美国总统28 沃伦·哈定.docx

美国总统28沃伦哈定WarrenHarding:DamagedVOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodayWearetalkingaboutWarrenHarding.Hewasthe29thpresidentoftheUnitedStates.PresidentWarrenHardingHardingwasverydifferentfromthe28thpresident,WoodrowWilson.Wilsonsupportedchange;Hardingpromised"areturntonormalcy."WilsontookstepstoprotectAmericanworkers;Hardingoftenworkedtoprotectbusinessowners.Wilsonwasslowinsupportingvotingrightsforwomen,andinacceptingAfrican-Americanpeopleasequaltowhites.Hardingsupportedwomen'ssuffrageandcivilrightsforAfrican-Americans.Yetbothmenwerepopularduringtheiryearsinoffice.Today,however,historiansusuallythinkofWilsonasoneofAmerica'sbestpresidents.ButHardingisrememberedasoneoftheworst.EarlylifeWarrenHardingwastheeighthpresidentfromthestateofOhio.Hisparentswerebothdoctors.Hardingspokeabouthavingahappychildhood,growinguponafarmwithhisbrothersandsisters.Someofhisfavoriteearlyactivitieswereperforminginaband.1.ater,Harding-alongwithtwofriends-boughtanewspaper.Thepaperbecamesuccessfulforseveralreasons.Hardingwaskindtohisemployeesandsharedthecompany'sprofitswiththem.Healsotriednottopublishstoriesthatcriticizedpoliticsorpoliticiansfromanyparty.Finally,hemarriedawomanwhohadanexcellentheadforbusiness.FlorenceKlingHardingledthenewspaper'scirculationdepartment.Shealsohelpedtodirectherhusband'spoliticalcareer.FlorenceHardingzpicturedherewiththepresident,wasmarriedbrieflybeforeandhadason.SheandWarrenHardingdidnothaveanychildrentogether.Intime,WarrenHardingbecameastatesenator,alieutenantgovernorofOhiozandthenamemberoftheU.S.Senate.Heespeciallylikedbeingasenator-andmanyoftheotherlawmakerslikedhim.OnereasonisbecauseHardingrarelytookacontroversialpositiononanyissue.Instead,heacceptedmostoftheideasoftheRepublicanParty.Hewasalsogood-lookingandhadanexcellentspeakingvoice.ThesequalitieshelpedearnhimtheRepublicanpresidentialnominationin1920.Afewmonthslater,heeasilywonthenationalelection.PresidencyPresidentHardingtookofficeshortlyafterWorldWarIended.HepromisedtomakeAmericansfeelcalmagain,andalsoimprovethenation'sprosperity.TwoofHarding'sgoalsweretosupportbusinessandtolimitimmigration.Hesucceededonbothissues.Hisadministrationreducedtaxesforbigbusinessesandwealthypeople.Italsoincreasedtariffs-taxesonforeignimports.AndtheHardingadministrationputinplacenewrulesonimmigration.TherulesmadeiteasierforimmigrantsfromnorthernEuropetoenterthecountry,butharderforimmigrantsfromRussia,easternandcentralEurope.Hardingalsotookstepstoimprovetheeffectivenessofthefederalgovernment.Buthisadministrationisrememberedmostlyforitsproblems.Atthebeginningofhisterm,Hardingreportedlytoldfriendsthatthejobofbeingpresidentwastoomuchforhim.Heappearedtowanttodowellzandheworkedhard.Butheturnedovermostoftheresponsibilitytohisfriendsinthecabinet.Afewwereveryable.Butsomeweredishonest.Theyabusedtheirpositionstogainwealthforthemselvesandtheirfamilies.OneofthemostfamousexamplesofcorruptionduringHarding'sadministrationisknownastheTeapotDomeScandal.Thename"TeapotDome"comesfromarockinthestateofWyoming.Therocklookedlikeateapot.Scientistscorrectlybelievedthatoilcouldbefoundinthegroundunderneathit.Atthetime,theU.S.navydependedonoiltofuelitsships.So,thefederalgovernmentclaimedthelandincasethenavyneededtousetheoilinanemergency.ButacabinetofficialwhowasafriendofHardingtookcontroloftheland.Hegaveaprivatecompanypermissiontosearchforoilonitinexchangeforalargeamountofmoney.Somelawmakersbecamesuspicious.Sotheyopenedaninvestigation.Intime,lawyersprovedtheactofcorruption.Harding'sfriendwasthefirstpersontobefoundguiltyofacrimewhileservingasacabinetofficial.ButPresidentHardingdidnotlivetoseehisfriendgotojail.TheinvestigationwasjustbeginningwhenHardingtookatriptotheWestCoasttocampaignforhispolicies.SomesaythatHardingwasalsotryingtoescapetheproblemsinhisadministration.Hereportedlytoldonereporterthatworryingaboutwhathisfriendsweredoingkepthimawakeatnights.Duringthetrip,Hardingshowedsignsofnotbeingingoodhealth.Doctorsthoughthecouldhavefoodpoisoningorpneumonia.HewastakentoahotelinSanFranciscozCalifornia.Foraday,heappearedtobefeelingbetter.Hewassittingupinbed.Andthensuddenly,hisbodyshookandcollapsed.Hediedinstantly.ReportsatthetimedifferedonthecauseofHarding'sdeath.Someevensaidthathiswifepoisonedthepresidenttoprotecthimfrombeingpunishedforthewrongdoinginhisadministration.Butmosthistoriansthinkthathehadlongsufferedfromheartfailure,andwasstruckbyaheartattack.Hewas57.1.egacyMillionsofAmericansmournedoverWarrenHarding'sdeath.TheystoodbesiderailroadtracksashisbodytraveledfromCaliforniabacktoWashington,DC.Thefollowingyear,FlorenceHardingalsodied.SheandherhusbandareburiedtogetherunderagrandmemorialintheirhometowninOhio.Butintheyearsafterhisdeath,Harding'spublicimageworsened.Morecorruptionscandalsinhisadministrationcametolight.Andsomehistorianshavecriticizedhimfornothavingaclearideaabouthowhewantedtoleadthecountry.NanBrittonzpicturedhere,wroteabookcalled"ThePresident'sDaughter."In1927zawomanpublishedabooksayingshehadalong,butsecretrelationshipwithHardingzbothbeforeandduringhispresidency.Shealsosaidhewasthefatherofherdaughter.Genetictestinghasconfirmedherclaim.Morethan30yearsafterherbookwaspublished,alawyerdiscoveredlovelettersfromHardingtoadifferentwoman.Theyconfirmedthathehadalongromanticaffairwiththewifeofoneofhisfriends.Hardinghadalsobeenmarriedatthetime.Thesereports,aswellasthecorruptionduringhisadministration,damagedHarding'spublicimage.ButhealsoseemedtoknowthathewouldnotberememberedasoneofthebestoccupantsoftheWhiteHouse.Instead,hetriedtobelikableandmodest.Hecalledhimself"amanoflimitedtalents"whowas"notfitfortheoffice"ofpresident.mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryband-n.ausuallysmallgroupofmusicianswhoplaypopularmusictogethercirculation-n.theaveragenumberofcopiesofanewspaperthataresoldoveraparticularperiodprosperity-n.thestateofbeingsuccessfulusuallybymakingalotofmoneyinstantly-adv.withoutdelay;immediatelygrand-adj.impressivebecauseofsizeorimportancetalents-n.specialabilitiesthatallowsomeonetodosomethingwell