【英语多益通】欧巴马给马英九当选贺词
文／周强
2012美国与台湾的总统都要寻求连任。美国将于2012年底由现任的总统欧巴马出战在野的共和党，而台湾则已经在一月份确定由现任的马英九总统连任成功。
美国与台湾同为民主体制。在两大党政治下，执政党与在野党无不高度动员，使出浑身解数寻求选民的认同，期望催出支持者「宝贵的一票」。台湾历经了2011下半年的激烈选战，终于在新的一年里的1月14日的周六，决定了未来四年的国家走向。美国政府在14日晚间就发出新闻稿，恭贺总统与立委选举成功，并称赞台湾在过去数十年经济与政治的成就，证明台湾是「亚洲伟大成功的故事」。
白宫的这份祝贺新闻稿言简意赅、用字精准。正在准备多益测（http://www.toeic.com.tw/）或是希望提升英文程度的同学，应该浏览一下全文。周强老师利用其中重要的一段，改编成多益测验Part 6的形式，以训练同学们的应试策略与技巧。
Part 6在每次的多益测验里会有三到四篇短文，题目总共12题，以「克漏字」的形式呈现，主要在测验受测者语法、字汇、与阅读三大能力。Part 6与Part 5单句阅读的差异在于：Part 6除了该句的句意之外，答案还要符合全文短文的适切性。时间压力是受测者在阅读三大部份(Part 5, 6, 7)最大的挑战，所以正在准备多益测验的同学要练习能在10分钟之内完成Part 6的12题，才能有足够的时间面对接下来Part 7篇章阅读的48题。
THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary_____________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on Taiwan’s Elections
We congratulate Ma Ying-jeou on his reelection and the people of Taiwan on the successful conduct of their presidential and legislative elections.
Through the hard work of its people and its remarkable economic and political development over the past decades, Taiwan has proven to be one of the great success stories in Asia. In this year's elections, Taiwan has again demonstrated the (1)___________ and vitality of its democratic system. We are (2)__________ Taiwan will
1.
(A) inclusion (B) mention (C) strength (D) settlement
2.
(A) confident(B) confidence (C) confidential(D) confidentiality
build on its many accomplishments, and we will continue to work together to advance our many common interests, including expanding trade and investment ties.
[解析]第(1)题在测验同学是否知道职场的一个常用字：「优点、优势」。同学虽然都知道”strength”是「力量」的意思，但是它在职场上另一个重要字义是「优点、优势、强项、长处」；它最常搭配的反义字也值得一学，「优点、长处」的反义当然是「缺点、短处」，它是「虚弱的、薄弱的」”weak”这个英文字的名词”weakness”。本题的全句句意是：「在今年的选举中，台湾再次展现了民主制度的优点与活力。」
(例句)：These 50 questions are used to test interviewees’ strengths and weaknesses.(这五十个问题用来测验面试者的长处与弱点。)
在多益测验里，表示「优点、长处」除了”strength”之外，最常出现的还有”advantage”、”upside”、”merit”。此外，”strength”加上了表示动词的字尾”-en”之后，就是与「力量」字义有关的「强化”strengthen”」，→ Her analysis strengthened their resolve to invest.(她的分析强化了他们投资的决心。)；第一题的正确答案是(C)，其他答案都使句意扭曲。
第(2)题在测验同学是否知道职场的两个常用字：”confident”(有信心的)与”confidential”(机密的)。这两个英文字不但在多益测验中常出现，在其他的英检中也常见，因为它们字形相似又同时常见、常用于职场。尤其当商业机密、密码、员工薪水这种应该保持「机密」的话题出现时，就会用到”confidential”(机密的)这个字，(例)：It is important that employees’ salary should be kept confidential.(员工薪资保持机密是很重要的。)
本题的题意是「美国有信心台湾建基于自己的许多成就之上，…」，所以句意应该是「有信心的」而不是「机密的」。此外，be动词”are”的后面应该接形容词，所以正确答案是(A)。答案(D)是”confidential(机密的)”的名词。阅读的小技巧是”Taiwan”的前面省略了”that”，加上去之后同学会更清楚此句的结构：
→ We are confident (that) Taiwan will build on its many accomplishments,…
白宫是世界上最高阶也最大的职场，里面的新闻官也是职场的能手。这篇祝贺台湾1月14日总统选举结果的新闻稿(press release)，有许多好字与好的用法，同学应加以研读，全信列示于下：
THE WHITE HOUSEOffice of the Press Secretary_____________________________________________________________________
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 14, 2012
Statement by the Press Secretary on Taiwan’s Elections
We congratulate Ma Ying-jeou on his reelection and the people of Taiwan on the successful conduct of their presidential and legislative elections.
Through the hard work of its people and its remarkable economic and political development over the past decades, Taiwan has proven to be one of the great success stories in Asia. In this year's elections, Taiwan has again demonstrated the strength and vitality of its democratic system. We are confident Taiwan will build on its many accomplishments, and we will continue to work together to advance our many common interests, including expanding trade and investment ties.
The relationship between the people of the United States and the people of Taiwan is based on common interests and a shared commitment to freedom and democracy. As we have done for more than 30 years, we will maintain our close unofficial ties with the people on Taiwan through the American Institute in Taiwan and according to our one China policy based on the three Joint Communiqués with the People’s Republic of China and the Taiwan Relations Act.