澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-09-08

While the uncertainty¹ is finally over, now the hard work begins. Julia Gillard's first task will be sorting out her ministry² after scraping back into government. She needs to find a spot for her predecessor³ Kevin Rudd, and she's also offered independent Rob Oakeshott a ministry. The Prime Minister knows she's just one vote away from losing power.

The new term of government will be marked by focus on regional Australia. Ms Gillard has promised Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor a 10-billion-dollar package for rural Australia. She's also pledging to restructure Parliament and the public service, as well as to meet better needs of regions.

The Liberal Party meets tomorrow for the first time since the election. Both Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop⁴ say they will be candidates for the leader and deputy leader positions. Mr Abbott says there will be changes to the line-up, and he believes Malcolm Turnbull will again take on a senior role.

It's been another anxious night for many victims of flood-affected areas of Victoria. Victoria State Emergency Service for these floodwaters have peaked in Shepparton in the state's northeast. Around 400 homes there remain isolated⁵, but so far haven't been inundated⁶.

And five days after the earthquake, large aftershocks are still rocking Christchurch. A state of emergency remains⁷ in place as teams of workers continue assessing damaged buildings. New Zealand’s Prime Minister John Key toured welfare centres in the shattered city overnight.

1 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。

2 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

3 predecessor   

n.前辈，前任

参考例句：

• It will share the fate of its predecessor.它将遭受与前者同样的命运。
• The new ambassador is more mature than his predecessor.新大使比他的前任更成熟一些。

4 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

5 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

6 inundated   

v.淹没( inundate的过去式和过去分词 )；（洪水般地）涌来；充满；给予或交予（太多事物）使难以应付

参考例句：

• We have been inundated with offers of help. 主动援助多得使我们应接不暇。
• We have been inundated with every bit of information imaginable. 凡是想得到的各种各样的信息潮水般地向我们涌来。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。