Problems at the Department of Defense

國防部的問題

Jun 9, 2026, 21:38

Introduction

Many leaders are leaving the Department of Defense. This is happening because Pete Hegseth is the new Secretary.

許多領導人正離開國防部。這是因為 Pete Hegseth 成為了新任部長。

Main Body

The office is not a happy place. The Secretary does not trust the workers. He makes them sign secret papers and take lie detector tests. Workers are afraid and only try to please the Secretary.

辦公室的氣氛並不愉快。部長並不信任員工，他要求他們簽署機密文件並接受說謊偵測測試。員工們感到恐懼，僅試圖討好部長。

Many top officers lost their jobs. More than twenty-four leaders left. One general lost his job by a phone call. He saw the news on social media before his boss told him.

許多高階軍官失去了工作。超過二十四位領導人離職。一名將軍透過電話被解雇，他在上司通知之前，就先在社交媒體上看到了新聞。

The Secretary makes all the decisions alone. He does not listen to the military planners. This is a problem because there is a conflict with Iran. A spokesperson says these problems are not real and are just politics.

部長獨自做出所有決定。他不聽取軍事規劃者的意見。這是一個問題，因為目前與伊朗存在衝突。一名發言人表示，這些問題並非真實，僅僅是政治操弄。

Conclusion

The Department of Defense is changing. There is a lot of fighting between the new leader and the old officers.

國防部正在發生變化。新領導人與舊軍官之間存在大量衝突。

Vocabulary Learning

💡 The Power of 'NOT'

In this story, we see a lot of negative feelings. To reach A2, you need to know how to make a sentence 'negative' using do not or is not.

Look at these patterns:

For feelings/places: The office $\rightarrow$ is not $\rightarrow$ a happy place.
For actions: The Secretary $\rightarrow$ does not $\rightarrow$ trust the workers.
For listening: He $\rightarrow$ does not $\rightarrow$ listen.

Quick Rule:

Use is not for a description (Who/What).
Use does not for an action (Doing something).

🛠 Word Swap: 'Left' vs 'Lost'

Two words in the text look similar but mean different things:

Left $\rightarrow$ Choosing to go away. (Example: Leaders left the office).
Lost $\rightarrow$ Something was taken away. (Example: One general lost his job).

Tip: If you leave, you have the power. If you lose, you don't.

Vocabulary Learning

department (n.)

A special part of a government or a large company

Example:He works in the police department.

trust (v.)

To believe that someone is honest and good

Example:I trust my best friend with my secrets.

please (v.)

To make someone happy

Example:The children tried to please their parents by cleaning the room.

decision (n.)

A choice that you make after thinking

Example:It was a difficult decision to move to a new city.

conflict (n.)

A strong disagreement or a fight

Example:The two countries have a long conflict over land.

spokesperson (n.)

A person who speaks for another person or a group

Example:The company spokesperson answered the reporters' questions.

Practice A2 words in a crossword→