Ⅰ. Since December, when the report came out, the mayor, neighborhood activists and various parent-teacher associations have engaged in a fierce battle over its validity: over the guilt of the steel-casting factory on the western edge of town, over union jobs versus children’s health and over what, if anything, ought to be done. (2009.12 閱讀 Text2)
    【翻譯】從12月的新聞報(bào)道出來(lái)之后，市長(zhǎng)、街區(qū)活躍分子、各種各樣的家長(zhǎng)老師聯(lián)合會(huì)都參與到了一場(chǎng)激烈的爭(zhēng)論其合法性的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)中：爭(zhēng)論小鎮(zhèn)西邊的鋼鑄件廠的罪責(zé)，爭(zhēng)論到底是工會(huì)工作重要還是孩子的健康重要，爭(zhēng)論到底我們能做什么、該做些什么。
    【詞匯】1. activist n. 積極分子，活動(dòng)分子
    例：He is an activist in the union jobs.
    他是工會(huì)工作中的積極分子。
    2. be engaged in……從事，致力于
    例：I’m engaged in writing a letter.
    我忙著寫(xiě)信。
    3. validity n. 合法性，正確性，有效性
    例：I have some questions about the validity of his statement.
    我對(duì)他的陳述的合法性有些疑問(wèn)。
    4. versus prep. 對(duì)抗，與……相對(duì)，可簡(jiǎn)寫(xiě)為：VS
    例：The most exciting game was Brazil versus Spain.
    最激動(dòng)人心的比賽是巴西隊(duì)對(duì)西班牙隊(duì)。
    【語(yǔ)法】三個(gè)連續(xù)的“over”形成排比句，與battle相連，組成a fierce battle over……關(guān)于……的戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)。
    Ⅱ. A 2004 report in the journal Pediatrics explained that nervous parents have more to fear from fire, car accidents and drowning than from toxic chemical exposure. (2009.12 閱讀 Text2)
    【翻譯】2004年《兒科雜志》的一篇報(bào)道解釋說(shuō)：比起暴露在有毒化學(xué)物質(zhì)中，家長(zhǎng)更害怕火災(zāi)，交通事故和溺水。
    【詞匯】1. pediatrics n. 兒科學(xué)
    例：He received a Master’s degree of pediatrics.
    他獲得了兒科學(xué)碩士學(xué)位。
    2. toxic a. 有毒的
    例：The flower is toxic.
    這種花有毒。
    3. exposure n. 暴露，揭發(fā)，公開(kāi)
    例：Exposure of the skin to the strong sunlight may lead to skin cancer.
    皮膚受陽(yáng)光暴曬可能會(huì)導(dǎo)致皮膚癌。
    Ⅲ. Crippling health care bills, long emergency room waits and the inability to find a primary care physician just scratch the surface of the problems that patients face daily. (2009. 12 閱讀 Text3)
    【翻譯】巨額的醫(yī)療費(fèi)用，急癥室外漫長(zhǎng)的等待，以及初級(jí)護(hù)理醫(yī)生的匱乏，這些只是病人每天面對(duì)的種種問(wèn)題的冰山一角。
    【詞匯】1. crippling a. 有嚴(yán)重后果的，此指費(fèi)用高昂的
    例：He was burdened with crippling debts.
    他負(fù)債累累。
    2. inability n. 無(wú)能，無(wú)力
    例：He feels upset about the inability to speak English.
    他對(duì)于自己不會(huì)說(shuō)英語(yǔ)感到很苦惱。
    3. physician n. 內(nèi)科醫(yī)生;而surgeon 指外科醫(yī)生
    4. scratch n. 抓痕，亂寫(xiě)，起跑線
    例：There's a scratch on the side of my car.
    我汽車(chē)的側(cè)面有一道劃痕。