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第240期：主餐一道：泛聽練習
以下段落是摘自新聞里的一些重要信息,并不是一個段落的聽寫。空內信息可在本新聞中全部找到,大家可以根據這些信息復述新聞。
一、泛聽建議：
1、完整聽一遍，掌握大意。
2、繼續聽，特別注意關鍵信息。遇到相似的詞，寫下來。
The Treasure Department is making flexible spending account for healthcare more attractive by _1_ some of the money to roll over at the end of year. As NPR's Julie Rovner reports until now, consumers who did not use the all of the money they set aside had to forfeit it.
美國財政部將使用于支付醫保的靈活開支計賬更具吸引力，方法是允許一些錢在年底得以保留。據NPR新聞的朱莉·羅夫納報道，目前，消費者存到帳戶中未消費的錢會被罰沒。
The account a popular way for people to save for unreimbursed medical expenses like deductibles and co-payments, and things that often _2_ like eye glasses. But the fact, the money was used or lose it meant the account have been less attractive to those with more moderate incomes, and they often led to frantic and sometime wasteful end of year's spending as consumers trying to avoid losing money deducted from their pay checks. Under the new rules, employers will have the options of letting people carry over up to 500 dollars to use through the next year or providing a 2.5 months grace period. They cannot do both however. Julie Rovner NPR News, Washington.
這個賬戶通常是民眾預存一定量的錢來支付未來的醫療開支所用，這些開支包括自付額和共同支付額等不包括在保險中的部分，比如配眼鏡等。但是事實上，這筆錢"到底是用了還是損失了"，意思是這種機制對那些中等收入群體來說沒有太大的吸引力，他們經常在年底時會手忙腳亂，或是大筆揮霍，因為消費者要避免他們工資中扣除的錢被沒收。而新法規規定，雇主可以選擇讓雇員保有500美元以內的錢在下一年繼續使用，或是為雇員提供兩個半月的寬限期。當然這兩種只能選其一。NPR新聞，朱莉·羅夫納華盛頓報道。
Beginning today, tens of millions of Americans who get food stamps will see their benefits start to decrease as NPR's Alice Chen reports, a short-term increase in funding for the program from 2009 stimulus is expiring.
今天開始，數千萬領取食品券的美國民眾會發現他們的福利將開始縮減。據NPR新聞的艾麗絲·陳報道，這個2009年為刺激經濟而實施的短期增加援助金額的項目已經到期。
Since the recession hit, the number of people who _3_ on food stamps has ballooned. The 2009 stimulus package provided a temporary boost to the food stamp program but beginning today that program _4_ hit with five-billion-dollar cut. Farm bills passed by both House and Senate would make further cuts. And the negotiations between the two chambers have just begun as to how big the cut should ultimately be. The house bill will reduce funding by additional four billion dollars annual while _5_ the senate bill will amount to about a tenth of that. Today's blow to the food stamps program comes just as other parts of stimulus package have ended as well, like the two-year payroll tax holiday. Alice Chen, NPR News, the Capitol.
遭遇經濟衰退以來，依賴食品券生活的美國民眾數量激增。2009年實施的經濟刺激方案暫時將食品券項目的援助金額提高，但是從今天開始，該項目的援助金額將縮減50億美元。由眾議院和參議院共同通過的食品券法案可能還會繼續縮減。兩院之間就該法案進行的協商剛剛開始，協商將決定該法案最終應縮減的幅度。眾議院的法案是每年將該項目的金額再縮減40億美元，而參議院法案的削減金額約為眾議院的十分之一。今天不僅食品券項目遭遇了打擊，經濟刺激方案的其他福利也同樣被終止，包括實施了兩年的工薪稅減稅政策。NPR新聞，艾麗絲·陳國會山報道。
詞匯解析：
1. set aside
留作…之用；留出…用于；放棄（信仰、原則或情感）；置…于不顧
eg. Some doctors advise setting aside a certain hour each day for worry.
一些醫生建議每天留出一點時間來解決煩心事。
eg. £130 million would be set aside for repairs to schools.
將劃撥1。3 億英鎊用于學校的修繕。
eg. He urged them to set aside minor differences for the sake of peace.
他敦促他們為了和平拋開一些小的分歧。
2. avoid sth./doing sth.
避免做某事；
eg. By borrowing from dozens of banks, he managed to avoid giving any of them an overall picture of what he was up to.
他向許多銀行借款，使得任何一家都搞不清楚他到底要做什么。
eg. He was always careful to avoid embarrassment.
他總是小心謹慎地避免尷尬。
3. have the option of doing sth.
選擇；有選擇權；
eg. The buyer has the option of canceling the contract.
買主有權撤消合同。
eg. Students have the option of studying abroad in their second year.
學生在二年級時可以選擇出國學習。
4. a blow to sb./sth.
打擊；挫折；
eg. That ruling comes as a blow to environmentalists.
那項裁決對環境保護論者來說如同一記悶棍。
eg. His death dealt a severe blow to the army's morale.
他的死嚴重打擊了軍隊的士氣。
