英语听力精选进阶版 7484

A series of massive explosions have shaken the Libyan capital Tripoli in what appears to be a major Nato air strike. Columns of smoke rose above the neighbourhood where Colonel Gaddafi's residential¹ compound is located, as Andrew North reports from Tripoli.

北约对利比亚首都的黎波里发动大型空袭活动，造成一系列巨大爆炸。卡扎菲上校官邸所在的社区上空浓烟滚滚。Andrew North在的黎波里报道。

These appear to be the largest Nato strikes on Tripoli so far, and they are still going on. They began around 1:00 am local time with three thunderous explosions from the direction of Colonel Gaddafi's compound, followed by a series of even larger blasts much closer to our hotel. Plumes² of smoke are now coming from the area around the Libyan leader's compound. The whole building shook, with the force of each explosion. There were flashes of bright light just before each blast, and aircraft were then heard overhead. Libyan anti-aircraft guns have been opening up into the night sky, firing streams of tracer around.

这似乎是目前为止北约对的黎波里发动的最大规模的空袭，而且现在仍在继续进行。当地时间凌晨1:00，卡扎菲上校居住的公寓方向传来三声雷鸣般的爆炸声，随后，我们的酒店附近出现了一系列更大的爆炸声。现在，这位利比亚领袖官邸周围地区浓烟滚滚。爆炸的威力非常大，整栋建筑都在摇晃。每次爆炸之前都火光冲天，能够听到头顶上飞机的声音。利比亚高射炮向夜空中发射，发射了大量炮弹。

Earlier, it emerged that France and Britain are to deploy³ attack helicopters against Libyan to try to break the military stalemate. France has dispatched 12 helicopters on an aircraft carrier; Britain is expected to send Apache helicopters based on the country's largest warship⁴. Our defence correspondent Caroline Wyatt reports.

早些时候，法国和英国准备向利比亚派遣攻击直升机，试图打破军事僵局。法国已经派遣12架直升机搭乘航空母舰前往利比亚。英国预期将派遣最大的战船搭载阿帕奇攻击直升机前往。我们的国防记者Caroline Wyatt报道。

The move to use attack helicopters in the campaign marks a significant escalation⁵ of the conflict in Libya and a stepping-up of Nato's pressure on Colonel Gaddafi and his forces after weeks of near stalemate. Most of Colonel Gaddafi's troops have shed their uniforms and are using civilian⁶ vehicles and hiding armour⁷ near civilian buildings, including hospitals and schools, making targeting from fast jets high up in the skies much harder. However, there are dangers involved in the use of helicopters. They are more vulnerable to being hit by rocket-propelled grenades or heavy machine-gun fire and can't stay in the air as long as fast jets, so they need to be deployed⁸ carefully to reduce those risks.

在行动中使用攻击直升机的举动标志着经过几周的僵局之后，利比亚冲突的严重升级，标志着北约对卡扎菲上校和他的军队的压力急剧增加。卡扎菲上校大部分军队脱掉军装，使用民用车辆，隐藏在民事建筑附近，包括医院和学校，导致快速喷气式飞机从高空中确定袭击目标更加困难。然而，使用攻击直升机也有一定的危险性，因为直升机更容易受到高射炮或重机枪的攻击，不能像快速喷气式飞机那样在空中逗留那么长的时间。所以必须小心部署，以降低危险性。

The Syrian government has reacted defiantly⁹ to the European Union's decision to include President Bashar al-Assad among those subject to sanctions. The Foreign Minister Walid al-Muallem said he was confident that Syria would emerge stronger and Mr Assad would remain as leader. The EU announced the new sanctions, which include a travel ban and asset freezes, in response to the violent suppression of anti-government protests over the past two months.

欧盟决定对叙利亚总统阿萨德实施制裁，叙利亚政府作出挑衅性的反应。外交部长Walid al-Muallem宣称，他相信叙利亚将会更加强大，阿萨德仍将是国家领袖。欧盟宣布了包括旅行禁令和财产冻结在内的新的制裁措施，作为对过去两个月政府暴力镇压抗议活动的反应。

At least 116 people are now known to have been killed by a tornado¹⁰ which struck the American city of Joplin in Missouri on Sunday evening. Adam Brooks¹¹ reports from Washington.

周日晚，密苏里州乔普林市遭遇龙卷风袭击，目前已有至少116人遇难。Adam Brooks在华盛顿报道。

The tornado's progress can be seen in a swathe of destruction nearly 10km long and 0.5km wide. It hit the centre of Joplin, Missouri, a city of 50,000 people, with winds estimated at more than 200km/h. Rescuers dug through hundreds of homes that have been pulverised by the storm, searching for survivors¹². Severe storms are expected throughout this week, and there are warnings that more tornadoes¹³ could appear in Missouri and in Arkansas, Kansas and Oklahoma in the coming days.

通过这条接近10千米长0.5千米宽遭到破坏的范围可以看到这次龙卷风的路径。这次龙卷风袭击了密苏里州乔普林市市中心，风速超过200km/h。这座城市共有50,000人口。搜救人员在被龙卷风摧毁的数百座房屋下挖掘，寻找幸存者。预期本周还会有几个严重的风暴袭击。相关部门预警称，未来几天会有更多龙卷风袭击密苏里，阿肯色，堪萨斯和俄克拉荷马州。

World News from the BBC

Ash from a volcanic¹⁴ eruption¹⁵ in Iceland has begun disrupting air traffic in Britain. Several airlines have cancelled services in and out of Scotland, and some flights over the Atlantic have also been delayed. Meteorologists say the future course of the ash cloud is difficult to forecast because of rapidly changing weather patterns. Last year, ash from another Icelandic volcano forced the cancellation¹⁶ of thousands of flights, causing travel chaos¹⁷ across Europe.

冰岛喷发的一座火山开始扰乱英国空中交通。几家航空公司取消了苏格兰内外的航班，跨越大西洋的几个航班也受到延误。气象学者表示，由于天气状况的迅速变化，火山灰未来的路径难以预测。去年，冰岛另外一座火山喷发的火山灰迫使数千个航班取消，造成整个欧洲的交通混乱。

President Obama has arrived in Britain on the second leg of his European tour. Earlier in Ireland, he praised the relationship between the Irish and American people, saying that never had a nation so small inspired so much in another. The president visited a village where his great-great-great-grandfather once lived. Peter Hunt followed the day's events.

奥巴马总统抵达英国，这是此次欧洲之行的第二站。此前，他在爱尔兰赞扬了爱尔兰和美国人民之间的友好关系，称从来没有一个小国在另外一个国家引起如此大的反响。奥巴马总统还访问了他的外高曾祖父曾经居住的村子。Peter Hunt报道。

A homecoming welcome in Dublin tonight for a black American president embracing his distant Irish ancestry¹⁸. Barack Obama with his wife Michelle by his side told the crowd "We feel very much at home." Earlier in the day, the couple travelled to the tiny County Offaly village of Moneygall, where they drank Guinness. It was from here that Obama's great-great-great-grandfather left behind the famine in 1850 and immigrated¹⁹ to America. Mr Obama has been forced, because of the ash cloud, to fly to London tonight for the next part of his European tour.

今晚，都柏林为有着爱尔兰血统的黑人美国总统举行了省亲欢迎会。奥巴马总统和第一夫人告诉人们，“我们非常有回到家乡的感觉。”当天早些时候，奥巴马夫妇访问了曼尼格村，并品尝了吉尼斯黑啤酒。1850年，奥巴马的外高曾祖父就是从这个村子逃离饥荒，移民前往美国。由于火山灰的影响，奥巴马被迫飞往伦敦，为欧洲之行的下一站做准备。

Police in Colombia say they've seized a massive haul of cocaine²⁰. Sniffer dogs found more than 12 tonnes of the drug hidden in a shipment of brown sugar destined²¹ for Mexico. It's believed to belong to one of Colombia's most powerful drug gangs, the Rastrojos.

哥伦比亚警方表示他们缴获了大批可卡因。嗅探犬在前往墨西哥的运输红糖的船只中发现了超过12吨的可卡因。据信，这批毒品属于哥伦比亚最有势力的贩毒团伙Rastrojo。

And scientists say they've found a new animal species - a leech²² with razor-sharp teeth in the nose of a girl in a remote region of Peru. The leech is described in a top 10 list of new species. It also includes a spider that can span rivers with its web, a batfish that hops²³ and a forest mushroom that glows day and night.

科学家表示他们发现了新的动物物种——在秘鲁偏远地区一个小女孩的鼻子内发现了有着像剪刀一样锋利的牙齿的水蛭。这种水蛭位于十大新物种之列。新物种还包括一种蜘蛛，它编织的网可以跨越河流，还有一种会跳跃的蝙蝠鱼和日夜发热的森林蘑菇。

1 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

2 plumes   

羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物

参考例句：

• The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
• The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。

3 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

4 warship   

n.军舰，战舰

参考例句：

• He is serving on a warship in the Pacific.他在太平洋海域的一艘军舰上服役。
• The warship was making towards the pier.军舰正驶向码头。

5 escalation   

n.扩大，增加

参考例句：

• The threat of nuclear escalation remains. 核升级的威胁仍旧存在。 来自辞典例句
• Escalation is thus an aspect of deterrence and of crisis management. 因此逐步升级是威慑和危机处理的一个方面。 来自辞典例句

6 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

7 armour   

（=armor）n.盔甲；装甲部队

参考例句：

• His body was encased in shining armour.他全身披着明晃晃的甲胄。
• Bulletproof cars sheathed in armour.防弹车护有装甲。

8 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。

9 defiantly   

adv.挑战地，大胆对抗地

参考例句：

• Braving snow and frost, the plum trees blossomed defiantly. 红梅傲雪凌霜开。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• She tilted her chin at him defiantly. 她向他翘起下巴表示挑衅。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

11 brooks   

n.小溪( brook的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Brooks gave the business when Haas caught him with his watch. 哈斯抓到偷他的手表的布鲁克斯时，狠狠地揍了他一顿。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ade and Brooks exchanged blows yesterday and they were severely punished today. 艾德和布鲁克斯昨天打起来了，今天他们受到严厉的惩罚。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

13 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

14 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

15 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

16 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。

17 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

18 ancestry   

n.祖先，家世

参考例句：

• Their ancestry settled the land in 1856.他们的祖辈1856年在这块土地上定居下来。
• He is an American of French ancestry.他是法国血统的美国人。

19 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

20 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

21 destined   

adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的

参考例句：

• It was destined that they would marry.他们结婚是缘分。
• The shipment is destined for America.这批货物将运往美国。

22 leech   

n.水蛭，吸血鬼，榨取他人利益的人；vt.以水蛭吸血；vi.依附于别人

参考例句：

• A leech is a small blood-sucking worm and usually lives in water.水蛭是一种小型吸血虫，通常生活在水中。
• One-side love like a greedy leech absorbed my time and my mirth.单相思如同一只贪婪的水蛭，吸走了我的时间和欢笑。

23 hops   

跳上[下]( hop的第三人称单数 )； 单足蹦跳； 齐足（或双足）跳行； 摘葎草花

参考例句：

• The sparrow crossed the lawn in a series of hops. 那麻雀一蹦一跳地穿过草坪。
• It is brewed from malt and hops. 它用麦精和蛇麻草酿成。