美国总统34 林登·约翰逊.docx

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1、美国总统34林登约翰逊1.yndonJohnson:Complicatedplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:24repeatByKellyJeanKelly05November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmericasPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutLyndonJohnson.HewasthevicepresidentunderJohnF.Kennedy.1.yndonJohnsontakestheoathofofficeManyAmericansrecognizeJohnsonfromaphoto

2、graphofhisswearing-inonNovember22,1963.KennedyhadjustbeenshotduringavisittoDallas,Texas.Johnsonandhiswifealsowerevisitingthecity.AfterdoctorsannouncedthatKennedyhaddied,theJohnsonsweretakentothepresidentialairplane.There,Johnsontooktheoathofofficeaspresident.Menwearingsuitslookon,whilethreewomenstan

3、daroundhim.Hiswife,LadyBirdJohnson,isatoneside.FormerfirstladyJackieKennedyisattheother.Sheisstillwearingclothingcoveredwithherhusbandsblood.Thejudgewhoisadministeringtheoath,SarahHughes,standsinfrontofLyndonJohnson.SheholdsaprayerbookonwhichJohnsonplacesonehandandswearstofollowtheConstitution.Theph

4、otographshowedtheAmericanpeoplethatthefederalgovernmentcouldandwouldcontinueinanorderlyway.ButJohnsonspositionwasdifficult.Manypeoplewereshockedandinmourningfortheassassinatedpresident.ButastheconflictinVietnamincreased,andsomeAmericansrejectedJohnsonsreforms,hefoundhispositiondifficultagain.Inthene

5、xtelection,Johnsonwaselectedpresidentinhisownright.Earlylife1.yndonBainesJohnsonwasborninTexas,wherehisfamilyhadlivedforgenerations.AtowncalledJohnsonwasevennamedafterhisrelatives.1.yndonwastheoldestoffivechildren.Hismotherwasateacherandwriter,andhisfatherwasafarmerandpoliticalleader.Johnsonalsobrie

6、flyservedintheNavyduringWorldWarII.Intime,theJohnsonfamilyexperiencedfinancialdifficulties.Theyhadlittlemoneytogivetheirchildrenmuchofaneducation,butLyndonwasabletoattendateachingcollege.Johnsonexcelledasateacher.Healsolearnedfromhisstudents.Manywereevenpoorerthanhewas.Theyalsofaceddiscriminationbec

7、ausetheycamefromMexicanfamilies.Johnsonpromisedtohelpthem.Buthefoundhecoulddomoretoimprovepeopleslivesasapoliticianthanasateacher.Hevolunteeredforsomepoliticalcampaigns,becameanaidetoamemberoftheUnitedStatesCongress,andintimebecameamemberofCongresshimself.Alongtheway,hemarriedawomannamedClaudiaTaylo

8、r.ButeveryonecalledherLadyBird.Theywentontohavetwodaughters.Johnsonservedfor12yearsintheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.In1948zhewasnarrowlyelectedtotheSenate,becomingoneofthetwosenatorsfromthestateofTexas.Fromthere,Johnsonrosequickly.HetookonincreasinglyimportantjobsintheSenate.By1954zhewastheSenatemajo

9、rityleader-theDemocraticPartystopspokesmanintheSenate.TheSenatewebsitenotesthatthepersonwiththatjobneedstobeabletoworkwellwithothers,especiallymembersofotherparties.HistoriansalsonotethatJohnsonworkedveryhard,andwasalwaysprepared.Awell-knownbiographyofJohnsoniscalledMasteroftheSenate.Thebookdescribe

10、sJohnsonasextremelyambitious,sometimescruel,andoftenwillingtopraiseotherstogetwhathewanted.Atthesametime,hecouldbeveryconcernedaboutotherpeople,swell-being.Inotherwords,thepictureofJohnsonisacomplicatedone.InI960,hecompetedagainstJohnF.KennedyfortheDemocraticpresidentialnomination.Johnsonlostthatrac

11、e-butthepartyaskedhimtobetheirvicepresidentialcandidateinstead.Johnsonagreed,notknowingthatinalittlemorethanthreeyears,hewouldentertheWhiteHouseaspresident.PresidencyAfterbeingsworn-inzJohnsonusedhispoliticalexperienceintheSenatetopassanumberofreforms.Theywereaimedatcarryingonzinhiswords,aWaronPover

12、ty.Thenewlawscreatedhealthcareandeducationprograms.Theyalsousedfederalmoneytomakefoodlesscostlyforsomepeople,andtotrainworkersforjobs.JohnsonalsocontinuedtheworkKennedybeganbysigningtheCivilRightsActof1964.Theactmadesegregationbecauseofrace,religion,ornationaloriginillegal.TheCivilRightsActalsomadei

13、tillegalforemployerstodiscriminateagainstsomeonebecauseofrace,religion,nationalorigin,orgender.Thereformshadtheircritics,thenandtoday.Butinthepresidentialelectionof1964zJohnsonwonbythewidestmarginofpopularvotesinAmericanhistory.HistorianKentGermanysaysthatvotegavetheDemocratsarareopeningtopassacompr

14、ehensiveliberalprogram.RPresidencyafter1964Johnsonhadanameforsuchaprogram.HecalledittheGreatSociety.HesaidtheUnitedStatesshouldaimnotonlytobearichandpowerfulsociety,butalsotoendpovertyandracialinjustice.Johnsonfollowedhisearlierreformswithothers.Theysoughttopreventcrime,reducepollution,supporttheart

15、s,makeroadssafer,andprotectAmericanconsumersagainstbadproducts.Hisadministrationalsocreatedanimmigrationpolicythatvaluedfamilymembers,skilledworkers,andrefugees.Inearly1965zcivilrightsactiviststriedtoregisterblackvotersaroundSelma,Alabama.TheiractionsledtoviolenceandhelpedinspireJohnsontopushforaddi

16、tionalcivilrightslaws.JohnsonalsosignedtheVotingRightsActof1965.ItsoughttoliftthebarriersthathadlongpreventedAfrican-Americanmenandwomenfromexercisingtheirrighttovote.1.ater,Johnsonremovedlegaldiscriminationintheprocessofbuyingandrentinghomes.Together,theseactionshavelinkedJohnsontothecivilrightsmov

17、ementinthemindsofmanyAmericans.YetJohnsonisalsostronglylinkedtoanotherpartofU.S.history,oftenknownsimplyasVietnam.EarlierpresidentshadorderedU.S.militaryactionintheconflictbetweenNorthandSouthVietnam.Since1950,PresidentsTrumanzEisenhowerzandKennedyhadslowlyincreasedtheAmericanintervention.Theirgoalw

18、astopreventthespreadofcommunisminSoutheastAsia.PresidentJohnsoncontinuedKennedyspolicies.HealsoreceivedthesupportofCongresstodowhateverwasnecessarytoprotectU.S.forcesandpreventfurtheraggressionbyNorthVietnamscommunistgovernment.Yet,whenhewasapresidentialcandidatein1964,JohnsonpromisednottoincreaseU.

19、S.involvementandsendyoungAmericanstofightinVietnam.Theoppositehappened.Overthenextfouryears,JohnsoncalledonhundredsofthousandsofadditionalU.S.troopstofightonthegroundandintheair.TheNorthVietnamesefoughtback,bothonthebattlefieldandpolitically.Intime,theAmericanpublicwithdrewtheirsupportofthestrugglea

20、ndtheirsupportforthepresident.Byearly1968,Johnsonhadbecomedeeplyunpopularwithvoters.HispartylostseatsinCongress,andJohnsonlosthisabilitytopersuadelawmakerstosupportthemeasuresheproposed.Inaddition,theU.S.economywasshowingsignsofweakness,partlybecauseofthecostsoftheconflictinVietnamandgovernmentspend

21、ingathome.JohnsonneartheendofhistimeinofficeAsthepresidentialnominatingprocessbeganinearly1968,Johnsonwaspermittedtoseekanotherfour-yearterm.Butheannouncedthathewouldnotseekoraccepthispartysnomination.Shortlyafter,civilrightsleaderMartinLutherKing,Jr.wasshotandkilled.Angeredbyhismurderzpeopleinmoret

22、han100citiesrioted.Then,inJune,JohnKennedysbrother,RobertKennedy,wasalsoassassinated.KennedyhadbeencompetingfortheDemocratsnominationforpresident.Hisdeath,andJohnsonswithdrawal,addedtothedivisionsintheDemocraticParty.SeveralgroupsgatheredtoprotestatthepartysnominatingconventioninChicago.Themeetingen

23、dedinviolentclashesbetweenprotestersandpolice.BythetimeJohnsonleftofficeinJanuary1969,hispartyhadlostcontroloftheWhiteHouse,andmanyAmericansbelievedthecountrywasindisarray.1.egacyAfterheleftthepresidency,JohnsonreturnedtohishomeinTexas.HewrotehismemoriesabouthisWhiteHouseyears,andmadepreparationsfor

24、hispresidentiallibrary.Buthedidnotlivemuchlonger.Hediedin1973,hoursbeforetheU.S.involvementinVietnamofficiallycametoaclose.Johnsonwasacomplexperson,andhisimageinthemindofmanyAmericansisjustascomplicated.Hispoliciesopenednewpathsformanypeople,butalsoledtoyearsofdeathanddestructioninVietnam.Asapreside

25、nt,heactedpowerfullyandoftenindependently,andsucceededinpassinganunusuallylargenumberofreforms.ButhealsofailedtopersuademanyAmericanstoacceptsomeofthosemeasures.SupportersofthefreemarketespeciallystronglyrejectedthegovernmentcontrolsJohnsonenacted.EvensomeinhisDemocraticParty,whichJohnsonhadcontroll

26、edforyears,lostfaithinhim.In1964zanti-waractivistschangedhiscampaignslogan,AllthewaywithLBJ.Instead,theysaid,PartofthewaywithLBJ.Andby1968ztheyweresaying,Hey,HeyzLBJ.Howmanykidsdidyoukilltoday?mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryassas

27、sinate-v.tokill(someone,suchasafamousorimportantperson)usuallyforpoliticalreasonsambitious-adj.havingadesiretobesuccessful,powerful,orfamouscruel-adj.causingorhelpingtocausesufferingsegregation-n.thepracticeorpolicyofkeepingpeopleofdifferentraces,religions,etc.,separatefromeachothergender-n.thestateofbeingmaleorfemaleconsumer-n.apersonwhobuysgoodsandservicesdisarray-n.alackoforder;aconfusedormessycondition