英语听力精选进阶版 7275

英国精英运动拨款机构宣布将对奥运和残奥运动项目增加11%的总体投资。不过对那些表现欠佳项目的投资额度将相对减少。

Britain finished third in the gold medal table at the London Olympics. The target is for the country to become the first host nation to improve on its tally¹ at the following Games. And so UK Sport, which divides up the cash available to individual sports, has increased its funding to five hundred and sixty two million dollars, a rise of eleven per cent. But those sports which underperformed in 2012 have seen their allowance² go down. Liz Nichol is the Chief Executive³ of UK Sport:

"We're very confident that the system can be even better in Rio. We're very confident there is more medal-winning potential to come. And so we're setting out with a very ambitious⁴ goal, we want to be the first nation in recent history to be more successful in both the Olympics and the Paralympics post hosting."

In this century Australia, Greece and even China failed to match their medal count in the years after they staged the summer Olympics. Britain has a no-compromise approach to investment. It means the likes of cycling, rowing and boxing, which delivered in London, get a financial windfall. But the amount set aside for swimming, which failed to meet expectations, has been slashed⁵ by six and a half million dollars. And there are four sports - basketball, handball, wrestling and table tennis - which will receive no money at all. Meanwhile, Paralympic sports were given a huge boost⁶; their pot of cash has been swollen⁷ by 43%.

Quiz 听力测验

True or False? Britain wants to win more medals in the next Olympic Games in Rio.

True.

True or false? All sports will have an equal share of the increased funding.

False.

Why are Australia, Greece and China mentioned?

Because they all failed to match their medal count in the years after they staged the summer Olympics.

How much more investment is Britain putting into its Paralympic sports?

43% increase.

Glossary 词汇表

target 目标

tally 计数，记分

underperformed 表现欠佳

allowance 拨款，补贴

confident 充满自信的

ambitious 雄心勃勃的

staged 主办

windfall 意外之财

slashed 大笔削减

swollen 增加

1 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

2 allowance   

n.津贴，补贴，零用钱

参考例句：

• My monthly allowance is 50 yuan.我每月的津贴是50元。
• I have to work to earn my allowance.我非得工作挣零用钱。

3 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

4 ambitious   

adj.有雄心的，劲头十足的，有野心的

参考例句：

• One may be poor but never ceases to be ambitious.人穷志不穷。
• He is an ambitious young man full of enthusiasm and vitality.他是个充满热情与活力的有远大抱负的青年。

5 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 boost   

n.鼓励，激励，提高；v.鼓励，使增强信心

参考例句：

• This will be a great boost to the economy.这对于经济发展将是一个巨大的促进。
• These changes will help to boost share prices.这些变化将有助于提高股票价格。

7 swollen   

adj.肿大的，水涨的；v.使变大，肿胀

参考例句：

• Her legs had got swollen from standing up all day.因为整天站着，她的双腿已经肿了。
• A mosquito had bitten her and her arm had swollen up.蚊子叮了她，她的手臂肿起来了。