UNIT ONE POLITICS

1. UNIT ONEPOLITICS

2. OVERVIEW • I. Some basic notions • II. Cultural notes • III. Listening practice • IV. Discussion

3. I-1 What is News? • The definition of news may vary from person to person. Generally speaking, it is information or report that is published in newspapers and broadcast on radio and television about recent events in the country or world or in a particular area of activity.

4. I-2 Categories of News • Region/locality: International/world news, domestic news and local news • Theme/the content of coverage: politics, economy, sports, culture, entertainment, health, science and technology, disasters, social issues, religion, et. • Style (in broad sense): features (特写), editorials (社论) / comments, correspondence (通讯), news reports / briefing (新闻报道/简讯), etc.

5. I-3 Characteristic of News Facts It’s the objective reflection of events. • Recently happened events (新鲜) • Constantly developing facts (变化) • typical events that can arouse public interest and concerns (典型) Therefore, in order to stick to the ever-developing news facts, news is expected to be reported in a timely, concrete, comprehensive, fair, accurate and objective way.

6. I-4 Elements of News • News is to convey Influential recent events concerning social life to the public • It emphasizes objectivity (客观性)，publicity (公开性) and popularity (普及性). • 5 “W” + “How”: When and where who did what or what happened?Why (cause&effect)? How(detailed information about the process of the event)?

7. Sample-Disaster Headline: Plane Crash Kills 121 In Greece Dateline: GRAMMATIKO, Greece, Aug. 14, 2005 Lead paragraph: • (CBS/AP)A Cypriot plane crashed into a hill north of Athens on Sunday, killing all 121 people aboard — a third of them children — in Greece's deadliest airline disaster. At least one of the pilots was unconscious when the plane went down, apparently from lack of oxygen. ATIKO, Greece, Aug. 14, 2005

8. Main Body: More detailed description • The Helios Airways flight ZU522 was headed from Larnaca, Cyprus, to Athens International Airport when it crashed at 12:05 p.m. near the town of Grammatiko, about 25 miles north of the Greek capital, leaving flaming debris and luggage strewn across a ravine and surrounding hills. • The Boeing 737, carrying 115 passengers and six crew, was to have flown onto Prague, Czech Republic, after stopping in Athens. • There were 48 children on board. CBS News Correspondent Larry Miller reports the children were Greeks returning from a vacation to Cyprus.

9. The cause of the crash was unclear, but it looked like a technical problem — possibly decompression — and not terrorism. “The first indications, in Cyprus and in Greece, are that it was not caused by a terrorist act,” said Marios Karoyian, a spokesman for Cypriot President Tassos Papadopoulos. • The reaction: Family members wept in anguish as they waited at the Athens and Larnaca airports. When news of the crash emerged at Larnaca, relatives swarmed the airline counters, shouting “murderers” and “you deserve lynching.” One woman, Artemis Charalambous, said she was the mother of one of the pilots.

10. Attributes: • A man whose cousin was a passenger on the plane told Greece's Alpha television he received a cell-phone text message minutes before the crash. “He told me the pilots were unconscious. ... He said: “Farewell, cousin, here we're frozen,” Sotiris Voutas said. • The head of the Greek airline safety committee, Akrivos Tsolakis, described the crash as the “worst accident we've ever had.” He said the plane's black boxes had been discovered at the scene, containing flight data and voice recordings valuable for determining the cause. • Possible cause: “There apparently was a lack of oxygen, which is usually the case when the cabin is depressurized,” Tsolakis said…

11. I-5 What is News Value? • Simply put, public interest is the touchstone (试金石) of news value. • To be more exactly put, news value refers to the importance of the facts and details in the news that can satisfy the public interest (the degree of attention the reader pay to the news reports) in news.

12. I-6 Controversial Newsworthiness • In order to satisfy public interest, news reporters always try their best to cover the happening at home and abroad in great details. • However, public interest tends to be challenged by some critics. The gossip column （八卦栏目）is just a case in point. As we know, gossips and scandals always sell well in the public, but some doubt their news value.

13. I-7 Elements of News Value • Timeliness (及时): Is it a recent development or old news? Freshness strengthens a news story. • Proximity (接近): Is the story relevant to local readers? Close-to-home events naturally are of interest to media outlets. • Eminence (著名) or prominence (突出): Are noteworthy people involved? Some happenings simply are more newsworthy when well-known people/celebrities (名人) are involved.

14. Consequence (后果) or impact (影响): What effect will the story have on readers? For example, the news named “Crude Oil Price Hit Record High” will have a immense impact on our daily life economically and emotionally as private cars are so widespread at present. • Human interest (兴趣): Even though it might not be an earthshaking event, does it contain unique, interesting elements? Human interest stories often appeal to the emotions of readers, pulling them into the lives of others or into subjects of broad concern.

15. I-8 Major News Agencies In Britain: • Reuters (路透社), founded in 1851 In the US: • AP: the Associated Press (美联社), founded in 1848, managing 6 papers- Sun (太阳报), Herald (先驱报), Journal of Commerce (商业日报周刊), Tribune (论坛报), Express (快报), Courier and Enquirer (询问快报) • UPI: United Press (合众社), founded in 1907, merging another agency and named United Press International (合众国际社)

16. Around the world • AFP: 法新社 • Kyodo: 日本共同社 • Itar-Tass：俄通社 • Xinhua: Xinhua News Agency

17. Politics Politics involves several aspects, such as policies, parties, election, government management, diplomacy, ect.

18. I. Knowledge Contest 1. When and how often does U.S. launch the presidential campaign? 2. What are presidential qualifications in US? • The Constitution requires presidents to be _____________ citizens of the United States who are at least ___ years of age and have resided in the United States for ___ years. 3. Who might be the first woman to make a bid for the White House in 2008? natural-born 35 14

19. sought-after • Election to the Presidency • The power of the presidency makes it the most __________ (吃香的) position in American politics. The Constitution originally provided for the election of the president and ____________ by the electoral college (总统选举团). Voters do not elect the president directly, they, however to vote for the electors who support a particular _________________ (总统候选人). The number of electors in each state is equal to the number of each state's representatives in both houses of Congress. vicepresident presidential candidate

20. 538 • The District of Columbia, although having no representative in Congress, has three electors. Altogether there are ____electoral votes. All of each state's electoral votes go to the candidate winning the most votes in that state no matter how slim the margin. • 50个州选举人和哥伦比亚特区（the District of Columbia，美国联邦直辖区，即美国首都华盛顿）的3 名选举人共_______构成选举团人（the Electoral College）。在每一州中获得选举人票数最多的总统候选人便赢得该州的全部选举人票(winner-take-all)。获胜者必须拥有半数选票，即多于538/2，至少270张。如果没有候选人获得270张选举人票，宪法规定众议院投票选举总统。 538

21. Primary Elections (预选) • Political parties choose their presidential nominees through primary elections and party caucuses (meetings政党领袖决策会). In these state contests, the major political parties—the ______________________ —select delegates to attend their party conventions. Primary voters and caucus participants choose delegates who will support their favored candidate at the convention. The party conventions, held in the summer before the November general election, formally nominate the winner of the primaries and caucuses. DemocratsandRepublicans

22. Election CampaignThe campaign for the presidency traditionally begins in early September and ends on Election Day—the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November. Candidates often complain about the length of the campaign period, which can require grueling 20-hour days of speechmaking and traveling. Even as they spread campaign themes through national television and radio campaigns, the candidates also make hundreds of speeches in cities and towns across the country to appeal to specific groups of voters.

23. Election Day and Inauguration • The formal balloting (投票) of the electoral college, however, does not take place until the first Monday after the second Wednesday of December, when the electors meet in each state. These results are transmitted to the secretary of the Senate and are counted publicly before a joint session of Congress on January 6. Under the original provisions of the Constitution, the president and vice president were inaugurated on March 4 of the year following their election.

24. In 1933 the 20th Amendment went into effect, moving the inauguration date up to ____________. At the inaugural ceremony, the new president recites anoath: I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the Office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect and defend the Constitution of the United States. January 20

25. II. Introductory Remark • In this unit, we just intend to focus on the topic about election, the key political issue in America in 2004. Actually, to clarify the process of presidential election (总统选举) is no easy task, you’re expected to get familiarized with the chief 2 parties in the U.S. first, that is, the Republican Party (共和党), also named GOP (Grand Old Party 大佬党) and the Democratic Party (民主党),

26. II-1 The Democratic Party • Thomas Jefferson, in the late 1700's, started the first political party with the conviction that the federal government was assuming too much power over domestic policy and should be stopped. His party became known as the "Democratic" party when candidate Andrew Jackson became President in 1828. • Andrew Jackson was known as a man of the people. He took the Democratic party that Jefferson and his elite collegues had formed and turned it over to the citizens of the United States.

27. II-2 The Democratic Party vs. The Republican Party • The Democratic Party held its first convention in 1832 to re-elect Andrew Jackson to a second term. Its convention began the Democratic National Committee in 1848. It has become the longest running political organization in the world. • The Republican Party held its first convention in 1854, with supporters then including anti-slavery activists and advocates of the idea that the government should grant western lands to settlers free of charge.

28. Story of Party Animals • Party animals involved statues of donkeys and elephants. _________ is the official animal of the Democratic Party. __________ represents the Republican Party. The status of an elephant as Republican Party’s symbol appears to be safe. Win or lose, both symbols have endured. • The elephant - symbol of the Republican Party since 1874 - remembers that GOP stands for “Grand Old Party,” but increasingly, the elephant is standing alone. The donkey The elephant

29. When Andrew Jackson ran for president in 1828, his opponents tried to label him a “jackass” （蠢驴；笨蛋）for his populist views and his slogan, “Let the people rule.” Jackson, however, picked up on their name calling and turned it to his own advantage by using the donkey on his campaign posters. During his presidency, the donkey was used to represent Jackson’s stubbornness (顽固). Thomas Nast, a famous political cartoonist, used the donkey first in an 1874 editorial cartoon to depict the Democrats as a donkeytrying to scare a Republican elephant.

31. II-3 TV commercials for presidential election • The idea that you can merchandise candidates for high office like breakfast cereal is the ultimate indignity to the democratic process." -Democratic candidate Adlai Stevenson, 1956 • “Television is no gimmick(花招，噱头）, and nobody will ever be elected to major office again without presenting themselves well on it."-Television producer and Nixon campaign consultant Roger Ailes, 1968

32. When television emerged as a mass medium in the early 1950s, TV advertising became an essential campaign tool. • Television commercials distill （提炼）a candidate's major campaign themes into a few powerful images. These ads elicit emotional reactions, inspiring support for a candidate or raising doubts about his opponent.

33. The major parties will spend hundreds of millions of dollars on TV commercials. Ads on TV and the Internet have become the dominant form of communication in the modern presidential campaign.

34. III. Translation • 唱名表决 • roll-call vote • 拉选票 • seek a vote • 不记名投票 • secret ballot • 选举人票 • electoral vote • 选举人制 • electoral system • 直接选举 direct election • 普选制 general election system • 等额选举 single-candidate election • 差额选举 competitive election • 补缺选举 by-election

35. 最后的投票 make the final vote • 不信任投票 vote of non-confidence • 换届选举 election at expiration of office terms • 选举权和被选举权 the right to vote and the right to be elected

36. Part A Snap Judgments I. Vocabulary Preparation: snap /  / made quickly, without careful thought 迅速的；仓促的 make a ~ decision / make a ~ search of … (Am. slang) It’s a ~ job. (= very easy job) slick /  / done in a skilful and attractive way; very good or attractive 巧妙的；吸引人的 a ~ show / a ~ time / a ~ TV presenter

37. ad /  / an advertisement; a public notice offering or asking for goods, services, etc.广告 an ~ campaign / a classified/want ~ 分类/征聘广告 commercial /  / an advertisement on television or radio （广播、电视的）广告 run ~s 主办广告节目 candidate /  / someone who is competing in an election 候选人 endorse a ~ 同意（支持）某候选人 a leading ~ for the presidency 总统的主要候选人

38. glimpse /  / a quick look at someone or something that does not allow you to see them clearly 瞥见；一瞥 get/catch a brief ~ of the city demonstrate /  / to show or describe how to do something or how something works 示范；演示 ~ sth. to sb. / ~ how to do sth. clip /  / a short part of a film or television program that is shown by itself, especially as an advertisement 片段；剪辑 go through all the ~s on an event / a televised news ~

39. rate /  / to think that someone or something has a particular quality, value, or standard 评估；评价 ~ sb.’s English at a B 给某人的英语打B分 We ~ your services highly. 我们对你的服务评价很高。 weird /  / very strange and unusual, and difficult to understand or explain 怪异的；神秘的；不可思议的 a ~ story 诡异的故事 a ~ idea 古怪的念头

40. VERB glance at, down, over, round, through … glance /  / a quick or brief look一瞥；匆匆一看 take a ~ at the newspaper headlines steal ~es at sb. prehistoric /  / relating to the time in history before anything was written down 史前的 in ~ times 在史前时期 ~ man/remains/animals 史前人类/遗迹/动物

41. II. Notes Let’s pay tribute to the renowned anchor - late Peter Jennings (1938-2005, born in Canada) the lead anchor and senior editor of ABCNEWS’World News Tonight, where he has established a reputation for independence and excellence in broadcast journalism. He became an American citizen in 2004. He died of lung cancer at the age of 67 on August 8, 2005 彼得•詹宁斯

42. ABC theAmerican Broadcasting Company, a television and radio network in the United States, today owned by the Walt Disney Company 美国广播公司 • Robert Krulwich a New York-based ABCNEWS correspondent who appears regularly on Nightline. He also reports for World News Tonight With Peter Jennings, and Good Morning America.罗伯特•克鲁尔维奇

43. III. Spot Dictation • Peter Jennings: Thank you for joining us this evening: Snap Judgments. Candidates in the political campaign are going to spend hundreds of millions of dollars this year trying to 1 with slick 30-second commercials. But maybe all they need are five-second ads, even two seconds! ABC’s Robert Krulwich tonight on how important 2 is. • (People yelling in background) influence voters that very first impression

44. Robert Krulwich: Now it’s getting interesting, and as these candidates flash by on TV for a second or two, even 3 makes an impression. A bigger impression than you know. • Nalini Ambady: Yeah, I think you are making an impression. the briefest glimpse

45. a bunch of • Robert Krulwich: Psychology professor Nalini Ambady knows this, because a few years ago she did an experiment. She asked 4 students like these to come to a classroom here at Harvard and she showed them short videos of teachers 5 . Let me demonstrate. She showed a guy like me, lecturing in a lecture hall, except you (talking to professor) turned off the sound. So they watched something like this, a teacher teaching 6 for how long? (asking the professor) • Nalini Ambady: These clips are 10 seconds long. they never met with no sounds

46. Robert Krulwich: Ten seconds? • Nalini Ambady: Uh huh. • Robert Krulwich: That’s all? • Nalini Ambady: Yeah. • Robert Krulwich: Then—we’re re-creating this here (showing chart), the students were asked to rate the teacher in a number of categories. And 7 were then compared to a course evaluation filled out by students who’d have the teacher three days a week for a whole semester. And what happened? • Nalini Ambady: Uhm…there was 8 [in their evaluations]. It was amazing！ those ratings very little difference

47. Robert Krulwich: So students who saw the professor for ten seconds gave the exact same ratings as the students who knew him for months! • Nalini Ambady: Precisely! That’s exactly what we found. • Robert Krulwich: Ok, now just for the fun of it, you get 9 students and you show them clips of professors that last two seconds—two seconds and no sound! Which is…like, nothing! • Nalini Ambady: Yeah. [laughing] It passes by fast. • Robert Krulwich: And after a two-second look, student ratings were 10 to the full semester evaluation. That is so weird! a new set of almost identical

48. Robert Krulwich: Ah, well, we had the same reaction. • Robert Krulwich: But if a two-second glimpse can tell you that much about a teacher, just possibly a two-second glance on the TV can tell you something important about a candidate for president. From prehistoric times we have evolved to look at faces and make snap judgments: is he going to hurt me, is he going to help me? Brains, says professor Ambady, can decide a lot in two seconds. So quick impressions matter! Robert Krulwich, ABC News.

49. Questions • Do you agree with the conclusion? • How do you understand the proverb “You can’t judge a person by appearance”? • Do you trust TV commercials in the political campaigns? How important do you think they are ?

50. Part B Hillary Clinton’s Journey I. Vocabulary Preparation: • exclusively /  / only; not shared with others 独有地；独家地 e.g. The article was written ~ (专门撰写) for Newsweek. • memoir /  / a book by someone important and famous in which they write about their life and experiences 回忆录；自传 • scandal /  / action, attitude, etc. that is disgraceful or shameful 丑闻；丑行；丑事 e.g. spread/uncover/cover up ~ about sb.