英语听力精选进阶版 7577

Thirty-six ice hockey players, among them top internationals from several European countries, have been killed in a plane crash in Russia. The victims included the captain of the Slovakian national team and the Swedish international goalkeeper. Steve Rosenberg reports.

It was one of Russia's top ice hockey teams. Lokomotiv Yaroslavl had players from across Europe, including from Sweden, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Today, the club was on a charter flight to Minsk ahead of a match in the Continental¹ Hockey League. But shortly after take-off, the plane, a Yak-42, crashed into a riverbank nearby. It's feared that 43 out of the 45 people on board were killed. Only one of Lokomotiv's players survived, Alexander Galimov. He and one member of the plane's crew are in a critical condition in hospital.

Libya's National Transitional Council says it's sending a delegation² to Niger to ask them not to give refuge to Colonel Gaddafi, should he try to enter the country, or any of his associates who've crossed the border in the past few days. They said they would also request that any cash or gold which was brought on the convoy³ of Libyan vehicles be returned. Earlier, the Nigerien foreign minister confirmed that three convoys⁴ carrying high-level fugitives⁵ had arrived from Libya. A spokesperson for the US State Department, Victoria Nuland, said they were under close watch.

"They are now being held in the capital, in government villas⁶, and they are being monitored closely by Nigerien officials. Niger is also in direct contact with members of the Libyan Transitional National Council to discuss the future of these folks and their property."

The judge at the trial of the ousted⁷ Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak has said that the country's current military ruler, Field Marshal Tantawi, will give evidence in a closed session on 11 September. It's been a key prosecution⁸ demand for Mr Tantawi to testify.

Nearly 1,000 prisoners have escaped in the Democratic Republic of Congo after their jail was stormed by eight masked gunmen. They unlocked all the cells at the prison in Lubumbashi, the capital of the southeastern province of Katanga. A civilian⁹ visitor to the jail was killed in the attack, and other people are believed to have been wounded. Thomas Hubert reports from Kinshasa.

Armed men opened fire on the Kassapa prison on Wednesday morning. They stormed the building, unlocked all the cells and freed more than 960 inmates¹⁰, including the former militia¹¹ leader Gedeon Kyungu Mutanga, known as Commander Gedeon. Mr Mutanga was on death row for his involvement in the Mai Mai insurrection in the province of Katanga between 2003 and 2006. The UN peacekeeping mission in Congo, to whom he had surrendered before his trial, have confirmed his escape.Officials say many of the other prisoners have been recaptured.

World News from the BBC

Syrian security forces are reported to have killed at least 14 people in a fresh assault on the city of Homs. Activists¹² said there was heavy gunfire in several parts of the city through the night and for much of the day. Videos posted online apparently¹³ show protesters in Homs being shot by snipers. The French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe has accused the Syrian government of crimes against humanity.

Western governments have been accused by Europe's leading human rights organisation¹⁴ of shielding their intelligence services from accountability for serious violations¹⁵. The report's author, the rapporteur for the Council of Europe Dick Marty, said these had occurred during anti-terrorist operations. He said a licence to abduct¹⁶, torture or kill only existed in films and dictatorships.

The Italian Senate has passed a controversial austerity package worth $76bn in savings¹⁷. There were 165 votes in favour to 141 against. As the voting took place, hundreds of demonstrators opposing the measures tried to storm parliament but were dispersed¹⁸ by police. David Willey reports from Rome.

The final version of the austerity package, which has changed several times at the insistence¹⁹ of different pressure groups in recent days, will reduce government spending by over $75bn during the next two years. That's more than originally planned. A new wealth tax, a rise in the basic rate of VAT²⁰ and delayed pensions for women workers are among the main provisions. Stocks rose over 4% Wednesday on the Milan stock exchange, which has been in free fall in recent days.

The Brazilian security forces have sent reinforcements into a poor district of Rio de Janeiro after a police patrol came under fire from suspected drugs traffickers. Extra troops and armoured vehicles were deployed²¹ after overnight gun battles, in which a teenage girl was reported killed.

1 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。

2 delegation   

n.代表团；派遣

参考例句：

• The statement of our delegation was singularly appropriate to the occasion.我们代表团的声明非常适合时宜。
• We shall inform you of the date of the delegation's arrival.我们将把代表团到达的日期通知你。

3 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

4 convoys   

n.（有护航的）船队( convoy的名词复数 )；车队；护航（队）；护送队

参考例句：

• Truck convoys often stop over for lunch here. 车队经常在这里停下来吃午饭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A UN official said aid programs will be suspended until there's adequate protection for relief convoys. 一名联合国官员说将会暂停援助项目，直到援助车队能够得到充分的保护为止。 来自辞典例句

5 fugitives   

n.亡命者，逃命者( fugitive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Three fugitives from the prison are still at large. 三名逃犯仍然未被抓获。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Members of the provisional government were prisoners or fugitives. 临时政府的成员或被捕或逃亡。 来自演讲部分

6 villas   

别墅，公馆( villa的名词复数 )； （城郊）住宅

参考例句：

• Magnificent villas are found throughout Italy. 在意大利到处可看到豪华的别墅。
• Rich men came down from wealthy Rome to build sea-side villas. 有钱人从富有的罗马来到这儿建造海滨别墅。

7 ousted   

驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 )； 革职； 罢黜； 剥夺

参考例句：

• He was ousted as chairman. 他的主席职务被革除了。
• He may be ousted by a military takeover. 他可能在一场军事接管中被赶下台。

8 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。

9 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。

10 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》

11 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

12 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》

13 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

14 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

15 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

16 abduct   

vt.诱拐，拐带，绑架

参考例句：

• The police caught the man who tried to abduct the boy for ransom.警察抓住了那个企图拐走这男孩以便勒索赎金的家伙。
• The news that we see those use network abduct children sometimes filled with apprehension.我们有时看到那些利用网络诱拐儿童的新闻都心惊肉跳。

17 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

18 dispersed   

adj. 被驱散的, 被分散的, 散布的

参考例句：

• The clouds dispersed themselves. 云散了。
• After school the children dispersed to their homes. 放学后，孩子们四散回家了。

19 insistence   

n.坚持；强调；坚决主张

参考例句：

• They were united in their insistence that she should go to college.他们一致坚持她应上大学。
• His insistence upon strict obedience is correct.他坚持绝对服从是对的。

20 vat   

n.(=value added tax)增值税，大桶

参考例句：

• The office is asking for the vat papers.办事处要有关增值税的文件。
• His father emptied sacks of stale rye bread into the vat.他父亲把一袋袋发霉的黑面包倒进大桶里。

21 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。