アメリカ大統領選挙は11月8日に行われます。今回の選挙が、歴史的に広く注目されていることから、この時期に行われる GBC のような会話、インタビュー形式の英語の試験で、大統領選挙のことが採用されるかもしれません。
現時点では、トランプ、クリントン両氏はそれぞれ人気があり、だれもが、この選挙について意見を持っていると言ってもいいでしょう。しかしながら、アメリカ政治に自然と影響を受ける国々、日本など、にとっては、話はそう簡単ではなく、とても分かりにくいものです。
今回の選挙戦は、実に激しく、時として、ひどいものでした。そんな中、数々のスキャンダルの中で2－3の注目の事実があります。
Firstly, as the award-winning website Politifact points out, Donald Trump has told an astonishing number of outright lies. Take a look at his scorecard: 71% of his statements are either mostly false, false or completely ridiculous. On numerous occasions, Trump has said a statement, for example that global warming is a hoax started by the Chinese, and then later claimed that he never made such a statement. Hillary Clinton on the other hand has been careful to say mostly factually correct statements, scoring slightly better than Barack Obama.
Secondly, even the most hard-fought political races in America have ended with the loser conceding victory to the winner. The peaceful transition of power is a benchmark of democracy. Donald Trump has suggested that he would not accept a loss, and when asked point-blank in the third presidential debate, he said he would “keep you in suspense.” This has been roundly denounced, even his vice presidential running mate has said the opposite.
The issues that America is facing are numerous and complex, but truth and democracy are two simple concepts that should resonate with the vast majority of people in any country. If you are asked about this topic in the GBC test or in casual conversation, these two facts should be all you need to form a cohesive argument.
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- household name [noun] - a very well-known name
- hoax [noun] - a widely-believed false event
- to be asked point-blank [verb] - asked directly and aggressively
- resonate with - produce a positive feeling or reaction with people
