2017年12月英语四级听力VOA慢速英语原文（十七）思维导图

AcherubholdinganopenbookadornsaflagpoleontheplazaoftheSupremeCourtinWashington,Monday,April4,2016.Thejusticesruledinacaseinvolvingtheconstitutionalprincipleof“oneperson,onevote”andunanimouslyupheldaTexaslawthatcountseveryone,notjusteligiblevoters,indecidinghowtodrawdistricts.(AssociatedPress)

“Oneperson,onevote”isaguidingprincipleofAmericandemocracy.Butitsexactmeaningcontinuestobedebated.

TheU.S.SupremeCourtrecentlydecidedonedispute.

InApril,thecourtruledthatstatescancountallresidentstosetupelectiondistrictsandnotjustthoseallowedtovote.

TheissueisimportantbecauseitdecideshowmanyseatsinCongressandlegislaturesaregivenstatesandlocalcommunities.

SupremeCourtJusticeRuthBaderGinsburgwrotethedecision.Inherruling,sheprovidedahistorylesson.

In1776,whentheU.S.declaredindependencefromGreatBritain,onlypeoplewhoownedpropertycouldvote.Itwasnotuntil1920thatwomenwontherighttovote.

Slaveswerenotpermittedtovote.IttooktheVotingRightsActof1964toendrulesthatstoppedAfrican-Americansfromvotinginsomesouthernstates.

In2016,childrenunder18stillcannotvote.Norcanprisoners.

Butinherruling,Ginsburgwrotethenation’sfoundersbelievedeveryone---whethertheyvotedornot–shouldberepresentedbytheirgovernment.Shesaidallpeopleneedgovernmentservices.

“Representativesserveallresidents,notjustthoseeligibletovote,”Ginsburgwrote.

MichaelLiworksonvotingrightsissuesfortheBrennanCenterforDemocracyinNewYork.HesaidtheSupremeCourtrulingisimportant.

“Wefoughtarevolutionovertaxationwithoutrepresentationandearlyoninourhistorywedecidedthatpeopleshouldberepresentedthesameway,whethertheyvoteorcan’tvote,”Lisaid.

HesaidtheSupremeCourtrulingwillhelpundocumentedimmigrantsbecausetheywillcontinuetogetcounted,eveniftheycannotvote.

TwoSupremeCourtJustices–ClarenceThomasandSamuelAlito--alsovotedwithGinsburginthe8-0ruling.Buttheysaidtherulingshouldhavelimitedeffects.

ThomasandAlitosaidtherulingmeansthestatescandrawelectiondistrictsbasedonallresidents--notjustvoters.Therulingdoesnotmeanthestatesmustdothis.

“TheConstitutionleavesthechoicetothepeoplealone–nottothiscourt,”Thomaswrote.

Currently,all50statesuseU.S.CensusBureaudatatodeterminerepresentation.Thatincludesallthosecounted–bothvotersandnon-voters.

Historyof“oneperson,onevote”

Americanhistoryisfulloffightsabouthowtodefine“oneperson,onevote.”

In1787,therewasadisputebetweenthenorthernstates,whereslaverywasillegal,andsouthernstates,whereslaverywaspermitted.

IntheNorth,peoplearguedstatesthatdenyAfrican-Americanstherighttovote–andallotherfreedoms–shouldnotcountthemforrepresentationinCongress.

Asacompromise,aslavewascountedas3/5ofaperson.Withtheendofslaveryin1865aftertheCivilWar,theruleended.

In1964,theSupremeCourtruledthatstatesmustcreatelegislativedistrictsbasedonequalrepresentation.Atthetime,somebigcities,suchasLosAngeles,weregiventhesamerepresentationinstatelegislaturesassmallcommunities.

Thereareothervotingissuesthatlikelywillmaketheirwaythroughthecourts.OneiswhetherrequiringvoterstoshowpictureidentificationviolatestheConstitution’sequalprotectionguarantee.

Supporterssayrequiringidentificationreducesfraud.Butopponentssayfraudisnotaproblem.Theysaytherequirementwillmakeithardforminoritiesandolderpeoplewithoutidentificationtovote.

Therefore,theseopponentssay,requiringpictureidentificationviolatestheprincipleof“oneperson,onevote.”

WordsinThisStory

principle–n.amoralruleorbeliefthathelpsyouknowwhatisrightandwrongandthatinfluencesyouractions

residents–n.peoplewholiveinacommunity

eligible–v.abletodoorreceivesomething

revolution-n.theusuallyviolentattemptbymanypeopletoendtheruleofonegovernmentandstartanewone

lesson-n.somethinglearnedthroughexperience;somethingthatistaught

fraud-n.cheating;usingdishonestmethodstomakesomethingvaluefromanotherperson