英国新闻听力 106

The US Vice-President Joe Biden has pledged a new tone in America's foreign policy. He told a security conference in Munich that America would do more for its allies but would ask for more in return. On relations with Iran, Mr. Biden said the Obama administration would be willing to talk with Tehran. And in Afghanistan, he said the US wanted to set out clear and achievable goals. Mr. Biden also called for an improvement in relations with Russia.

"The United States rejects the notion that NATO's gain is Russia's loss or that Russia's strength is NATO's weakness. The last few years have seen a dangerous drift in relations between Russia and the members of our alliance. It's time to press the reset¹ button and to revisit the many areas where we can and should be working together with Russia."

There have been violent clashes in Madagascar between the security forces and anti-government protesters. Reports says at least 20 people have been killed. The latest violence follows several weeks of rioting and unrest. From Madagascar, here is Christina Corbett.

Around 15, 000 supporters of the opposition² leader and former Mayor of Antananarivo, Andry Rajoelina, gathered in the city center early on Saturday. Mr. Rajoelina addressed the rally and again called for a transitional government to be put in place in Madagascar. He is insisting that Marc Ravalomanana stand down from the presidency³, but the peaceful demonstration⁴ deteriorated⁵ when the crowd marched on the president's offices where riot police opened fire. Shooting continued for over an hour and smoke was seen rising into the sky from the streets.

The President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, says he's enacted⁶ a new constitution which empowers the country's indigenous⁷ majority and limits the size of rural properties, setting up a framework for land reform. The constitution which was approved in a referendum last month also strengthens the role of the state in the economy. Addressing thousands of supporters, Mr. Morales said he had accomplished⁸ his mission.

"Brothers and sisters, I must also tell you, and the Bolivian people know that some groups have tried ceaselessly to remove me from the palace. And you know that some groups have tried ceaselessly to kill me. Now I want to tell you that they can drag me from the palace, they can kill me, but it's mission accomplished for the re-founding of the new united Bolivia."

The President of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, has ordered the expulsion of an official at the United States Embassy. He accused the official of trying to make some economic aid conditional⁹ on Washington being allowed to choose the head of Ecuador's anti-contraband¹⁰ police. Mr. Correa said he wouldn't let anyone treat his country like a colony.

The German Economy Minister, Michael Glos, has offered to resign only to have the move rejected by his party, the conservative Christian¹¹ Social Union of Bavaria. The reasons for the resignation offer are not clear, but Mr. Glos has cited his age. He will be 65 this year.

World News from the BBC.

A high-level Hamas delegation¹² is in Cairo to meet Egyptian mediators who are trying to negotiate a lasting¹³ ceasefire in Gaza which Hamas controls. The Hamas team includes one of the organization's founder¹⁴ members, Mahmoud Zahar, who hadn't been seen in public since the end of the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

The newly-elected President of Somalia, Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed, has arrived in the capital Mogadishu for the first time since his appointment last week. Sheikh Ahmed said he wanted to talk to elders, politicians and Islamist groups.

"I put my hand out to them and say, 'Come on brothers, let's talk and let's see. If there are religious differences between us, let's discuss them. If we still can't agree, there are scholars.' I said to them, 'don't be in a hurry to shed blood because the Somali people are tired of it. ''

Wildfires in southeastern Australia have killed at least 25 people and destroyed 100 homes. Tens of thousands of firefighters have been deployed¹⁵ in the states of Victoria, South Australia and New South Wales.

A classic cars abandoned in a garage for 50 years has sold at auction¹⁶ for 4.4 million dollars. The Bugatti Type 57S retained its original chassis¹⁷, engine and body, and has a remarkably¹⁸ low mileage¹⁹. Hugh Schofield reports from the auction site in Paris.

The car was made for a member of the nobility, Earl Howe, founder of the British Racing²⁰ Drivers' Club. He sold it after World War II. And in 1955, it was acquired by a doctor in Newcastle called appropriately Harold Carr. James Knight²¹ of the auctioneer Bonhams takes up the story.

Drove it for a few years but we really feel that he didn't drive the car since 1960 because the most recent tax disc we can find is dated 1960. And literally²², the car is lain undisturbed in this garage in Newcastle for all these years only to sort of re-emerge for the sale today.

Glossary²³

set out: If you set out a number of facts, beliefs, or arguments, you explain them in writing or speech in a clear, organized way.

drift: A drift is a movement away from somewhere or something, or a movement towards somewhere or something different.

revisit: to consider or discuss something again

stand down: If someone stands down, they resign from an important job or position, often in order to let someone else take their place.

contraband: Contraband refers to goods that are taken into or out of a country illegally.

shed blood: To shed blood means to kill people in a violent way. If someone sheds their blood, they are killed in a violent way, usually when they are fighting in a war.

chassis: A chassis is the framework that a vehicle is built on.

mileage: The mileage of a vehicle is the number of miles that it can travel using one gallon or litre of fuel.

the nobility: The nobility of a society are all the people who have titles and belong to a high social class.

take up: If you take up something such as a task or a story, you begin doing it after it has been interrupted or after someone else has begun it.

sort of: in some way or to some degree

tax disc: In Britain, a tax disc is a small round piece of paper displayed on cars and motorcycles which proves that the owner has paid road tax.

1 reset   

v.重新安排，复位；n.重新放置；重放之物

参考例句：

• As soon as you arrive at your destination,step out of the aircraft and reset your wristwatch.你一到达目的地，就走出飞机并重新设置手表时间。
• He is recovering from an operation to reset his arm.他做了一个手臂复位手术，正在恢复。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

4 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

5 deteriorated   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Her health deteriorated rapidly, and she died shortly afterwards. 她的健康状况急剧恶化，不久便去世了。
• His condition steadily deteriorated. 他的病情恶化，日甚一日。

6 enacted   

制定（法律），通过（法案）( enact的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• legislation enacted by parliament 由议会通过的法律
• Outside in the little lobby another scene was begin enacted. 外面的小休息室里又是另一番景象。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹

7 indigenous   

adj.土产的，土生土长的，本地的

参考例句：

• Each country has its own indigenous cultural tradition.每个国家都有自己本土的文化传统。
• Indians were the indigenous inhabitants of America.印第安人是美洲的土著居民。

8 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

9 conditional   

adj.条件的，带有条件的

参考例句：

• My agreement is conditional on your help.你肯帮助我才同意。
• There are two forms of most-favored-nation treatment:conditional and unconditional.最惠国待遇有两种形式:有条件的和无条件的。

10 contraband   

n.违禁品，走私品

参考例句：

• Most of the city markets were flooded with contraband goods.大多数的城市市场上都充斥着走私货。
• The customs officers rummaged the ship suspected to have contraband goods.海关人员仔细搜查了一艘有走私嫌疑的海轮。

11 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

12 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

14 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

15 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

16 auction   

n.拍卖；拍卖会；vt.拍卖

参考例句：

• They've put the contents of their house up for auction.他们把房子里的东西全都拿去拍卖了。
• They bought a new minibus with the proceeds from the auction.他们用拍卖得来的钱买了一辆新面包车。

17 chassis   

n.汽车等之底盘；（飞机的）起落架；炮底架

参考例句：

• The new parts may include the sheet metal,the transmission,or the chassis.新部件可能包括钢壳，变速器或底盘。
• Can chassis and whole-vehicle manufacturers co-exist peacefully?底盘企业和整车企业能相安无事吗？

18 remarkably   

ad.不同寻常地，相当地

参考例句：

• I thought she was remarkably restrained in the circumstances. 我认为她在那种情况下非常克制。
• He made a remarkably swift recovery. 他康复得相当快。

19 mileage   

n.里程，英里数；好处，利润

参考例句：

• He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。
• What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？

20 racing   

n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的

参考例句：

• I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
• The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。

21 knight   

n.骑士，武士；爵士

参考例句：

• He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。
• A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

22 literally   

adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实

参考例句：

• He translated the passage literally.他逐字逐句地翻译这段文字。
• Sometimes she would not sit down till she was literally faint.有时候，她不走到真正要昏厥了，决不肯坐下来。

23 glossary   

n.注释词表；术语汇编

参考例句：

• The text is supplemented by an adequate glossary.正文附有一个详细的词汇表。
• For convenience,we have also provided a glossary in an appendix.为了方便，我们在附录中也提供了术语表。