VOA English Learning
1. exempt from
意思是免除，免做某件事。美国总统奥巴马提倡保证劳工的最低工资和福利保障。Under current U.S. labor law, home-care workers are exempt from minimum wage and overtime pay requirements. 按照现行劳工法，家庭护工无法享受最低工资和超时工作补贴。为了鼓励小型企业，Small business with payrolls of less than $1.25 million are exempt from the MTA payroll tax. 员工工资总支出少于125万美元的小企业不必支付薪资税。在美国，Religious organizations are exempt from taxation. 宗教组织不必交税少儿益智故事。
2. in the interest of
梦见好多鸡意思是为了某人的利益。气势汹汹造句最近传出NBA王牌球星Kobe Bryant 准备离婚。即将分手的Bryant夫妇发表声明说："We ask that in the interest of our young children, the public respect our privacy during this most difficult time," 我们希望公众考虑到我们年幼的孩子，在这段困难的时间里尊重我们的隐私。以色列和土耳其两国关系因为加沙船只问题陷入低谷。 "U.S. Defen
得的多音字组词 Secretary Leon Panetta called on Turkey to rebuild ties with Israel in the interest of curity," 定时开关机 美国国防布部长帕内塔呼吁土耳其出于安全考量重建与以色列的关系。
3. out of shape
意思是身体状态不佳。最近一项新研究发现，"Men who stay fit can lower their risk of dying from a heart condition by 30% as compared with tho who are out of shape," 与身体状态不佳的人相比，身体素质好的人因心脏疾病死亡的机率会降低30％。"Michelle Obama's Child Obesity Project is dedicated to preventing children from getting out of shape by eating healthier and exercising more," 美国第一夫人米歇尔.奥巴马的抵制儿童肥胖计划旨在通过健康饮食和加强运动防止儿童肥胖。
4. denounce
是指责，谴责的意思。最近罗得岛州州长办公室为了尊重各种宗教，把圣诞树的名称改成假日树。不料， "The governor's office received thousands of calls denouncing the change," 数千人致电州长办公室，对这种改变提出指责。 "Several major medical groups
denounced the federal government's decision to limit over-the-counter access to emergency contraceptives for younger teens," 几个主要医药公司谴责联邦政府决定限制青少年自由购买紧急避孕药的决定。
5. call for
意思是呼吁，要求。法德两国领导人呼吁欧洲大陆尽快结束债务危机。 "German and French leaders called for quick action on the continent's debt crisis," 五家国际媒体最近签署一项声明。 "Five international broadcasters condemned the jamming of their signals and called for the end of such action," 这五家国际电台对有关方面蓄意干扰它们的信号提出谴责，并呼吁停止这种行为。华尔街官员表示，应当针对金融犯罪采取进一步措施， "President Obama called for tougher financial fraud penalties," 奥巴马总统呼吁采取更严厉的措施惩罚金融犯罪。
6. be right up someone's alley
意思是正合某人的胃口。"If you hate walking endlessly on Black Friday, then Cyber Mond
ay may be right up your alley," 如果你不想在黑色星期五那天去实地抢购，那么网络星期一可能正合你的胃口。 "If you love funny sitcoms, then the new show Modern Family might be right up your alley," 如果你爱看幽默的情景喜剧，那么摩登家庭可能正合你的胃口。
qq改密码
7. staple food
是主食的意思。"On the Thanksgiving dinner table, turkey is a staple food," 火鸡是感恩节餐桌上的主食。 "Besides turkey, sweet potatoes are also a staple food during this time of the year," 除了火鸡，甜薯也是当季主食。 "Rice and beans are staple foods in a lot of cultures," 很多国家都以豆类和大米为主食。"Prices of staple foods such as dairy and wheat products have been on the ri," 奶制品和谷类等主食的价格不断上涨文明礼仪伴我行演讲稿。
8. black-tie event
意思是要求穿正规晚礼服的正式社交活动李嗣业。"Some of the company parties are black-tie events," 有些公司的年终庆祝派对是要求穿正规晚礼服的正式社交活动。 "Honda has rais
ed $522,000 at its annual black-tie event for a NGO called Big Brothers Big Sisters," 本田汽车公司在一年一度的正式晚宴上为非盈利组织大哥哥大姐姐筹集到了52万两千美元。
9. to ban somebody from doing something
意思是禁止某人做某事。美国石油巨头雪佛龙公司最近在巴西惹了麻烦。 "Following a recent oil spill inside the country, authorities in Brazil are banning Chevron from drilling," 最近发生了一次漏油事件后，巴西当局禁止雪佛龙公司在该国继续开采。叙利亚总统阿萨德迟迟不肯下台，阿拉伯联盟宣布对该国政府实施制裁。 "The Arab League banned all its member states from financial transactions and trade with the Syrian government," 阿拉伯联盟禁止所有成员国与叙利亚政府进行金融和贸易往来。
10. pave the way for
为某事铺平道路，做好准备。 执政长达17年的贝卢斯科尼上个星期六辞去总理职务。"Berlusconi's resignation paves the way for a new administration more willing to pass the much-needed fiscal reforms," 贝卢斯科尼的辞职为成立一个推动金融改革的新政府扫
清了道路。 "The Arab League decided to suspend Syria's membership, which could pave the way for military action in Syria," 阿拉伯联盟决定终止叙利亚的成员国资格，为对叙利亚进行军事干预扫清了道路。
11. pha out
是逐步结束的意思。世界上最年轻的国家南苏丹独立后宣布，学校教育将逐步淘汰阿拉伯语，改用英语教学。 "The government of South Sudan announced it will pha out Arabic-language instruction in its schools in favor of English," 共和党总统参选人罗恩.保罗希望逐步淘汰联邦学生贷款，认为这是一个失败的项目。 "Republican presidential contender Ron Paul said he wants to pha out federal student loans, calling it a failed program," 利比亚前领导人卡扎菲死后，NATO is expected to pha out its Libya mission. 预计北约将逐步结束利比亚行动。
12. write off
有取消、勾销债款的意思。负债累累的希腊无法偿还所有贷款， "Private banks agreed to
write off 50% of Greek debt last week," 上星期，私营银行同意勾销希腊50%的负债。奥巴马政府推出新的"pay as you can"助学贷款计划，其中规定, "After 20 years of payments, any remaining balance would be written off," 付款20年之后，将不必再偿还剩余款项。如果你是自己开公司的话，那么报税时，"You can write the computer off as a business expen," 你的电脑可以按商业成本抵税。
13. at the expen of
意思是以某件事或者某个人为代价。沸沸扬扬的占领华尔街运动继续在美国各大城市上演。 "Protesters accud the richest 1 % of accumulating their wealth at the expen of the remaining 99 percent," 示威者指责说，全美最富有的1%的人以其他99%的人为代价聚集财富。美国国防部将在未来10年内缩减开支，不过， "Defen Secretary Leon Panetta said the budget cuts won’t come at the expen of U.S. power in the Pacific," 国防部长帕内塔表示，预算削减不会以降低美国在太平洋地区的实力为代价。
14. track down
追捕、追寻。 "The police are trying to track down the suspect," 警方试图寻找嫌疑犯。最近有一名美国俄亥俄州的农场主自杀前把自己饲养的猛兽放了出来。 "Ohio police arched nearby areas, trying to track down the dangerous wild animals," 俄亥俄州警方搜寻附近地区，试图追捕这些危险的野生动物。
