★☆☆First Presidential Debate Centers on Economic Concerns

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Vocabulary

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1. deficit /ˈdefəsit/ (n.) an amount such as an amount of money that is less than the amount that is needed
2. sharply /’ˈʃɑɚpli/ (adv.) in a harsh, critical, or angry way
3. deduction /diˈdəkSHən/ (n.) a conclusion or opinion that is based on logic or reason
4. loophole /ˈlo͞opˌ(h)ōl/ (n.) an error in the way a law, rule, or contract is written that makes it possible for some people to legally avoid obeying it
5. skyrocket /ˈskīˌräkit/ (vb.) to increase quickly to a very high level or amount

Article

First Presidential Debate Centers on Economic Concerns

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(1) President Obama and Republican Party presidential candidate Mitt Romney debated each other for the first time Wednesday night. The debate was held at the University of Denver in Colorado.

(2) Experts say the American economy is the top issue of the election campaign. And the debate centered on economic concerns.

(3) Mr. Obama started by noting that, when he took office, the United States was having its most severe economic crisis since the nineteen thirties. He said that, in the past thirty months, five million jobs had been created in private industry. But he admitted a lot remains to be done.

(4) One of the big questions of the campaign is how best to reduce the federal budget deficit. Mr. Romney has proposed lowering taxes as a way to lift economic growth. But the former Massachusetts governor sharply disagreed with Mr. Obama’s descriptions of his tax cut plan.

(5) “I’m not looking for a five-trillion-dollar tax cut. What I have said is I won’t put in place a tax cut that adds to the deficit. That’s part one. So there’s no economist can say Mitt Romney’s tax plan adds five trillion dollars if I say I will not add to the deficit with my tax plan.”

(6) Mr. Romney also said he would not reduce the share of taxes paid by high income individuals. Mr. Obama, however, said his opponent’s plan for changing the tax system would not work.

(7) “The fact is, if you are lowering the rates the way you described, Governor, then it is not possible to come up with enough deductions and loopholes that only affect high-income individuals to avoid either raising the deficit or burdening the middle class.”

(8) The candidates also debated the president’s health care program, which some Americans call “Obamacare.” Mr. Romney said it would hurt the economy and cost jobs.

(9) The president said that when he took office, problems in the nation’s health care system were just as urgent as the jobless rate. He said health costs drove government spending and troubled businesses and families.

(10) “It was not just that small businesses were seeing costs skyrocket and they could not get affordable coverage even if they wanted to provide it to their employees. It was not just that this was the biggest driver of our federal deficit, our overall health care costs. But it was families who worried about going bankrupt if they got sick.”

(11) In closing, Mr. Obama said he wants to build on the strengths of his first four years in the White House. Mr. Romney said re-electing the president would hurt the middle class. He promised to replace the country’s new health care program and to create millions of news jobs.

(12) The two candidates are to meet again October sixteenth.

Discussion

*Let’s talk about the article base on the questions below

1. Can you describe the economic condition of your country? Can you say that it is stable? Why or why not?
2. If you were to discuss your own point of view about your country’s economy to one of your political leaders, what issues are considered debatable? Why do you say so?
3. Have you observed a political campaign? What do most of the politicians promise to the people as a reform? Do you think those promises will be made into reality?

 

English Compositions

*Let’s make English compositions using the expressions from the article.

(1) The (noun) was held at the (noun) in (noun).

EX) The debate was held at the University of Denver in Colorado.

(2) He says (noun) cannot (verb) all (noun) in the same way.

EX) He says doctors cannot treat all breast cancers in the same way.