TOEFL READING 1993/10(4)
The constitutional requirements for holding congressional office in the United States are few and simple. They include age (twenty-five years of age for the House ofepresentatives , thirty for the Senate ); citizenship(seven years for the House, nine years for the Senate); and residency in the state from which the officeholder is elected. Thus, the constitutional gateways to congressional officeholding are fairly wide.
Even these minimal requirements, however, sometimes arouse controversy . During the 1960's and 1970's, when people of the post - Second World War "baby boom" reached maturity and the
Twenty-sixth Amendment (permitting eighteen year olds to vote )was ratified , unsuccessful efforts were made to lower the eligible age for senators and representatives.
Because of Americans geographic mobility, residency sometimes is an issue . Voters normally prefer candidates with long-standing ties to their states or districts. In his 1978 reelection campaign , for instance, Texas Senator John Tower effectively accused his opponent,Representative Robert Krueger, of having spent most of his life "overseas or in the East" studying or teachinga charge taken seriously in Texas. Well-known candidates sometimes succeed without such ties. New York voters elected to the Senate Robert F. Kennedy (1965-1968) and Daniel Patrick Moynihan(1977-)even though each had spent much of his life elsewhere. While members of the House of Representatives are not bound to live in the district from which they are elected, most do so prior to their election.In the Senate, the "one person. one vote" rule does not apply.Article l of the Constitution assures each state, regardless of population, two Senate seats , and Article V guarantees that this equal representation cannot be taken away without the states' consent . The founders stipulated that senators be designated by their respective state legislatures rather than by the voters themselves. Thus, the Senate was designed to add stability, wisdom, and forbearance to the actions of the popularly elected House. This distinction between the two houses was eroded by the Seventeenth Amendment(1913), which provided for the direct popular election of senators.
重点单词：
constitutional : a. 组织的,立宪的,体质的
congressional : a. 会议的,议会的,国会的
representative : n. 代表,众议员,典型;a. 描写的,表现的,代理的,典型的,代表性的,代议制的
senate : n. 参议院,上议院,评议会
citizenship : n. 国籍,市民权,市民的身份
residency : n. 住处
officeholder : n. 官员
thus : ad. 如此,因此,至此
gateway : n. 门,通路,网关
fairly : ad. 公平地,相当地,清楚地
minimal : a. 最小的,极微的,最小限度的
arouse : vt. 唤醒,鼓励,引起;vi. 睡醒
controversy : n. 论争,辩论,论战,争论
baby boom : 生育高峰 boom : n. 繁荣,隆隆声;vi. 急速发展,发隆隆声;vt.
使兴旺,发隆隆声
maturity : n. 成熟,完备,到期
amendment : n. 改善,改良,改正
permit : n. 许可证,许可,执照;vt. 允许,容许;vi. 容许
vote : n. 投票,选举,选票,选举权,表决,得票数;vi. 投票,选举;vt.
投票选举,投票决定,公认,使投票
ratify : vt. 批准,认可
effort : n. 努力,成就
eligible : a. 可以选的,具有被选举资格的,合格的;n. 有资格者,合格者,适任者
representative : n. 代表,众议员,典型;a. 描写的,表现的,代理的,典型的,代表性的,代议制的
geographic : a. 地理的
mobility : n. 可动性,变动性,情感不定
issue : n. 发行,问题,后果,出口,争端,流出;vi. 发行,流出,造成...结果,进行辩护,传下;vt.
使流出,放出,发行,发布,发给
voter : n. 选民,投票人
candidate : n. 候选人,投考者
long-standing : a. 长期存在的
tie : n. 带子,线,鞋带,不分胜负,关系,领带,领结,平局,束缚;vt.
系,打结,扎,约束,与...成平局;vi.
结合,打结,不分胜负
district : n. 区域,地方
reelection : n. 再选,改选
campaign : n. 战役,运动,活动,竞选运动;vi. 参加活动,作战
effectively : ad. 有效地,有力地,实际上
accused : 被告
opponent : n. 对手,敌手,反对者;a. 敌对的,反对的
charge : n. 指控,费用,冲锋,嘱咐,炸药,被托管人,主管,电荷;vt.
控诉,加罪于,使充满,充电,使承担;vi.
冲锋,要价,收费
serious : a. 严肃的,认真的,重要的,严重的
well-known : a. 众所周知的,有名的
bound : n. 跃,回跳,范围,边界;a. 受约束的,装订的,有义务的,准备去...的,被束缚的,关联的,便秘的;vi.
跳跃,弹起;vt. 使跳,限止,邻接
prior : a. 更重要的,较早的,在先的;ad. 居先;n. 院长
assure : vt. 保证,确告,担保
regardless : a. 不管,不注意,不顾
representation : n. 表示法,表现,陈述,请求,扮演,继承,代表
consent : n. 同意,许可;vi. 同意,承诺
stipulate : vt. vi. 规定,保证
designate : vt. 指定,指明,称呼;a. 选出而未上任的
respective : a. 分别的,各自的
legislature : n. 立法机关,议会,立法院
stability : n. 安定,稳定性,坚实,巩固,坚定
wisdom : n. 智慧,明智的行为,学识,名言,贤人
forbearance : n. 节制,自制,忍耐
distinction : n. 区别
erode : vt. 腐蚀,侵蚀;vi. 受腐蚀
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