Americans Vote Tuesday in Mid-Term Elections

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.

Americans will vote in elections on Tuesday. They will elect all four hundred thirty-five members of the United States House of Representatives, thirty-seven senators, many state governors and local officials. Political experts say all signs point to major gains by Republican Party candidates in both houses of Congress. The Republicans are hoping to win back control of Congress, which they lost to the Democrats in two thousand six.

President Obama does not stand for re-election until two thousand twelve. But many of his programs may be in trouble if Republicans retake control of the House and make gains in the Senate.

President Obama has been urging Democrats across the country to support their party's candidates in the election. He also has defended the record of his administration's first two years in office. Former President Bill Clinton gave a similar message when he made campaign appearances for Democratic Party candidates. He said he believes President Obama and Congress have done a better job than most people think they have done.

But Republican leaders say the political energy is on their side this year. Many political experts predict that Republicans will win back control of the House of Representatives, but will fall just short of winning a majority in the Senate.

A new study found that support for President Obama and the Democrats has decreased among some important voting groups. These groups helped them win two years ago. They include women, independent voters and less wealthy Americans. CBS News and The New York Times newspaper reported their findings.

Experts say the public's poor opinion of the national economy, including high unemployment, is the main problem facing Democrats this year.

Democrats have been seeking to increase voters' attention on individual Republican candidates they say are too extreme. Some of these candidates are supported by the conservative and libertarian Tea Party movement.

This year, money in the form of campaign contributions appears to be having more of an influence than ever before. A Supreme Court ruling opened the way for more campaign spending on television advertising by businesses and labor unions. Many television advertisements are paid for by groups not connected with political parties and by wealthy donors who do not have to identify themselves. Many of these television commercials attack a candidate's opponent.

The election campaigns have been some of the costliest ever. For example, Republican Meg Whitman has spent more than one hundred forty million dollars of her own money on her campaign. She is seeking to become governor of California against the state's former governor, Jerry Brown. Independent groups estimate that candidates, parties and independent groups will spend as much as four billion dollars by the time the voting has ended.

And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. Go to www.tingvoa.com and click on the Cla***oom to explore our new English teaching activities. I'm Steve Ember.

这里是VOA特别英语时事新闻。

周二，美国人将对中期选举进行投票。他们将选出美国众议院所有435个成员，37名参议员，许多州长和当地官员。政治专家表示，一切迹象

都表明，共和党在国会两院选举中将大获全胜。共和党将重新夺回对国会的控制权。2006年，他们输给了民主党。

奥巴马总统在2012年才竞选连任。但是，如果共和党重新夺回对众议院的控制权，并获得参议员的席位，奥巴马的许多项目将面临困难。

奥巴马敦促全国各地的民主党员在选举中支持自己党派的候选人。他还为他前两年执政的记录进行了辩护。前总统比尔·克林顿为民主党候选人进行竞选活动时也传达了类似的信息。他说，他相信奥巴马总统和国会的表现比大多数人认为的更好。

但是共和党领袖称，今年的政治优势在他们这一边。许多政治专家预测共和党将重新赢得对众议院的控制权，但是仍然难以获得参议院的大多数。

一项新的研究发现，在一些非常重要的投票群体中，奥巴马总统和民主党的支持率下降。两年前，这些群体帮助他们获得了胜利。包括妇女，独立选民和不是非常富裕的美国人。CBS新闻和纽约时报报告了该研究结果。

专家表示，公众对全国经济的悲观态度，包括高失业率在内，是民主党今年面临的主要问题。

民主党试图让选民更多的关注他们认为过分极端的民主党独立候选人。其中一些候选人受到保守和自由派茶党运动的支持。

今年，金钱在竞选活动中产生的影响力超过以往。最高法庭的裁决为企业和工会在电视广告方面投入更多竞选费用开辟了道路。许多电视广告费用由于政治党派没有关系的团体以及不必表明身份的有钱的捐赠者支付。许多电视广告对某位候选人的竞争对手进行***。

这次选举的竞选活动是有史以来最为昂贵的。例如，共和党的Meg Whitman在竞选活动中已经花费了超过1.4已美元的自有资金。她希望成为加利福尼亚州的州长，竞争对手是该州前任州长Jerry Brown。独立组织估计，截止到选举结束时，候选人，党派和独立组织的总花费将高达40亿美元。

1.ruling n.裁定, 规定

例句：We’re anxiously awaiting the court’s ruling on this matter.

我们正焦急地等待着法庭对此事的判决。

2.identify v.暴露出…的身份

例句：His hoarse voice quickly identified him.

他那嘶哑的声音让人一听就知道是他。

3.seek vi.企图; 试图

例句：I sought to change her mind.

我试图改变她的心意。

4.estimate vt. vi.估计; 评价, 评估

例句：The gardener estimated that it would take him four hours to weed the garden.

园丁估计他给花园除草需要四个小时。

We estimate the cost to be five thousand dollars.

我们估计费用为5000美元。

5.retake vt.再拿,再取,夺回

1.Political experts say all signs point to major gains by Republican Party candidates in both houses of Congress.

point to表明

例句：All the signs at the moment point to an early resumption of the fighting between the two countries.

眼下的一切迹象都表明这两个国家将很快重新开战。

2.President Obama does not stand for re-election until two thousand twelve.

stand for为…而奋斗; 拥护

例句：He stood for the cause of liberty and justice.

他为自由和正义的事业而奋斗。

John always stands for what is right.

约翰一贯支持正确的事情。

3.Many political experts predict that Republicans will win back control of the House of Representatives, but will fall just short of winning a majority in the Senate.

fall short of不足,缺乏,达不到,不符合

例句：This month we may fall short of our goals.

这个月我们可能无法达到我们的目标。

4.A Supreme Court ruling opened the way for more campaign spending on television advertising by businesses and labor unions.

open the way for为…开辟途径

例句：Such opinions opened the way for social change.

这种主张为社会变革铺路。

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