU by January 31, the latest time limit set by the two sides. However, British negotiators will have much work to do to reach a trade deal with Europe before that date.
Johnson has stated that Britain will withdraw from the EU, a move known as Brexit, with or without a deal in place.
It has been more than three years since Britons decided in a special referendum to separate from the EU. Political observers say it is likely that voters on Thursday, even those who wanted to stay with the EU, had grown tired of the issue and political indecision.
‘Get Brexit Done’
Before the vote, Johnson had a simple message: “Get Brexit Done.” The message was designed to win votes. During the election campaign, the prime minister tried to avoid answering reporters’ questions. His actions led to criticism in the media, but clearly did not hurt him and other Conservative candidates.
The Associated Press notes that the Labour Party, led by Jeremy Corbyn, struggled to find a message to appeal to voters. Corbyn was seen as unsure about whether he supported Brexit or not. He was criticized for failing to take steps to deal with reports of anti-Semitism in his party. He also failed to gain support for costly socialist reforms.
Corbyn has said he will not lead the Labour Party into another election, but has not offered to step down immediately.
In addition to the Conservatives, the National Party of Scotland was another big winner in the elections. The party won 48 seats in Parliament, 13 more than it had before.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said the election gave her a renewed mandate to push for another vote on Scottish independence. A vote on independence failed in 2014. Johnson has said he opposes another referendum on Scotland.
In Northern Ireland, the pro-Britain Democratic Unionist Party lost two of its 10 seats in the election. The party’s leader, Arlene Foster, blamed Irish nationalist parties for the defeat.
The vote showed strong support for Brexit, but the Brexit Party of Nigel Farage did not win any seats. The party decided against nominating candidates for 317 Conservative-held seats to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.
Farage said he would rather his party not win seats than have a second referendum on Brexit.
Johnson’s success did not seem possible only a few weeks ago. His first three months in office were marked by defeats in Parliament and in the courts.
This summer, after the prime minister sought to have Parliament suspended in order to push through Brexit, the Supreme Court of the United Kingdom ruled the move illegal. He was then forced to ask the EU for more time beyond October 31 to work toward a Brexit agreement.
Johnson then took a chance by supporting calls for general elections in an effort to gain public support and allies to pass Brexit legislation.
I’m Caty Weaver.
Mario Ritter Jr. adapted this AP story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
referendum –n. a vote in a county, state or country in which the public votes on a single issue
mandate –n. the power to act that voters give their elected leaders
rather – adv. with better reason; more willing
No.3
ARTS & CULTURE
Formula 1 Prepares to Launch Racing in Vietnam
December 13, 2019
President and CEO of Formula 1 Chase Carey, left, Hanoi Mayor Nguyen Duc Chung, second from left and two other officials watch the Hanoi F1 circuit design on the screen in Hanoi, Vietnam, Wednesday, Nov. 7, 2018. Formula 1 and Hanoi officials on…
A new car racing track is nearing completion in Hanoi, Vietnam.
The Formula 1 website reports that crews are expected to finish work on the race course next month. The international racing event is making preparations for the country’s first Formula 1 Grand Prix. The race is to take place in April.
The Vietnam Grand Prix circuit, or raceway, is 5.6 kilometers in length. It was designed to include a permanent track structure, but also extends into some of Hanoi’s streets. Formula 1 says it expects drivers to reach top speeds of about 335 kilometers an hour.
Asia experts say Formula 1’s arrival in Vietnam demonstrates the economic health of the Communist-led country. The Grand Prix races are expected to bring more foreigners into Vietnam.
Rajiv Biswas is the chief Asia-Pacific economist at market research company IHS Markit. He told VOA he thinks the government will use Formula 1 events to expand the country’s tourism industry. “Then of course Vietnam’s own more upper middle-class population would be interested in these types of events,” he added.
Liam Parker is head of communications for Formula 1. He says one reason the organization chose Vietnam was because of major growth in its increasingly market-driven economy. The country enjoys a growing local population with a “large and young workforce” and higher personal earnings, Parker told VOA.
“Hanoi is one of the most exciting cities in the world right now with such a rich history and an incredible future ahead of it,” he added. “This is the perfect formula for Grand Prix racing and we believe this will become a real highlight of the F1 calendar.”
Between 2010 and 2018, the number of foreign tourists in Vietnam expanded from 5 million to more than 15 million.
Vietnamese officials expect the Formula 1 event to bring in even more tourists, said Mark Thomas, an advisor with sports marketing company OmniCom Experiential Group.
“I sort of think it works for both sides,” Thomas said. He explained that the government gets a new way to advertise Vietnam to the world, while Formula 1 and its owners make money from the deal.
Vietnam, like China 15 years ago, is an “up-and-coming nation that wants to showcase itself to the world,” Thomas added. Around East Asia, Formula 1 holds other races in China, Japan and Singapore.
More than one-third of Vietnam’s 97 million people will be middle class or more by next year, the Boston Consulting Group predicts. The middle-class growth is fueled mainly by a rise in export manufacturing that has created jobs.
More Vietnamese now have money to attend live sporting events. Soccer and basketball have both gained popularity in recent years. A Formula 1 Grand Prix ticket will cost between $30 to $300, depending on the event date and seats bought.
I’m Bryan Lynn.
Ralph Jennings wrote this story for VOA News. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
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Words in This Story
track – n. a path or road used for races
tourism – n. the business of providing services for visitors to a place
incredible – adj. very good or exciting
calendar – n. events planned during the year for a particular activity or organization
showcase – v. present the best qualities of something