VOA标准英语2012--New Education Center Honors Abraham Lincoln

New Education Center Honors Abraham Lincoln

About 750,000 people visit Ford's Theater each year to see the box where President Lincoln was shot. Now they can go across the street to the house where he died and then to the center next door to it.
A 10 meter-high tower of 7,000 books on Abraham Lincoln shows his enduring appeal. Curator Tracey Avant says there are more books about Lincoln than any other American.
"He's just continued to be fascinating, and people throughout every generation seem to redefine who Abraham Lincoln is to them," said Avant.
The center has some artifacts, like a handle from the president’s casket and tassels¹ used to decorate it. Other exhibits are re-creations of the train that carried his coffin² and a barn where John Wilkes Booth, the president’s assassin, was shot and killed.
There are also interactive³ exhibits, which impressed Charlie Doer. "I think it's pretty cool, pretty high tech for Abraham Lincoln," said Doer.
Tracey Avant says one reason the center was opened was to answer visitors' questions about the president.
"He's still very relevant to us today, so we want people to walk away having a better understanding of what it was about Abraham Lincoln that makes him relevant today and has made him such a popular president," added Avant.
The civil war began after 11 southern states, known as the Confederacy, split from the north over the rights of states, including slavery. In 1863, Lincoln announced that slavery would end. Two years later, the south surrendered and the United States was preserved.
Avant say even though President Lincoln was controversial, he was admired.
"It has a lot to do with his leadership style, his personality and the things that he championed," Avant noted⁴. "The fact that he could relate to the common person because he had come from humble⁵ roots himself."
The center also shows American presidents and world leaders who have quoted President Lincoln on topics like courage, equality and tolerance⁶.
"His writing encompassed⁷ really big ideas, championed important issues, but he wrote in an elegant but very simple style which was not really the tradition at the time," Avant added.
Visitor Wendy Taylor found the center remarkable⁸. “I love the way that it encourages people... to think about some of the values that Lincoln stood for to make the world they live in a better place," said Taylor.
To make that point, the center has created a video of average Americans today quoting the principles President Lincoln stood for.

1 tassels   

n.穗( tassel的名词复数 )；流苏状物；（植物的）穗；玉蜀黍的穗状雄花v.抽穗， （玉米）长穗须( tassel的第三人称单数 )；使抽穗， （为了使作物茁壮生长）摘去穗状雄花；用流苏装饰

参考例句：

• Tassels and Trimmings, Pillows, Wall Hangings, Table Runners, Bell. 采购产品垂饰，枕头，壁挂，表亚军，钟。 来自互联网
• Cotton Fabrics, Embroidery and Embroiders, Silk, Silk Fabric, Pillows, Tassels and Trimmings. 采购产品棉花织物，刺绣品而且刺绣，丝，丝织物，枕头，流行和装饰品。 来自互联网

2 coffin   

n.棺材，灵柩

参考例句：

• When one's coffin is covered,all discussion about him can be settled.盖棺论定。
• The coffin was placed in the grave.那口棺材已安放到坟墓里去了。

3 interactive   

adj.相互作用的，互相影响的，（电脑）交互的

参考例句：

• The psychotherapy is carried out in small interactive groups.这种心理治疗是在互动的小组之间进行的。
• This will make videogames more interactive than ever.这将使电子游戏的互动性更胜以往。

4 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

5 humble   

adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低

参考例句：

• In my humble opinion,he will win the election.依我拙见，他将在选举中获胜。
• Defeat and failure make people humble.挫折与失败会使人谦卑。

6 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

7 encompassed   

v.围绕( encompass的过去式和过去分词 )；包围；包含；包括

参考例句：

• The enemy encompassed the city. 敌人包围了城市。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I have encompassed him with every protection. 我已经把他保护得严严实实。 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。