BBC初級口語:傳奇總統的親筆信A Letter from a Legend
Background: 美國前總統林肯多年前寫給一名男孩的書信以6萬美元的高價（41萬人民幣）在美國售出。當這名八歲男孩告訴同學他見到了總統時，不僅沒人相信而且他還受到衆人的一陣譏諷。
【文本】
Abraham Lincoln was facing the biggest crisis in American history. The Southern states had seceded from the Union and civil war was imminent.
But shortly after his inauguration in 1861 he still found time to write to a distressed eight year-old boy. George Patton had met the newly-nominated candidate the year before with his journalist father but he faced howls of disbelief when he told his classmates.
A teacher wrote to the White House and back came the terse four-line reply confirming the meeting.
Abraham Lincoln set the ideal for the presidency that all his successors have aspired to. The brief letter feeds the legend of the man and the austere gentility for which he was renowned.
【口語突破】
crisis
危機
seceded
推出/脫離
the Union
聯邦政府
civil war
內戰
imminent
即將爆發的
inauguration
就職儀式
distressed
壓抑的
newly-nominated candidate
新任命的候選人
howls of disbelief
一陣譏諷
terse
簡短的
set the ideal
創立了一種理想
successors
繼任
aspired to
渴望/追求
austere
嚴格的/嚴厲的
gentility
紳士氣派/優雅
renowned
著名的
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重點單詞查看全部解釋inauguration[in.ɔ:gju'reiʃən]想一想再看
n. 就職典禮，落成典禮，開幕儀式
austere[ɔ:'stiə]想一想再看
adj. 嚴峻的，嚴格的，簡樸的，禁慾的，苦行的
聯想記憶X單詞austere聯想記憶：au讀：誒喲，stere冷－誒喲，好一個冷美人－樸素的 imminent['iminənt]
想一想再看
adj. 逼近的，即將發生的
聯想記憶X單詞imminent聯想記憶：im進入，minent突出－突然進入－迫近的 disbelief[i'li:f]
想一想再看
n. 不相信，懷疑
聯想記憶X單詞disbelief聯想記憶：belief（n 信任；信仰） candidate['kændidit]
想一想再看
n. 候選人，求職者
聯想記憶X單詞candidate聯想記憶：cand白，古代候選人穿白袍+ate表名詞，“人或地位”→候選人 legend['ledʒənd]
想一想再看
n. 傳說，傳奇
聯想記憶X單詞legend聯想記憶：leg腿，end完：腿完蛋了，是因爲沒有看圖例，所以跑路 renowned[ri'naund]
想一想再看
adj. 有名的，有聲譽的
聯想記憶X單詞renowned聯想記憶：源於：renown（n 名望）re反覆，nown＝name－名字反覆出現－名望 terse[tə:s]
想一想再看
adj. 簡潔的，簡明的
聯想記憶X單詞terse聯想記憶：讀：特死，就是特務死了的簡便說法－簡潔的
