英语听力精选进阶版 7547

President Obama has signed into law an agreement raising the government's debt limit, averting¹ the risk of a possible default. He described the deal, which came after weeks of political wrangling², as an important first step towards ensuring that America lived within its means. The budget agreement raises the borrowing limit by more than $2tn and, in effect, imposes spending cuts of a similar amount over 10 years with no new taxes. The Republican Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said it had been hard work to reach a deal.

"The push and pull Americans saw in Washington these past few weeks was not gridlock. It was the will of the people working itself out in a political system that was never meant to be pretty."

Our North America editor Mark Mardell has been following events in Washington.

The deal has been done backed by the Senate by a large majority just hours before the deadline. It's a compromise that leaves neither party happy. The Republicans, particularly those backed by the Tea Party movement, should feel that they've won an important victory. After all, they crafted a crisis out of what used to be a routine vote by insisting raising the debt ceiling should be linked to deep spending cuts with no tax increases. They've done that and put America on a new course.

In the light of the agreement, the ratings agency Fitch is maintaining the United States AAA credit rating.

A court in Vietnam has upheld a seven-year jail sentence imposed on a prominent human rights campaigner for spreading propaganda against the state. Cu Huy Ha Vu, whose father was a colleague of former President Ho Chi Minh, was convicted in April. He'd been detained after demanding a multi-party system and twice trying to sue the prime minister. Mr Vu's sentence prompted the United States and the European Union to question Vietnam's commitment to reform.

Police in Venezuela say they've captured the alleged³ leader of a deadly prison riot. Yorvis Valentin Lopez escaped from El Rodeo prison near the capital Caracas last month. Police say he was behind a month-long standoff at the prison which pitted inmates⁴ against security forces. More than 20 people died.

The US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has held talks with Syrian opposition⁵ activists⁶ for the first time. The US-based dissidents say they used the meeting in Washington to urge the US to call on the Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to step down immediately. It came as diplomatic pressure intensified⁷ on the Syrian government to halt its operations in the city of Hama. Jim Muir has been monitoring events from neighbouring Lebanon.

The sounds of protesters on the streets of Hama, according to Syrian state television, which aired footage showing many of the young men carrying guns. The pictures were said to have been taken on Sunday. Activists on the ground admit that on that day weapons were seized from a number of police stations which were stormed after civilians⁸ had been shot dead. But they insist that the bulk of the protest remains⁹ peaceful and unarmed.

BBC News

An Irish politician who'd hoped to become Ireland's first openly gay president has pulled out of the race following allegations about an attempt to help his former partner. Several years ago, David Norris wrote a letter to the Israeli authorities, asking for leniency¹⁰ for the man Ezra Nawi, who'd been convicted of having sex with an underage boy. Mr Norris now says he should have shown more compassion¹¹ for the victim.

"I do not regret supporting and seeking clemency¹² for a friend, but I do regret giving the impression that I did not have sufficient compassion for the victim of Ezra's crime.

Police in Britain have released on bail¹³ the latest person to be arrested as part of their investigation¹⁴ into alleged phone hacking¹⁵ at the now defunct¹⁶ tabloid¹⁷ newspaper, the News of the World. He's the former managing editor Stuart Kuttner. Police are investigating allegations that the newspaper, owned by the media tycoon¹⁸ Rupert Murdoch, illegally hacked¹⁹ into the phones of celebrities²⁰, politicians and victims of crime. The paper is also accused of making inappropriate payments to police officers.

A comedian²¹ who threw a paper plate full of shaving foam²² at Rupert Murdoch while he was being questioned about the phone-hacking scandal by a committee of British MPs has been jailed for six weeks. Jonathan May-Bowles pleaded guilty to charges of assault. Our correspondent Jane Peel was at Westminster Magistrates²³' Court in London.

The district judge rejected a suggestion from the probation²⁴ service that the punishment should be unpaid²⁵ community work. Daphne Wickham said May-Bowles' behaviour merited a custodial²⁶ sentence. She jailed him for six weeks and told him he'd serve half. Mrs Wickham said Rupert Murdoch's evidence on phone hacking was of huge importance to those affected²⁷ by the conduct of his employees and millions of other people had an interest in what he had to say. May-Bowles' lawyer said the prison term was excessive and he planned to appeal.

1 averting   

防止，避免( avert的现在分词 )； 转移

参考例句：

• The margin of time for averting crisis was melting away. 可以用来消弥这一危机的些许时光正在逝去。
• These results underscore the value of rescue medications in averting psychotic relapse. 这些结果显示了救护性治疗对避免精神病复发的价值。

2 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

3 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

4 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 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。

6 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 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。

9 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

10 leniency   

n.宽大（不严厉）

参考例句：

• udges are advised to show greater leniency towards first-time offenders.建议法官对初犯者宽大处理。
• Police offer leniency to criminals in return for information.警方给罪犯宽大处理以换取情报。

11 compassion   

n.同情，怜悯

参考例句：

• He could not help having compassion for the poor creature.他情不自禁地怜悯起那个可怜的人来。
• Her heart was filled with compassion for the motherless children.她对于没有母亲的孩子们充满了怜悯心。

12 clemency   

n.温和，仁慈，宽厚

参考例句：

• The question of clemency would rest with the King.宽大处理问题，将由国王决定。
• They addressed to the governor a plea for clemency.他们向州长提交了宽刑的申辨书。

13 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

14 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

15 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

16 defunct   

adj.死亡的；已倒闭的

参考例句：

• The scheme for building an airport seems to be completely defunct now.建造新机场的计划看来整个完蛋了。
• This schema object is defunct.No modifications are allowed until it is made active again.此架构对象不起作用。在重新激活之前，不能进行任何改动。

17 tabloid   

adj.轰动性的，庸俗的；n.小报，文摘

参考例句：

• He launched into a verbal assault on tabloid journalism.他口头对小报新闻进行了抨击。
• He believes that the tabloid press has behaved disgracefully.他认为小报媒体的行为不太光彩。

18 tycoon   

n.有钱有势的企业家，大亨

参考例句：

• The tycoon is on the verge of bankruptcy.那名大亨濒临破产的边缘。
• The tycoon has many servants to minister to his needs.那位大亨有很多人服侍他。

19 hacked   

生气

参考例句：

• I hacked the dead branches off. 我把枯树枝砍掉了。
• I'm really hacked off. 我真是很恼火。

20 celebrities   

n.（尤指娱乐界的）名人( celebrity的名词复数 )；名流；名声；名誉

参考例句：

• He only invited A-list celebrities to his parties. 他只邀请头等名流参加他的聚会。
• a TV chat show full of B-list celebrities 由众多二流人物参加的电视访谈节目

21 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

22 foam   

v./n.泡沫，起泡沫

参考例句：

• The glass of beer was mostly foam.这杯啤酒大部分是泡沫。
• The surface of the water is full of foam.水面都是泡沫。

23 magistrates   

地方法官，治安官( magistrate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to come up before the magistrates 在地方法院出庭
• He was summoned to appear before the magistrates. 他被传唤在地方法院出庭。

24 probation   

n.缓刑(期)，(以观后效的)察看；试用(期)

参考例句：

• The judge did not jail the young man,but put him on probation for a year.法官没有把那个年轻人关进监狱，而且将他缓刑察看一年。
• His salary was raised by 800 yuan after his probation.试用期满以后，他的工资增加了800元。

25 unpaid   

adj.未付款的，无报酬的

参考例句：

• Doctors work excessive unpaid overtime.医生过度加班却无报酬。
• He's doing a month's unpaid work experience with an engineering firm.他正在一家工程公司无偿工作一个月以获得工作经验。

26 custodial   

adj.监护的，照管的

参考例句：

• The teenagers were convicted of manslaughter and given a two-year custodial sentence. 这些青少年被判过失杀人罪，及二年的监禁（拘留）刑罚。
• This article interrogates the cultural experience of being a non custodial mother. 本文审视一位无监护权的母亲所感受到的文化体验。

27 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。