中阶经济|第54集：自测版纯净原声

音频一：

What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes? The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed. We would not want to live in such a city.

音频二：

The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property. More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose. The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens. Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries. Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads.

重点词汇：

1, supply /sə'plaɪ/ n. 供应量，供给量

gas/electricity/water etc supply 煤气/电力/自来水等供应（系统）

2, chief [tʃiːf] adj. 最重要的；最高级别的，首席的 n.首领，最高领导人

3, persons ['pɜːsənz] n.人们

同义替换：people

4, expense [ɪk'spens] n.费用，花费

5, purpose ['pɜːpəs] n.目的，意图

6, citizen ['sɪtɪzən] n.市民；公民；国民

7, billion [ˈbɪljən] n.十亿

billions of sth 数以十亿计，大量

8, fund [fʌnd] n.基金；专款

public funds 公款，公共基金

跟读训练：

一、

What would happen if everyone stopped paying taxes?

如果大家都不交税的话，会发生什么？

The water supply would stop; the streets might not be cleaned; schools would be closed.

供水会被中断，街道不会再有人清扫，学校会被关闭。

We would not want to live in such a city.

我们不会想要住在一个这样的城市里的。

二、

The chief duty of every government is to protect persons and property.

每个政府的主要职责就是保护每一个人及其财产。

More than three-fourths of government expenses are used for this purpose.

超过政府支出的四分之三都是用于这个目的。

The next largest amount of public money goes to teach and train our citizens.

第二大公共资金支出用于教育和培养公民。

Billions of dollars each year are spent on schools and libraries.

每年数十亿美元都用于学校和图书馆。

Also, a large amount of public funds is spent on roads.

同时，还有一大部分用于道路。