英语听力精选进阶版 7358

BBC News with Julie Candler

Dilma Rousseff has been sworn in as the new president of Brazil, the first woman to lead Latin America's biggest nation. In her inaugural¹ speech, she promised to consolidate² the work of her predecessor³, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, saying he'd transformed the way Brazil was governed and lifted millions out of misery⁴. Ms Rousseff said her top priorities were to eradicate⁵ extreme poverty, and improve education and health.

"I cannot rest when there are people who don't have food on the table, when families are sleeping rough on the streets and when there are poor children who've been abandoned."

Ms Rousseff said Brazil had been living through one of the greatest moments in its history.

There's been widespread condemnation⁶ of a bomb attack on a Christian⁷ church in Egypt which killed 21 people and injured many more. President Mubarak said it was the work of wicked terrorists who wanted to destabilise the country. Mohammed al-Tahtawi, a spokesman for the al-Azhar mosque⁸, the highest religious authority in Egypt, said that Islam outlawed⁹ any attacks on places of worship.

"I would like to emphasise¹⁰ that this act is a sin according to Sharia law because Islam makes it obligatory¹¹ to protect churches as well as mosques¹², and whoever carried out this attack has absolutely nothing to do with Islam. On the contrary, an act like this damages the reputation of Islam."

The explosion happened during a New Year's Eve Mass at a Coptic church in the port city of Alexandria. An adjacent mosque was also badly damaged.

Pope Benedict is to organise¹⁴ a summit of world religious leaders to discuss how they can promote world peace. The meeting is to take place in Assisi, the birthplace of Saint Francis, in October. It'll be on the 25th anniversary of a similar event organised by Pope John Paul which was also attended by leading Jews and Muslims.

Pakistani officials say at least 14 suspected militants¹⁵ have been killed in the northwest of the country by missiles fired from US pilotless aircraft. They say the attacks took place in North Waziristan near the Afghan border. It's the latest evidence of an increase in American drone attacks in recent months, a trend which is adding to the current tension in Pakistan, as Jill McGivering reports.

There aren't official figures for the number of US drone attacks in Pakistan. The issue is so sensitive that both countries are cautious about addressing it in public, but it is clear that they've risen dramatically. Last year, there were more than 100 strikes, more than doubled the previous year, and more than 600 people were killed. Most of the missiles targeted compounds and vehicles in North Waziristan, a remote region on the Afghan border which is seen as a safe haven¹⁶ for Taliban and al-Qaeda fighters. The fact that's inaccessible¹⁷ makes it hard to verify exactly what's happening.

World News from the BBC

The first oil pipeline¹⁸ between the world's biggest oil producer Russia and the world's biggest energy consumer China has begun operation. The pipeline links oil refineries¹⁹ in Siberia with the northeastern Chinese city of Daqing. It's expected to transport 110 million barrels of crude a year for the next 20 years. Previously²⁰ all Russian oil shipments were delivered to China by rail.

The Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has promised decisions early next week about what the West African regional body Ecowas will do next to tackle the continuing political crisis in Ivory Coast. The incumbent²¹ President Laurent Gbagbo is refusing to cede²² power to his political rival Alassane Ouattara, who is widely seen to have won the presidential run-off in November.

Police in South Africa say 10 people have been killed in a stampede during New Year celebrations in the northwest of the country. The victims were crushed during a disturbance²³ in a bar in the early hours of the morning in a black township on the outskirts²⁴ of Schweizer-Reneke. Tom Poole reports.

The stampede is thought to have happened after a fight broke out in the busy bar, and panicked patrons rushed towards the only door. People had gathered to see in the New Year at the bar in the Ipelegeng township, about 200km west of Johannesburg. A police spokeswoman confirmed that 10 people had been found dead at the scene although gave few details about the victims. However, most are believed to be young, aged¹³ between 18 and 25. A local official said the community was distraught and saddened by the deaths.

Japan's population fell by a record figure last year. While the birth rate remained flat, the country recorded its highest number of deaths since the Second World War. Government estimates suggest that overall the total number of Japanese people fell by 123,000. That's over 50,000 more than last year, itself a record. It's a rapidly growing number of pensioners²⁵ in Japan, putting pressure on the welfare system.

BBC News

1 inaugural   

adj.就职的；n.就职典礼

参考例句：

• We listened to the President's inaugural speech on the radio yesterday.昨天我们通过无线电听了总统的就职演说。
• Professor Pearson gave the inaugural lecture in the new lecture theatre.皮尔逊教授在新的阶梯讲堂发表了启用演说。

2 consolidate   

v.使加固，使加强；(把...)联为一体，合并

参考例句：

• The two banks will consolidate in July next year. 这两家银行明年7月将合并。
• The government hoped to consolidate ten states to form three new ones.政府希望把十个州合并成三个新的州。

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 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

5 eradicate   

v.根除，消灭，杜绝

参考例句：

• These insects are very difficult to eradicate.这些昆虫很难根除。
• They are already battling to eradicate illnesses such as malaria and tetanus.他们已经在努力消灭疟疾、破伤风等疾病。

6 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

7 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。

8 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

9 outlawed   

宣布…为不合法（outlaw的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• Most states have outlawed the use of marijuana. 大多数州都宣布使用大麻为非法行为。
• I hope the sale of tobacco will be outlawed someday. 我希望有朝一日烟草制品会禁止销售。

10 emphasise   

vt.加强...的语气，强调，着重

参考例句：

• What special feature do you think I should emphasise? 你认为我该强调什么呢？
• The exercises heavily emphasise the required readings.练习非常强调必须的阅读。

11 obligatory   

adj.强制性的，义务的，必须的

参考例句：

• It is obligatory for us to obey the laws.我们必须守法。
• It is obligatory on every citizen to safeguard our great motherland.保卫我们伟大的祖国是每一个公民应尽的义务。

12 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

13 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

14 organise   

vt.组织，安排，筹办

参考例句：

• He has the ability to organise.他很有组织才能。
• It's my job to organise all the ceremonial events.由我来组织所有的仪式。

15 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

16 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

17 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

18 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

19 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

20 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

21 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

22 cede   

v.割让，放弃

参考例句：

• The debater refused to cede the point to her opponent.辩论者拒绝向她的对手放弃其主张。
• Not because I'm proud.In fact,in front of you I cede all my pride.这不是因为骄傲，事实上我在你面前毫无骄傲可言。

23 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

24 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。

25 pensioners   

n.领取退休、养老金或抚恤金的人( pensioner的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He intends to redistribute income from the middle class to poorer paid employees and pensioners. 他意图把中产阶级到低薪雇员和退休人员的收入做重新分配。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• I am myself one of the pensioners upon the fund left by our noble benefactor. 我自己就是一个我们的高贵的施主遗留基金的养老金领取者。 来自辞典例句