时间:2019-01-07 作者:英语课 分类:2007年VOA标准英语(六月)


英语课
By Robert Raffaele
Washington, D.C.
19 June 2007
 


America's tourism industry is expressing alarm over a sharp decrease in the number of international visitors to the United States. The downturn has prompted a consortium of American businesses to call on Congress to ease restrictions 1 for visitors from nations outside North America.  VOA's Robert Raffaele has the story.


The U.S. Commerce Department says more than two million fewer people from five key nations visited the United States in 2005, compared to 2000. Those nations -- Britain, Japan Germany, France and Brazil -- had been America's largest source of overseas visitors, and their absence is being felt.


The Travel Industry Association reports the U.S. saw a loss of $43 billion in visitor spending in 2005 alone. A coalition 2 of U.S. businesses is calling on the nation to spruce up its welcome mat.


The Discover America Partnership 3 wants Congress to approve a series of proposals, aimed at boosting incoming tourism. One of them is charging a $10 fee for travelers from so-called "Visa Waiver" nations. The U.S. does not require visitors from those 27 nations to obtain a visa for a stay of 90 days or less. The group says the proposed fee would result in $200 million annually 4, to pay for increased border security and tourism promotion 5






Former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom a href=


Former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge



Former U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge is a consultant 7 for the Discover America Partnership. "Our connectivity to the rest of the world depends upon the rest of the world's access to us,” he says. “If we can improve access, we improve travel, we can do it in a way that we do not compromise security, in fact, one could argue -- improve security."


A survey commissioned by the group asked some 2,000 international tourists about their perceptions of the U.S. visa and entry policies. By more than a two-to-one margin 8, respondents said the U.S. had the world's "worst" entry system. Sixty-six percent said they feared they would be detained for hours, because of simple mistakes.


Ridge says speeding up the visa application process for non-waiver tourists would be a positive step. "If we could tell the world that there's a 30-day window, that we will process you, and interview and process you within 30 days, that creates an entirely 9 differently kind of environment . We're not doing fewer interviews, we're just doing them quicker." 


Ridge called the Visa Waiver fee a fair proposal. He pointed 10 out that many countries charge international tourists entry or exit fees.




约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则)
  • I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
  • a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制
n.结合体,同盟,结合,联合
  • The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
  • Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。
n.合作关系,伙伴关系
  • The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
  • Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。
adv.一年一次,每年
  • Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
  • They celebrate their wedding anniversary annually.他们每年庆祝一番结婚纪念日。
n.提升,晋级;促销,宣传
  • The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
  • The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级,加了薪。
n.山脊;鼻梁;分水岭
  • We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
  • The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。
n.顾问;会诊医师,专科医生
  • He is a consultant on law affairs to the mayor.他是市长的一个法律顾问。
  • Originally,Gar had agreed to come up as a consultant.原来,加尔只答应来充当我们的顾问。
n.页边空白;差额;余地,余裕;边,边缘
  • We allowed a margin of 20 minutes in catching the train.我们有20分钟的余地赶火车。
  • The village is situated at the margin of a forest.村子位于森林的边缘。
ad.全部地,完整地;完全地,彻底地
  • The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
  • His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。
adj.尖的,直截了当的
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
学英语单词
3-furylmethylamine
abrooks
All 's well that ends well.
annabergite
arsenate of lead
arteria perinealis
asmal
autocontrol
balance account book from last year
baldface
be concentric with...
Bernreuter personality inventory
bestroke
Bromfield tenaculum
Burnpur
cap code
cargo sheet clerk
chaperonages
connatre
consortium creditor
constriction nozzle
continuus
controlled extraction turbine
corticoafferent
critical incident technique
cross-checked
cyanoses
danger latch
deposit concrete
diem perdidi
efiss
enchastened
Enderby Land
fabric bias cutting machine
fernham
flexible pipeline pig
flower whorl
food stylists
good standing
hit probability payoff
inaequivalvular
innatist
intercrystalline fluid
Joint Tort feasors
Kloedonellocopina
knife blade
li-li
logarithmic average
ludmilla
marl earth
mear
mineral paint thinner
minimum carrier level
navicula zostereti
nekulturny
neoprene seal
neotropical floral kingdom
nutating
oouen
OTW
out-box
PA-AO2
pandemics
Patrinia villosa
permian clay
phosphonium ion
play ball
pottered
protestant denominations
PSCM
Pseudolarix raempferi Gordon
pyrometer cone
radiophototelegraphic transmitter
rahzel
ramdas
reaction-water turbine
rebid
repaster
repository design
respiration pick-up
rhus aromatica ait fragrant sumac
ruddy turnstones
Schuman,William Howard
segment data buffer
ship theory
short term
snail-shaped
snap-on red filter
soapier
tachygraphs
thalassion
throwout bearing
transistor parameter meter
trisulphides
turtleneck
ultra-democracy
unhipness
variety theater
vitreous materials
whistle in the dark
wind river pk.
zanyisms