VOA慢速英语:Candidates Make Appeals One Day Before Midterm Election

1. Republicans are widely expected to keep control of the House of Representatives.

be expected to 被期待做某事; 有望做某事; 期许
例句：I shall be expected to shell out the money for the party. 
我将要支付这个集会的费用。 

2. However, Ukraine and Western countries have made clear that they will not recognize the elections.

make clear 解释;弄清
例句：The Boss needed to make clear the instructions to the workers. 
老板必须向工人说明这些指令。 

3. At least 24 migrants from Afghanistan drowned Monday when the boat carrying them to Europe sank off the coast of Turkey.

at least 至少
例句：For that day at least he lost heart. 
至少这一天他是垂头丧气的。 

4. As many as 12 others may be missing.

as many as 和…一样多; 不下于
例句：They drew as many as four times that year. 
他们那一年四次打成平局。 

5. But officials say it is too early to know if the feathering system played any role in the disaster.

play role in 在某方面起作用
例句：Sedimentation and denudation play a role in exceptional cases. 
沉积和剥蚀作用的影响只在特殊情况下起作用。