澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-12-26

 Melbourne is mopping up after a series of wild storms that hit the city late yesterday. The high winds, torrential rain and hailstones as big as bowls caused widespread damage in the city's north and west. The state's emergency service received almost 3,000 calls for help. The storms also closed Melbourne airport grounding planes and diverting several flights to Sydney. 

 

Darwin has scattered¹ the worst of tropical cyclone² grant. The category 2 storm has crossed the Coburg Peninsula, and is expected to hit the coast northeast of Darwin nearly this morning. Wind gusts³ up to 145 kilometers an hour, brought down power lines and trees on the remote Croker island. 

 

 

Dozens of people have died in a series of bomb attacks across Nigeria. Most of the people died when the bomb exploded at a catholic church on the outskirts⁴ of the capital Abuja. A militant⁵ Islamic group Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for these attacks. 

 

 

Pope Benedict has condemned⁶ the attacks in  Nigeria during his Christmas day message. He also called for an end to violence in Syria, and resumption of the Mideast peace talks. The Pope prayed for victims of famine, flood and conflict around the world, and urged the international community to help those suffering from Hunger in the horn of Africa. 

 

 

A suicide bomber⁷ has killed at least 19 people including a prominent MP in Northern Afghanistan. The man detonated the vest packed with explosives during a funeral in the city of Talaqan. 50 people were wounded in the blast. 

1 scattered   

adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的

参考例句：

• Gathering up his scattered papers,he pushed them into his case.他把散乱的文件收拾起来，塞进文件夹里。

2 cyclone   

n.旋风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• An exceptionally violent cyclone hit the town last night.昨晚异常猛烈的旋风吹袭了那个小镇。
• The cyclone brought misery to thousands of people.旋风给成千上万的人带来苦难。

3 gusts   

一阵强风( gust的名词复数 )； （怒、笑等的）爆发； （感情的）迸发； 发作

参考例句：

• Her profuse skirt bosomed out with the gusts. 她的宽大的裙子被风吹得鼓鼓的。
• Turbulence is defined as a series of irregular gusts. 紊流定义为一组无规则的突风。

4 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

5 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

6 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

7 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。