NEW DELHI (AP) — President Barack Obama heralded the relationship between the United States and India as a “defining partnership” of the 21st century Monday during a grand ceremony marking his visit to the world’s largest democracy.

Obama’s limousine was escorted to Rashtrapati Bhavan, the palatial residence of India’s president, by guards on horseback. Obama greeted Indian dignitaries, then stood with his hand on his heart as the U.S. national anthem was played.

The president spoke briefly during the ceremony, thanking the Indian people for their hospitality and saying he hoped his trip here would strengthen the friendship between the two nations.

“The partnership between the United States and India will be one of the defining partnerships of the 21st century,” Obama said.

The grandeur of the arrival ceremony kicked off a day heavy on diplomacy. Obama was to meet privately with India’s Prime Minister Manmoham Singh, and the two leaders were then to take questions from the press. Later Monday, Obama planned to speak to the Indian Parliament, with announcements expected on counterterrorism, regional security, clean energy, climate change and economic growth.

Hanging over Obama’s 10-day trip to Asia are heavy election losses at home. On Sunday, Obama promised to make “midcourse corrections” to reinvigorate his embattled domestic agenda in the face of a testier American public and more combative Congress.

He was also confronted about his support for Pakistan, New Delhi’s nuclear neighbor and rival. He defended the alliance while acknowledging that Pakistan-based extremists are “a cancer” with the potential to “engulf the country.”

【热点话题】 分析认为，政治类话题是在雅思考试中比较少出现的，一般提到政治（politics）总是以科目或者以泛指的概念出现，是个常考词。但是政治影响着人们生活的方方面面，对于各种政策制定都有非常大的影响，如文中提到的反恐、地区安全、洁净能源、气候变化和经济增长等。

【必杀词汇】

president    总统，主席

ceremony    庆典

limousine    豪华轿车

escort       护送

residence    居住，住处

guard        保卫

hospitality    殷勤，好客

strengthen   加强

kick off      开始

diplomacy    外交，外交术

press        新闻界

counterterrorism  反恐

regional security   地区安全

clean energy   洁净能源

climate change  气候变化

economic growth  经济增长

election      选举

correction    修改

confront      面对，遭遇

rival          竞争对手

defend        防御

potential      潜在的

真题回顾：剑桥6  Test 1  Question 11-16配对题选项 F strengthened

解析：Strengthened解释为加强的，这个选项经常被误选，一般加强都是指在原来基础上进行提高，而原文中强调的是已经将lift（电梯）进行了更换（replaced），虽然性能好了，但不能算加强。

剑桥6  Test 4  Question 12  preparing refreshments________

解析：原文中对应该题的内容是：most of the hospitality staff have been put in the blue team，so the chefs among you and the kitchen hands will need a blue T-shirt. 虽然可以根据kitchen hands来判断所讲的是和食物相关的内容，但之前能意识到hospitality解释为招待，款待的意思，答案会更加明确。