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
Actinoscirpus
Actinothecaceae
aerocannon
alness r.
apsidal surface
aqueous caustic
automatic manual station
Bashkirians
Beuerberg
Bine-el-Ouidane
Biograd
Boltongate
Calanthe graciliflora
Caliciviridae
cathode flame
chored
collector area
color pyramid
coloured gold
come in contact with
common pathway
contra arithmetic series
count wheel striking mechanism
crackable
cubic kilometre
Dalwad
desaxe
diskspace
double dictionary
drawstring bag
energy diagram
enripens
Faverges
fimbristylis autumnalis roem et schult
five o'clock
flenoury
French inhaling
fridrich
Graecicize
gravity purity
guide vane assembly
gyroscopic angular deviation detector
hatchety
higher order predicate calculus
if you'll pardon the expression
in order for something to happen
inter-connectednesses
international standard bibliography
iron(ii) azide
jar proof
kletter
lateral-line organ
light radiation sensor
matzahs
messengership
migrating balloon
mogroester
Montanha
Mother's Night
Motier
no delivery attempted
north atlantic treaties
notched underlated preheater
on weekdays
oscillation impulse
outside mix nozzle
overhelm
oxypropionic acid
paper industry
phenolic glycoside
phymatosorum membranifolium
picket-fence
random connection
reabsorbed cost
redeemed
redimere
reversalability
Rioja,rioja
saxo grammaticuss
schnier
servomechanism compensation
shortsheeted
side wall frame
single-sided magnetically linear motor
soap cutting machine
Sotacor
sound title to land
spinnabler
sports lottery
state court
submirrors
summer term
supertwists
teasings
thermal coil
tricalcium silicate
type selection
underteaches
utets
vaporizing combustion chamber
vitriolating
zonograms