奥巴马演讲集热销日本一托福阅读机经背景.docxVIP

智课网TOEFL备考资料 奥巴马演讲集热销日本一托福阅读机经背景   President Barack Obamas speeches are proving a best-seller in Japan -- as an aid to learning English.  An English-language textbook, The Speeches of Barack Obama, has sold more than 400,000 copies in two months, a big hit in a country where few hit novels sell more than a million copies a year.  Japanese have a fervor for learning English and many bookstores have a corner dedicated to dozens of journals in the language, many of them now featuring the new U.S. leaders face.  Speeches by presidents and presidential candidates are excellent as listening tools to learn English, because their contents are good and their words are easy to catch, said Yuzo Yamamoto of Asahi Press, which produced the best-selling text book.  Obamas is especially so. His speeches are so moving, and he also uses words such as yes, we can, change and hope that even Japanese people can memorize, he said.  Speeches by George W. Bush and former nominee John Kerrys four years ago did not have the same appeal, however, and nor do those made by Japanese politicians, Yamamoto said.  In Japan, we dont have politicians who have such a positive influence. Thats why we have to turn to a foreign president for someone in whom to place our hopes.  The 95paperback features Obamas speeches in English from the 2004 Democratic National Convention and during the Democratic Party primaries, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton. They are accompanied by Japanese translations.  The 1,050 yen ($12) book, which includes a CD of the speeches, tops the bestseller list on bookseller Amazons Japanese Website,   Readers have sent in postcards saying that when they heard the speeches, they were so moved and cried even though they dont understand English very well, Yamamoto said.  He said lawmakers from Japans main opposition Democratic Party had bought the book tostudy Obamas speeches.  Fol