Part A   Detroit Is US LargestCity to Go Bankrupt!

 

Vocabulary Preparation:

 

iconic  adj. relating toor having the characteristics on an icon 符号的；偶像的

wave the whiteflag to surrender; to give the sign that you acceptthat you have failed or been defeated 举白旗投降

bankruptcy  n. inability to discharge all your debts as they come due 破产；倒闭

stunning  adj. causing greatastonishment and consternation 令人震惊的

comeback  n. being successful,popular and fashionable again 重返；复苏；再度辉煌

roar  n. a continuous loudnoise, especially made by a machine 喧嚣；轰鸣

halftime  n.the short period of time between the two parts of a sporting event such as afootball, rugby, or basketball game, when the players have a short rest（足球、橄榄球、篮球比赛等的）中场休息

homicide  n. the illegal killing ofa person （蓄意）杀人罪

dub  v. to give a nickname to 起绰号；把…戏称为

downsize  v. to reduce in size ornumber 缩小规模

fold  v. (of a company,aplay, etc.) to close because it is not successful 倒闭；结束

stiff  v. tofail or refuse to tip (a waiter, porter, etc.); to cheat 诈骗；失信

creditor  n. aperson to whom money is owed by a debtor; someone to whoman obligation exists 债权人，债主

 

Notes:

 

Detroitis the mostpopulous city in the U.S. state of Michigan. Known as the world's traditionalautomotive center, "Detroit" is a metonym for the Americanautomobile industry and an important source of popular music legaciescelebrated by the city's two familiar nicknames, the Motor City and Motown. 底特律（美国著名的汽车城）

Eminemis an Americanrapper, record producer, songwriter and actor. He is one of the world'sbest-selling music artists and is the best-selling artist of the 2000s. 痞子阿姆（美国知名饶舌歌手）

Clint Eastwoodis an Americanfilm actor, director, producer, composer, pianist, and politician. The roles heplayed have made him an enduring cultural icon of a certain type ofmasculinity. 克林特·伊斯特伍德（美国一线演员和知名导演）

Soul music is a popular music genre that originatedin the United States in the 1950s and early 1960s, combining elements ofAfrican American gospel music and rhythm and blues. 黑人灵歌

Michigan is a state in the Great Lakes region of the Midwestern UnitedStates. It has the longest freshwater coastline of any political subdivision inthe world, being bounded by four of the five Great Lakes, plus Lake SaintClair. （五大湖地区的）密执安州

 

Exercise1: Listen to the news report and get the main idea.

      

What is the main pointof the report?

A.     The automotive industry crisis in Detroitsignifies a downturn of the city.

B.      Downsizing is a way to help Detroit recover.

C.      Detroit has to face bankruptcybecause it failed to achieve the economic diversity.

D.     The city Detroit is officially applying for bankruptcy.

 

Exercise 2: Listen to the news report again and fillin the blanks with the exact words or phrases.

 

Diane Sawyer: And we turn next to a big headline tonight out ofAmerica's iconic motor city, Detroit, waving the white flag, the city   1   for bankruptcy. So what does this mean forDetroit and for the country? ABC’s senior national correspondent Jim Avila hasthe latest.

Jim Avila:Once America's   2   city, Detroit, now a stunning $18 billion indebt. Clinging to its reputation as the world's motor city, producing Detroitiron sold by   3   like Eminem.

Eminem: Thisis the motor city and this is what we do.

Jim Avila: AndClint Eastwood   4   thedon't-give-up spirit of Detroit, with his iconic commercial reminding Americanswatching the Super Bowl of the city's latest   5  .

Clint Eastwood: The world is going to hear the roar of   6  .Yeah, it's halftime America and our second half is about to begin.

Jim Avila:But the Motown glory years of fast cars and soul music are long gone. Now thehomicide rate is at its highest in 40 years. Dubbed murder city with 78,000   7   buildings, 63% of its population gone. Soempty the city of Paris could fit inside the vacant space. And today theMichigan governor announced the   8   bankruptcy. Detroit is now hoping to startover.

Michigan governor: It's    9    for a fresh start.

Jim Avila: One of the ideas, downsizing.

Kurt Metzger (demographer): We could become the greenest city in the country becauseof the land that we have.” 

Jim Avila:But first the bitter pill of being the largest American city toever fold. Stiffing creditors, 10  , while hoping to offerits citizens some way out. Jim Avila, ABC News, Washington.