英语听力精选进阶版 7073

Background: 在英国近几个月来很多青少年成为了一些青少年持刀行凶犯罪的牺牲品。2008年6月英国首相戈登. 布朗号召起诉方对发现携有凶器的青少年给予更严厉的处罚。

Almost every week it seems another British teenager ends up dead as a result of a knife attack 持刀攻击.

While official figures 官方数据 suggest violent crime overall 总体暴力行凶数量 is falling, more offences 犯罪 are being committed by youngsters, and injuries are getting more severe.

The government has already begun an advertising¹ campaign 广告宣传攻势 to try to stop people carrying knives.

Now the prime minister, Gordon Brown, has said under 18s caught in possession should be prosecuted² 被起诉 for a first offence 初犯 instead of just let off with a warning 给予警告就放了.

The police are also being given extra funding 特别的资金 to increase weapons' searches and education.

Critics 批评家 say a zero tolerance³ approach 零容忍方法 will not solve the underlying⁴ problems 更深层的问题, with young people often carrying knives to protect themselves.

But everyone agrees something has to be done to end what a senior judge 高级法官 has called an "epidemic⁵" 流行病 of knife crime.

GLOSSARY⁶ 词汇表

knife attack 持刀攻击

official figures 官方数据

violent crime overall 总体暴力行凶数量

offences 犯罪

advertising campaign 广告宣传攻势

prosecuted 被起诉

first offence 初犯

let off with a warning 给予警告就放了

extra funding 特别的资金

critics 批评家

zero tolerance approach 零容忍方法

underlying problems 更深层的问题

senior judge 高级法官

epidemic 流行病

Questions and Answers

1. True or false? Violent crime is on the increase in the UK.

False. Crime is decreasing but younger people are getting involved.

2. What does Gordon Brown want to do to reduce knife crime?He wants children who carry knives to be prosecuted.

3. What will the police receive to help them do their job?

The police will receive more money to search for weapons and teach children of the dangers.

4. Why do young people carry knives, according to critics of the plan?

Critics of the plan say children carry knives because they are afraid of attack.

1 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

2 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

3 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

4 underlying   

adj.在下面的，含蓄的，潜在的

参考例句：

• The underlying theme of the novel is very serious.小说隐含的主题是十分严肃的。
• This word has its underlying meaning.这个单词有它潜在的含义。

5 epidemic   

n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的

参考例句：

• That kind of epidemic disease has long been stamped out.那种传染病早已绝迹。
• The authorities tried to localise the epidemic.当局试图把流行病限制在局部范围。

6 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。