L45-1:
The power of the press
/ðə/ /ˈpaʊər/ /ɒv/ /ðə/ /prɛs/
In democratic countries any efforts to restrict the freedom of
/ɪn/ /ˌdɛməˈkrætɪk/ /ˈkʌntriz/ /ˈɛni/ /ˈɛfəts/ /tuː/ /rɪsˈtrɪkt/ /ðə/ /ˈfriːdəm/ /ɒv/
the press are rightlycondemned. However, this freedom can
/ðə/ /prɛs/ /ɑː/ /ˈraɪtli/ /kənˈdɛmd./ /haʊˈɛvə,/ /ðɪs/ /ˈfriːdəm/ /kæn/
easily be abused. Stories about people often attract far more
/ˈiːzɪli/ /biː/ /əˈbjuːzd./ /ˈstɔːriz/ /əˈbaʊt/ /ˈpiːpl/ /ˈɒf(ə)n/ /əˈtrækt/ /fɑː/ /mɔː/
public attention than political events. Though we may enjoy
/ˈpʌblɪk/ /əˈtɛnʃ(ə)n/ /ðæn/ /pəˈlɪtɪkəl/ /ɪˈvɛnts./ /ðəʊ/ /wiː/ /meɪ/ /ɪnˈʤɔɪ/
reading about the lives of others, it is extremely doubtful
/ˈriːdɪŋ/ /əˈbaʊt/ /ðə/ /lɪvz/ /ɒv/ /ˈʌðəz,/ /ɪt/ /ɪz/ /ɪksˈtriːmli/ /ˈdaʊtfʊl/
whether we would equally enjoy reading about ourselves.
/ˈwɛðə/ /wiː/ /wʊd/ /ˈiːkwəli/ /ɪnˈʤɔɪ/ /ˈriːdɪŋ/ /əˈbaʊt/ /ˌaʊəˈsɛlvz./
Acting on the contention that facts are sacred, reporters can
/ˈæktɪŋ/ /ɒn/ /ðə/ /kənˈtɛnʃən/ /ðæt/ /fækts/ /ɑː/ /ˈseɪkrɪd,/ /rɪˈpɔːtəz/ /kæn/
cause untold suffering to individuals by publishing details
/kɔːz/ /ʌnˈtəʊld/ /ˈsʌfərɪŋ/ /tuː/ /ˌɪndɪˈvɪdjʊəlz/ /baɪ/ /ˈpʌblɪʃɪŋ/ /ˈdiːteɪlz/
about their private lives. Newspapers exert such tremendous
/əˈbaʊt/ /ðeə/ /ˈpraɪvɪt/ /lɪvz./ /ˈnjuːzˌpeɪpəz/ /ɪgˈzɜːt/ /sʌʧ/ /trɪˈmɛndəs/
influence that they can not only bring about major changes
/ˈɪnflʊəns/ /ðæt/ /ðeɪ/ /kæn/ /nɒt/ /ˈəʊnli/ /brɪŋ/ /əˈbaʊt/ /ˈmeɪʤə/ /ˈʧeɪnʤɪz/
to the lives of ordinary people but can even overthrow a
/tuː/ /ðə/ /lɪvz/ /ɒv/ /ˈɔːdnri/ /ˈpiːpl/ /bʌt/ /kæn/ /ˈiːvən/ /ˈəʊvəθrəʊ/ /eɪ/
government. The story of a poor family that acquired fame
/ˈgʌvnmənt.ðə/ /ˈstɔːri/ /ɒv/ /ə/ /pʊə/ /ˈfæmɪli/ /ðæt/ /əˈkwaɪəd/ /feɪm/
and fortune overnight, dramatically illustrates the power of
/ænd/ /ˈfɔːʧən/ /ˌəʊvəˈnaɪt,/ /drəˈmætɪk(ə)li/ /ˈɪləstreɪts/ /ðə/ /ˈpaʊər/ /ɒv/
the press. The family lived in Aberdeen, a small town of
/ðə/ /prɛs./ /ðə/ /ˈfæmɪli/ /lɪvd/ /ɪn/ /ˌæbəˈdiːn,/ /ə/ /smɔːl/ /taʊn/ /ɒv/
23,000 inhabitants in South Dakota. As the parents had five
/23,000/ /ɪnˈhæbɪtənts/ /ɪn/ /saʊθ/ /dəˈkəʊtə./ /æz/ /ðə/ /ˈpeərənts/ /hæd/ /faɪv/
children, life was a perpetual struggle against poverty. They
/ˈʧɪldrən,/ /laɪf/ /wɒz/ /ə/ /pəˈpɛʧʊəl/ /ˈstrʌgl/ /əˈgɛnst/ /ˈpɒvəti./ /ðeɪ/
were expecting their sixth child and were faced with even
/wɜːr/ /ɪksˈpɛktɪŋ/ /ðeə/ /sɪksθ/ /ʧaɪld/ /ænd/ /wɜː/ /feɪst/ /wɪð/ /ˈiːvən/
more pressing economic problems. If they had only had one
/mɔː/ /ˈprɛsɪŋ/ /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ /ˈprɒbləmz./ /ɪf/ /ðeɪ/ /hæd/ /ˈəʊnli/ /hæd/ /wʌn/
more child, the fact would have passed unnoticed. They
/mɔː/ /ʧaɪld,/ /ðə/ /fækt/ /wʊd/ /hæv/ /pɑːst/ /ʌnˈnəʊtɪst./ /ðeɪ/
would have continued to struggle against economic odds
/wʊd/ /hæv/ /kənˈtɪnju(ː)d/ /tuː/ /ˈstrʌgl/ /əˈgɛnst/ /ˌiːkəˈnɒmɪk/ /ɒdz/
and would have lived in obscurity.
/ænd/ /wʊd/ /hæv/ /lɪvd/ /ɪn//əbˈskjʊərɪti./
任务配置：L0+L4
知识笔记：
1/ 單詞
condemned - v. 譴責
contention - n. 论点
sacred - adj. 神聖
untold - adj. 数不尽
exert - v. 發揮
overthrow - n. 推翻
South Dakota - 南达科他州（美国）
fame - n. 名望
obscurity - n. 默默无闻
2/音標
sacred /ˈseɪkrɪd,/
exert /ɪgˈzɜːt/
obscurity /əbˈskjʊərɪti./
练习感悟：
N/A