美国总统34 林登·约翰逊.docx

美国总统34林登约翰逊1.yndonJohnson:Complicatedplaystopmutemaxvolume00:00-15:24repeatByKellyJeanKelly05November,2017VOALearningEnglishpresentsAmerica'sPresidents.TodaywearetalkingaboutLyndonJohnson.HewasthevicepresidentunderJohnF.Kennedy.1.yndonJohnsontakestheoathofofficeManyAmericansrecognizeJohnsonfromaphotographofhisswearing-inonNovember22,1963.KennedyhadjustbeenshotduringavisittoDallas,Texas.Johnsonandhiswifealsowerevisitingthecity.AfterdoctorsannouncedthatKennedyhaddied,theJohnsonsweretakentothepresidentialairplane.There,Johnsontooktheoathofofficeaspresident.Menwearingsuitslookon,whilethreewomenstandaroundhim.Hiswife,LadyBirdJohnson,isatoneside.FormerfirstladyJackieKennedyisattheother.Sheisstillwearingclothingcoveredwithherhusband'sblood.Thejudgewhoisadministeringtheoath,SarahHughes,standsinfrontofLyndonJohnson.SheholdsaprayerbookonwhichJohnsonplacesonehandandswearstofollowtheConstitution.ThephotographshowedtheAmericanpeoplethatthefederalgovernmentcouldandwouldcontinueinanorderlyway.ButJohnson'spositionwasdifficult.Manypeoplewereshockedandinmourningfortheassassinatedpresident.ButastheconflictinVietnamincreased,andsomeAmericansrejectedJohnson'sreforms,hefoundhispositiondifficultagain.Inthenextelection,Johnsonwaselectedpresidentinhisownright.Earlylife1.yndonBainesJohnsonwasborninTexas,wherehisfamilyhadlivedforgenerations.AtowncalledJohnsonwasevennamedafterhisrelatives.1.yndonwastheoldestoffivechildren.Hismotherwasateacherandwriter,andhisfatherwasafarmerandpoliticalleader.JohnsonalsobrieflyservedintheNavyduringWorldWarII.Intime,theJohnsonfamilyexperiencedfinancialdifficulties.Theyhadlittlemoneytogivetheirchildrenmuchofaneducation,butLyndonwasabletoattendateachingcollege.Johnsonexcelledasateacher.Healsolearnedfromhisstudents.Manywereevenpoorerthanhewas.TheyalsofaceddiscriminationbecausetheycamefromMexicanfamilies.Johnsonpromisedtohelpthem.Buthefoundhecoulddomoretoimprovepeople'slivesasapoliticianthanasateacher.Hevolunteeredforsomepoliticalcampaigns,becameanaidetoamemberoftheUnitedStatesCongress,andintimebecameamemberofCongresshimself.Alongtheway,hemarriedawomannamedClaudiaTaylor.ButeveryonecalledherLadyBird.Theywentontohavetwodaughters.Johnsonservedfor12yearsintheU.S.HouseofRepresentatives.In1948zhewasnarrowlyelectedtotheSenate,becomingoneofthetwosenatorsfromthestateofTexas.Fromthere,Johnsonrosequickly.HetookonincreasinglyimportantjobsintheSenate.By1954zhewastheSenatemajorityleader-theDemocraticParty'stopspokesmanintheSenate.TheSenatewebsitenotesthatthepersonwiththatjobneedstobeabletoworkwellwithothers,especiallymembersofotherparties.HistoriansalsonotethatJohnsonworkedveryhard,andwasalwaysprepared.Awell-knownbiographyofJohnsoniscalled"MasteroftheSenate."ThebookdescribesJohnsonasextremelyambitious,sometimescruel,andoftenwillingtopraiseotherstogetwhathewanted.Atthesametime,hecouldbeveryconcernedaboutotherpeople,swell-being.Inotherwords,thepictureofJohnsonisacomplicatedone.InI960,hecompetedagainstJohnF.KennedyfortheDemocraticpresidentialnomination.Johnsonlostthatrace-butthepartyaskedhimtobetheirvicepresidentialcandidateinstead.Johnsonagreed,notknowingthatinalittlemorethanthreeyears,hewouldentertheWhiteHouseaspresident.PresidencyAfterbeingsworn-inzJohnsonusedhispoliticalexperienceintheSenatetopassanumberofreforms.Theywereaimedatcarryingonzinhiswords,a"WaronPoverty."Thenewlawscreatedhealthcareandeducationprograms.Theyalsousedfederalmoneytomakefoodlesscostlyforsomepeople,andtotrainworkersforjobs.JohnsonalsocontinuedtheworkKennedybeganbysigningtheCivilRightsActof1964.Theactmadesegregationbecauseofrace,religion,ornationaloriginillegal.TheCivilRightsActalsomadeitillegalforemployerstodiscriminateagainstsomeonebecauseofrace,religion,nationalorigin,orgender.Thereformshadtheircritics,thenandtoday.Butinthepresidentialelectionof1964zJohnsonwon"bythewidestmarginofpopularvotesinAmericanhistory."HistorianKentGermanysaysthatvotegavetheDemocratsarareopening"topassacomprehensiveliberalprogram."RPresidencyafter1964Johnsonhadanameforsuchaprogram.Hecalleditthe"GreatSociety."HesaidtheUnitedStatesshouldaimnotonlytobearichandpowerfulsociety,butalsoto"endpovertyandracialinjustice."Johnsonfollowedhisearlierreformswithothers.Theysoughttopreventcrime,reducepollution,supportthearts,makeroadssafer,andprotectAmericanconsumersagainstbadproducts.Hisadministrationalsocreatedanimmigrationpolicythatvaluedfamilymembers,skilledworkers,andrefugees.Inearly1965zcivilrightsactiviststriedtoregisterblackvotersaroundSelma,Alabama.TheiractionsledtoviolenceandhelpedinspireJohnsontopushforadditionalcivilrightslaws.JohnsonalsosignedtheVotingRightsActof1965.ItsoughttoliftthebarriersthathadlongpreventedAfrican-Americanmenandwomenfromexercisingtheirrighttovote.1.ater,Johnsonremovedlegaldiscriminationintheprocessofbuyingandrentinghomes.Together,theseactionshavelinkedJohnsontothecivilrightsmovementinthemindsofmanyAmericans.YetJohnsonisalsostronglylinkedtoanotherpartofU.S.history,oftenknownsimplyas"Vietnam."EarlierpresidentshadorderedU.S.militaryactionintheconflictbetweenNorthandSouthVietnam.Since1950,PresidentsTrumanzEisenhowerzandKennedyhadslowlyincreasedtheAmericanintervention.TheirgoalwastopreventthespreadofcommunisminSoutheastAsia.PresidentJohnsoncontinuedKennedy'spolicies.HealsoreceivedthesupportofCongresstodowhateverwasnecessarytoprotectU.S.forcesand"preventfurtheraggression"byNorthVietnam'scommunistgovernment.Yet,whenhewasapresidentialcandidatein1964,JohnsonpromisednottoincreaseU.S.involvementandsendyoungAmericanstofightinVietnam.Theoppositehappened.Overthenextfouryears,JohnsoncalledonhundredsofthousandsofadditionalU.S.troopstofightonthegroundandintheair.TheNorthVietnamesefoughtback,bothonthebattlefieldandpolitically.Intime,theAmericanpublicwithdrewtheirsupportofthestruggleandtheirsupportforthepresident.Byearly1968,Johnsonhadbecomedeeplyunpopularwithvoters.HispartylostseatsinCongress,andJohnsonlosthisabilitytopersuadelawmakerstosupportthemeasuresheproposed.Inaddition,theU.S.economywasshowingsignsofweakness,partlybecauseofthecostsoftheconflictinVietnamandgovernmentspendingathome.JohnsonneartheendofhistimeinofficeAsthepresidentialnominatingprocessbeganinearly1968,Johnsonwaspermittedtoseekanotherfour-yearterm.Butheannouncedthathewouldnotseekoraccepthisparty'snomination.Shortlyafter,civilrightsleaderMartinLutherKing,Jr.wasshotandkilled.Angeredbyhismurderzpeopleinmorethan100citiesrioted.Then,inJune,JohnKennedy'sbrother,RobertKennedy,wasalsoassassinated.KennedyhadbeencompetingfortheDemocrats'nominationforpresident.Hisdeath,andJohnson'swithdrawal,addedtothedivisionsintheDemocraticParty.Severalgroupsgatheredtoprotestattheparty'snominatingconventioninChicago.Themeetingendedinviolentclashesbetweenprotestersandpolice.BythetimeJohnsonleftofficeinJanuary1969,hispartyhadlostcontroloftheWhiteHouse,andmanyAmericansbelievedthecountrywasindisarray.1.egacyAfterheleftthepresidency,JohnsonreturnedtohishomeinTexas.HewrotehismemoriesabouthisWhiteHouseyears,andmadepreparationsforhispresidentiallibrary.Buthedidnotlivemuchlonger.Hediedin1973,hoursbeforetheU.S.involvementinVietnamofficiallycametoaclose.Johnsonwasacomplexperson,andhisimageinthemindofmanyAmericansisjustascomplicated.Hispoliciesopenednewpathsformanypeople,butalsoledtoyearsofdeathanddestructioninVietnam.Asapresident,heactedpowerfullyandoftenindependently,andsucceededinpassinganunusuallylargenumberofreforms.ButhealsofailedtopersuademanyAmericanstoacceptsomeofthosemeasures.SupportersofthefreemarketespeciallystronglyrejectedthegovernmentcontrolsJohnsonenacted.EvensomeinhisDemocraticParty,whichJohnsonhadcontrolledforyears,lostfaithinhim.In1964zanti-waractivistschangedhiscampaignslogan,"AllthewaywithLBJ."Instead,theysaid,"PartofthewaywithLBJ."Andby1968ztheyweresaying,"Hey,HeyzLBJ.Howmanykidsdidyoukilltoday?"mKellyJeanKelly.KellyJeanKellywrotethisstoryforLearningEnglish.GeorgeGrowwastheeditor.WordsinThisStoryassassinate-v.tokill(someone,suchasafamousorimportantperson)usuallyforpoliticalreasonsambitious-adj.havingadesiretobesuccessful,powerful,orfamouscruel-adj.causingorhelpingtocausesufferingsegregation-n.thepracticeorpolicyofkeepingpeopleofdifferentraces,religions,etc.,separatefromeachothergender-n.thestateofbeingmaleorfemaleconsumer-n.apersonwhobuysgoodsandservicesdisarray-n.alackoforder;aconfusedormessycondition