英语听力精选进阶版 7429

The Nato military alliance has agreed to enforce an arms embargo¹ against Libya, the organisation's first formal task in the international operation there. Nato ships and aircraft are being assembled in the central Mediterranean² to take on the responsibility. However, differences remain as to who should be in charge of the international operation in Libya as Chris Morris reports.

Nato ambassadors have been meeting on a daily basis to try to agree on the role the alliance should play in Libya. On the question of command and control of the entire military operation, there was only this pre-recorded statement from the Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen.

"Nato has completed plans to help enforce the no-fly zone to bring our contribution, if needed, in a clearly-defined manner to the broad international effort to protect the people of Libya from the violence of the Gaddafi regime."

In other words, no agreement yet. Many countries are sceptical, including Turkey which wants any Nato mission to be much more strictly-defined.

The United States, Britain and France have issued statements agreeing that Nato should play a role in the command structure of the military operation in Libya, but France is still resisting moves to put Nato in overall command.

Forces loyal to Colonel Gaddafi have continued to launch ground attacks inside Libya despite the international operation to protect civilians³ there. Earlier, an American warplane taking part in the operation crashed in the desert near the rebel stronghold of Benghazi. Both crewmen were rescued. Kevin Connolly reports.

The F-15 Eagle fighter came down in the desert in friendly rebel-held territory, not far from the opposition⁴ centre of Benghazi. It had suffered a simple technical failure and was not shot down, according to the Americans, who sent a Marine⁵ Corps⁶ team by helicopter from a ship in the Mediterranean to rescue the crew. As their operations continued, so too did the fighting. Rebel forces, enthusiastic but not well-drilled, went again to Ajdabiya but appeared unable to dislodge government forces there. A military unit loyal to Colonel Gaddafi are reportedly continuing to besiege⁷ the major central city of Misrata with artillery⁸ bombardment and sniper fire.

The President of Yemen, Ali Abdullah Saleh, has warned that any attempt at a military coup⁹ will lead to civil war. The president said he'd step down by January next year, but only after organising parliamentary elections. His offer was rejected by the Yemeni opposition which wants him to leave immediately. The Arab League has been discussing the Yemen's situation. The Deputy Secretary General Ahmed Bin¹⁰ Helli issued a statement.

"We condemn¹¹ the crime that's occurred, and we're calling for a peaceful dialogue in a framework that appeals to the Yemeni people, and call for the authorities to respond positively¹² to the demands of the Yemeni people."

You're listening to the World News from the BBC.

The International Atomic Energy Agency says radiation is still leaking from the earthquake-stricken nuclear plant at Fukushima in Japan, but scientists are unsure exactly where it's coming from. One of the first firefighters to reach the plant, Narumi Suzuki, told the BBC of his shock on seeing the extent of the damage.

"When I saw the building itself for the first time, there were piles of rubble¹³. It was much worse than we expected when we first set eyes on it. I and the other firefighters were frightened. But as a team, we trusted each other and carried out the operation."

An urgent United Nations appeal for funds to help people fleeing the conflict in Ivory Coast has met with little response. The UN had been seeking $30m, but has so far received only $7m and will run out of food for fleeing refugees within months. The UN says it's worried about the increased use of heavy weaponry by forces loyal to Laurent Gbagbo, who's refusing to step down as president. Imogen Foulkes reports.

Following the shelling of an Abidjan market last week, in which at least 25 people died - an act the UN says may be a war crime - aid workers say the city is emptying as desperate inhabitants, many of them women and children, try to flee. Most are taking nothing with them. Meanwhile, the UN has almost nothing to give them - a totally unacceptable situation, aid agencies say - as Ivory Coast descends¹⁴ into what some are already calling civil war.

President Obama is in El Salvador on the third and final leg of his Latin American tour. Talks with President Mauricio Funes are expected to focus on measures to tackle rising drug- and gang-related violence in El Salvador and other Central American nations. Mr Obama is also likely to discuss the status of around two million Salvadorans in the United States.

1 embargo   

n.禁运（令）；vt.对...实行禁运，禁止（通商）

参考例句：

• This country put an oil embargo on an enemy country.该国对敌国实行石油禁运。
• During the war,they laid an embargo on commerce with enemy countries.在战争期间，他们禁止与敌国通商。

2 Mediterranean   

adj.地中海的；地中海沿岸的

参考例句：

• The houses are Mediterranean in character.这些房子都属地中海风格。
• Gibraltar is the key to the Mediterranean.直布罗陀是地中海的要冲。

3 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

4 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。

5 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

6 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

7 besiege   

vt.包围，围攻，拥在...周围

参考例句：

• The Afghan air force was using helicopters to supply the besieged town.阿富汗空军正用直升机向被围城镇提供补给。
• She was besieged by the press and the public.她被媒体和公众纠缠不休。

8 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

9 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

10 bin   

n.箱柜；vt.放入箱内；[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件

参考例句：

• He emptied several bags of rice into a bin.他把几袋米倒进大箱里。
• He threw the empty bottles in the bin.他把空瓶子扔进垃圾箱。

11 condemn   

vt.谴责，指责；宣判(罪犯)，判刑

参考例句：

• Some praise him,whereas others condemn him.有些人赞扬他，而有些人谴责他。
• We mustn't condemn him on mere suppositions.我们不可全凭臆测来指责他。

12 positively   

adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实

参考例句：

• She was positively glowing with happiness.她满脸幸福。
• The weather was positively poisonous.这天气着实讨厌。

13 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

14 descends   

v.下来( descend的第三人称单数 )；下去；下降；下斜

参考例句：

• This festival descends from a religious rite. 这个节日起源于宗教仪式。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The path descends steeply to the village. 小路陡直而下直到村子。 来自《简明英汉词典》