We think of the same is the case here.

Just give you some perspective, this is the Reagan Library. Right in there is Air Force One.

This has been the site of Presidential debates on CNN in the past.

In addition to the smoke in the air, the air pollution, the stress of evacuating yet another evacuation zone.

You have people dealing with those rolling black outs as PGE, Pacific Gas and Electric, catches so much wrath from the public.

Theyre shutting down huge swaths of their service area to try to prevent more fires from sparking out there in the wild lands.

They need to fortify something like 7,000 miles of vulnerable power lines in the state.

This year they managed 100 miles. Whoa. And there goes a bomber right on queue.



In the past是过去式，为何可以用目前完成时呢？



in the past可以与目前完成时连用。in the past 的基本特点：

1. in the past 这个词组跟 before 很相似，它们都不是一个明确或具体的“过去时间”，而是一个“模糊过去时间”。用一般过去时是正常状态，但也可以用于“目前完成时”，强调持续到目前的动作或状况，与对目前的影响。

2. in the past 可以表示刚刚过去的时间，像in the past five days，离说话时间几乎没距离，这也为它用于“目前完成时”，提供了一个理由。

in the past与目前完成时连用，举比如下：

1. In the past conservatives have been in the minority.

过去守旧派一直占少数。

2. In the past they have been the target of racist abuse.

过去，他们一直是种族虐待的对象。

3. In the past he has pooh-poohed suggestions that he might succeed Isaacs.

过去他对自己会接替艾萨克斯之说嗤之以鼻。

4.The two sides will have to be better and tougher than either has been in the past.

双方都需要比过去更好一些、更强硬一些。

5. They have been so feather-bedded in the past that they can’t cope with hardship now.

他们一直娇生惯养，所以目前过不了苦日子。

6. In the past this process of transition has often proved difficult.

过去这种过渡过程常证明是困难的。

7. In the past they’ve tended to turn a deaf ear to such requests.

过去他们对如此的请求一直都是视而不见的。

8. We have achieved much in the past, and we may hope to achieve even more in the future.

过去大家已获得非常大成绩，以后大家期望获得更大的成绩。