People Trust the United States Less
People Trust the United States Less
人們對美國的信任度下降
Introduction
New reports show that many people in the world do not trust the United States or President Donald Trump.
最新報告顯示，世界上許多人不再信任美國或總統川普。
Main Body
Many countries do not think the U.S. is a good partner. In Australia and Canada, trust fell a lot. In Germany, people do not think the U.S. cares about other countries.
許多國家認為美國並非良好的合作夥伴。在澳洲與加拿大，信任度大幅下降。在德國，人們認為美國並不關心其他國家。
Most people do not trust President Trump. They think he does not make good choices for the world. In some countries, people trust other leaders more than him.
大多數人不信任川普總統。他們認為他對世界而言並未做出正確的選擇。在某些國家，人們對其他領導人的信任度高於他。
People are angry about taxes on goods and wars in Gaza and Iran. Because of this, fewer people from Europe and Australia travel to the U.S. for vacation.
人們對貨品關稅以及加薩與伊朗的戰爭感到憤怒。因此，前往美國度假的歐洲與澳洲遊客減少了。
Conclusion
The world trusts the U.S. less now, but some countries still need the U.S. for safety.
現在世界對美國的信任度降低了，但某些國家出於安全考量仍需要美國。
Vocabulary Learning
🚩 The 'Negative' Trick
In English, we use do not or does not to say 'no' to an action. This is the most important pattern for A2 learners to master for basic conversations.
How it works:
- Many people do not trust
- The U.S. does not care
- He does not make
The Simple Rule: If you are talking about one person (He/She/It), use does not. If you are talking about many people or I/You/We/They, use do not.
Examples from the text:
- "Many countries do not think..."
- "He does not make good choices..."
Quick Tip: When we use do not or does not, the main verb stays in its simplest form. You don't need to add an 's' to the end of the action word.
Vocabulary Learning
Analysis of the Global Decline in Trust Toward United States Leadership
全球對美國領導地位信任度下降之分析
Introduction
Recent data from the Pew Research Center and the Lowy Institute show a significant decrease in international confidence regarding the United States and the leadership of President Donald Trump.
皮尤研究中心與 Lowy 研究所最近的數據顯示，國際社會對美國以及總統川普領導層的信心大幅下降。
Main Body
A survey of over 42,000 adults across 36 countries reveals that many people no longer see the U.S. as a reliable global partner. This trend is especially clear among traditional allies. For example, in Australia, the percentage of people who view the U.S. as dependable dropped from 79% in 2022 to 37% in 2026. Similarly, confidence in Canada fell from 83% to 35% due to the use of tariffs and threats of annexation. In Europe, trust has also decreased significantly; in Germany, only 23% of people believe Washington cares about foreign interests, compared to 60% in 2023.
一項針對 36 個國家超過 42,000 成年人的調查顯示，許多人不再將美國視為可靠的全球夥伴。這一趨勢在傳統盟友中尤為明顯。例如，在澳洲，認為美國可靠的人數比例從 2022 年的 79% 下降到 2026 年的 37%。同樣地，由於關稅的使用與吞併威脅，加拿大的信心從 83% 下降到 35%。在歐洲，信任度也顯著下降；在德國，僅有 23% 的人認為華盛頓在意外國利益，而 2023 年則為 60%。
Furthermore, global opinion of President Donald Trump's ability to handle international affairs is mostly negative. About 76% of respondents worldwide lack confidence in his leadership. In Australia, this figure is even higher at 82%, meaning more people trust Chinese President Xi Jinping than President Trump. While trust remains higher in countries like Israel, Nigeria, and the Philippines, Trump's ratings are generally lower than those of leaders such as Emmanuel Macron and Volodymyr Zelenskyy.
此外，全球對總統川普處理國際事務能力的看法多為負面。全球約 76% 的受訪者對其領導能力缺乏信心。在澳洲，這一數字更高，達 82%，意味著更多人信任中國國家主席習近平而非川普總統。雖然在以色列、尼日利亞與菲律賓等國的信任度仍然較高，但川普的評分普遍低於艾曼紐·馬克宏與佛洛里基·澤連斯基等領導人。
Specific policies have also caused diplomatic tension. Most people worldwide disapprove of the administration's approach to the conflict in Gaza, relations with Iran, and the use of tariffs. Consequently, tourism to the U.S. has declined, with a notable 30% drop in visitors from Denmark after the U.S. expressed interest in buying Greenland. However, the Lowy Institute emphasizes that despite these negative feelings, about 75% of Australians still believe the alliance with the U.S. is essential for their national security.
特定政策也導致了外交緊張。全球大多數人不贊成美國政府對加薩衝突的處理方式、與伊朗的關係以及關稅的使用。因此，前往美國的遊客人數有所下降，在美國表達購買格陵蘭島的興趣後，來自丹麥的遊客顯著下降了 30%。然而，Lowy 研究所強調，儘管存在這些負面感受，約 75% 的澳洲人仍認為與美國的聯盟對其國家安全至關重要。
Conclusion
The United States is currently facing a widespread loss of international trust and diplomatic support, although key security alliances remain strong.
美國目前正正面對國際信任與外交支持的廣泛喪失，儘管關鍵的安全聯盟依然強而有力。
Vocabulary Learning
🚀 THE LEAP: From 'Basic' to 'Analytical'
At the A2 level, you usually describe things as good, bad, big, or small. To reach B2, you need to stop describing and start analyzing trends.
📈 The Art of 'The Decline'
Look at how the text describes things getting worse. Instead of saying "Trust is going down," the author uses specific B2-level patterns:
- Significant decrease (Not just 'a lot', but 'important' and 'measurable')
- Dropped from X% to Y% (The gold standard for reporting data)
- Fell from... due to... (Connecting a result to a cause in one sentence)
- Widespread loss (Showing that the problem is everywhere, not just in one place)
🛠️ Power-Up Your Vocabulary
Stop using the word "Reliable" for everything. The article gives us three sophisticated alternatives to describe trust:
- Dependable (You can count on them)
- Essential (You absolutely need them)
- Confidence (The feeling that someone is capable)
🧠 Logic Connectors (The B2 Glue)
Notice how the text moves from one idea to another. A2 students use And or But. B2 students use Logical Bridges:
"Furthermore..." Used when you are adding a new, stronger piece of evidence to your argument.
"Consequently..." Used when the second event happened because of the first one (Cause Effect).
"Despite..." Used to show a contrast. Example: "Despite the negative feelings, the alliance is essential." (This is the 'secret weapon' for B2 fluency because it connects two opposite ideas in one smooth phrase.)
Vocabulary Learning
Analysis of Global Decline in Perceptions of United States Reliability and Leadership
全球對美國可靠性與領導力觀感下降之分析
Introduction
Recent data from the Pew Research Center and the Lowy Institute indicate a substantial decrease in international confidence regarding the United States and the leadership of President Donald Trump.
皮尤研究中心與洛威研究所的最新數據顯示，國際社會對美國以及總統川普領導層的信心大幅下降。
Main Body
The Pew Research Center's survey of 42,151 adults across 36 nations, conducted between February and May 2026, reveals a systemic deterioration in the perceived reliability of the United States as a global partner. This trend is particularly pronounced among traditional allies. In Australia, the proportion of citizens viewing the U.S. as a dependable partner declined to 37%, a significant contraction from the 79% recorded in 2022. Similarly, Canadian sentiment shifted from 83% reliability in 2022 to 35% in 2026, a decline attributed to the implementation of tariffs and annexation threats. Within Europe, confidence has diminished by 28 to 52 percentage points across eight nations, with Germany experiencing a collapse in the belief that Washington considers foreign interests, falling from 60% in 2023 to 23%.
皮尤研究中心在2026年2月至5月期間，對36個國家的42,151名成年人進行了調查，結果顯示美國作為全球合作夥伴的可靠性正在系統性惡化。這一趨勢在傳統盟友之中尤為明顯。在澳洲，認為美國是可靠夥伴的公民比例下降至37%，較2022年記錄的79%大幅縮減。同樣地，加拿大的觀感從2022年的83%可靠性下降至2026年的35%，此一下降歸因於關稅的實施與併吞威脅。在歐洲，八個國家的信心水平下降了28至52個百分點，其中德國對於「華盛頓會考慮外國利益」的信念崩潰，從2023年的60%跌至23%。
Stakeholder positioning regarding President Donald Trump's efficacy in global affairs is predominantly negative. A median of 76% of global respondents expressed a lack of confidence in the President's capacity to act appropriately in international matters. In Australia, this figure reached 82%, resulting in a confidence rating (18%) lower than that of Chinese President Xi Jinping (23%). Globally, Trump's trust ratings were surpassed by leaders such as Emmanuel Macron, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and Vladimir Putin. Conversely, higher levels of confidence were maintained in the Philippines, Israel, Nigeria, Kenya, and Ghana.
利益相關者對總統川普處理全球事務能力的定位基本上是負面的。全球受訪者的中位數有76%表示對總統在國際事務上採取適當行動的能力缺乏信心。在澳洲，這一數字達到82%，導致其信心評分（18%）低於中國國家主席習近平（23%）。在全球範圍內，川普的信任評分被 Emmanuel Macron、Volodymyr Zelenskyy 及 Vladimir Putin 等領導人超越。相反，菲律賓、以色列、尼日利亞、肯亞及迦納則維持較高水平的信心。
Specific policy initiatives have further exacerbated this diplomatic friction. Global disapproval is concentrated on the administration's handling of the conflict in Gaza (76%), relations with Iran (74%), and the application of tariffs (77%), with the latter seeing opposition rates as high as 92% in Germany. These sentiments correlate with a decline in leisure travel to the U.S.; Australian tourism arrivals decreased by 9.2% in the first five months of 2026, mirroring broader declines in visitors from Italy, France, and Germany. Notably, Danish arrivals fell by 30% following the administration's expressed interest in the acquisition of Greenland for national security purposes. Despite these negative perceptions, the Lowy Institute notes that approximately three-quarters of Australians continue to regard the U.S. alliance as significant for national security.
特定的政策舉措進一步加劇了這些外交摩擦。全球的不滿集中在政府對加薩衝突的處理（76%）、與伊朗的關係（74%）以及關稅的應用（77%），而後者在德國的反對率高達92%。這些情緒與前往美國的休閒旅遊人數下降相關；2026年前五個月，澳洲的遊客到達人數減少了9.2%，反映了來自義大利、法國及德國訪客的整體下降。值得注意的是，在政府表達對以國家安全為目的收購格陵蘭的興趣後，丹麥的抵達人數下降了30%。儘管有這些負面觀感，洛威研究所指出，約四分之三的澳洲人仍認為美國同盟對國家安全至關重要。
Conclusion
The United States is currently experiencing a widespread decline in international trust and diplomatic favor, though strategic security alliances remain largely intact.
美國目前正經歷國際信任與外交好感度的普遍下降，但策略性安全同盟基本上仍維持完好。
Vocabulary Learning
The Architecture of Nominalization and 'Weighty' Prose
To bridge the gap from B2 to C2, a student must move beyond describing actions to conceptualizing states. The provided text is a masterclass in Nominalization—the process of turning verbs (actions) and adjectives (qualities) into nouns. This is the hallmark of high-level academic and diplomatic English, as it allows the writer to pack complex causal relationships into a single noun phrase.
◈ The Linguistic Shift: From Action to Entity
Compare these two ways of conveying the same information:
- B2 (Clausal/Active): People in Germany believe less that Washington considers foreign interests, and this belief collapsed from 60% to 23%.
- C2 (Nominalized): ...Germany experiencing a collapse in the belief that Washington considers foreign interests...
In the C2 version, the action (collapsing) becomes a thing (a collapse). This transforms a simple event into a measurable phenomenon.
◈ Deconstructing the 'Power Phrases'
Observe how the text employs nominals to create an objective, authoritative distance:
-
"Systemic deterioration in the perceived reliability"
- Verbal equivalent: The reliability of the US is deteriorating systemically.
- C2 nuance: By using "systemic deterioration," the author treats the decline as a structural failure rather than a series of random events.
-
"Stakeholder positioning regarding... efficacy"
- Verbal equivalent: Stakeholders are positioning themselves based on how effective the President is.
- C2 nuance: "Positioning" and "efficacy" function as abstract anchors, removing the need for clunky subject-verb-object chains.
-
"Application of tariffs" vs. "Applying tariffs"
- The former treats the policy as a formal instrument of statecraft.
◈ The Strategic Payload: 'Adjective + Nominal' Clusters
C2 mastery involves layering modifiers onto these nouns to achieve extreme precision without adding word count. Note the precision in:
- "Significant contraction" (Not just 'a big drop')
- "Diplomatic friction" (Not just 'arguments between countries')
- "Widespread decline" (Not just 'many people stopped trusting')
Scholarly Takeaway: To write at a C2 level, stop asking "Who did what?" and start asking "What phenomenon is occurring here?" Convert the action into a noun, qualify it with a precise adjective, and you have transitioned from storytelling to analytical discourse.