英语听力精选进阶版 8078

Top level talks between the United States and Russiato try to ease the crisis over Ukraine have ended instalemate. After hours of discussions in London, theRussian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, said therehad been no common vision with his US counterpart John Kerry. Speaking through aninterpreter, Mr. Lavrov said a referendum on Sunday in Crimea on whether to join Russiashould go ahead on schedule.

We have repeated our position that was expressed by the President of the Russian Federation¹.We will respect the will of people of Crimea. That would be expressed at the referendum on the16th of March.

Mr. Kerry warned that if the vote went ahead, there will be sanctions. The two men agreed tostay in touch. But the BBC diplomatic correspondent says the tone of their meetingsuggests the crisis is deepening, raising tension to levels not seen since end of the Cold War.

The governor of the eastern Ukrainian region of Donetsk says Russians were behind theviolence that broke out between rival demonstrators on Thursday leaving one man dead. Hedismissed as a distortion of Russian government's statement blaming the clashes on Ukraine.From Donetsk, here is Steve Rosenberg.

Russia's foreign ministry³ claimed that pro-Moscow demonstrators had been set upon byfar-right activists⁴ backed by the government in Kiev. But the governor of Donetsk region SergeiTaruta told me that none of that corresponded to reality. He accused Russians of aggressiverhetoric. It is a war of words which erupted in violence yesterday, and there is concern here,that there could be more unrest in the coming days.

Information is emerging that the Malaysian Airlines plane missing since Saturday continued tosend routine alternative signals at least 5 hours after it was reported lost. The BBC haslearned that the signals were received by a satellite company based in London. A BBCcorrespondent says there is no way they could have been sent unless the plane was intactand had power. He said the information should make it possible to calculate an approximateposition for the aircraft.

The competence⁵ of South Africa's police has come under the spotlight⁶ at the murder trial ofthe athlete Oscar Pristorius.Andrew Harding reports from Pretoria.

Under cross examination, the first officer to arrive at Oscar Pristorius' home was obliged toacknowledge a series of basic errors. The athlete's gun was handled without protective gloves.At least one of his expensive watches were stolen from his bedroom before the forensic⁷ teamshad even finished their work. Evidence was moved around, it was even alleged⁸ the police hadlied in their statements about the time a key detective had arrived. The athlete's lawyers haveraised some serious questions today about the police's handling of the crime scene, but thejudge will have to decide whether the prosecution's case has been undermined.

World News from the BBC.

Venezuela's Foreign Minister Elias Jaua has accused the American Secretary of State John Kerryof inciting⁹ violence in his country, calling him a murderer. Mr. Jaua was responding tocomments Mr. Kerry made on Thursday when he accused the Venezuelan government ofwaging a terror campaign against its own people in response to opposition¹⁰ protests.Twenty-eight people have died since the unrest began over a month ago.

An Indian diplomat² has again been indicted¹¹ in the United States on charges of visa fraud andlying about how much she paid a domestic worker. The move reopens a case that has sparkeda bitter diplomatic row. Nick Bryant reports.

Just 2 days after a judge dismissed her case on the grounds that she enjoyed diplomaticimmunity. Devyani Khobragade has been re-indicted on the same charges as before. India'sdeputy consul¹³ in New York at the time of her arrest last year, her case caused uproar¹⁴ backhome, particularly because she was strip searched after being apprehended¹⁵. She has pleadednot guilty to lying to the American government to get her Indian housekeeper¹⁶ a work visa andalso to underpaying her. Her diplomatic immunity¹² no longer applies because she's back inIndia.

The Panama Canal authority has approved a deal to settle a dispute over cost overruns thatdelayed a project to widen the water way. The Spanish-led construction consortium and thecanal authority will each invest an extra 100 million dollars in the scheme which is due to becompleted next year.

The French footballer, Nicolas Anelka has announced that he is leaving his English club WestBromwich Albion with immediate¹⁷ effect. Anelka was suspended for 5 matches for what wasdeemed a racially aggravated¹⁸ goal celebration. He performed the quenelle salute¹⁹ which manyconsidered to be anti-Semitic. In a post on Twitter, Anelka said the club had imposed conditionshe couldn't accept.

1 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

2 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

3 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

4 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》

5 competence   

n.能力，胜任，称职

参考例句：

• This mess is a poor reflection on his competence.这种混乱情况说明他难当此任。
• These are matters within the competence of the court.这些是法院权限以内的事。

6 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

7 forensic   

adj.法庭的，雄辩的

参考例句：

• The report included his interpretation of the forensic evidence.该报告包括他对法庭证据的诠释。
• The judge concluded the proceeding on 10:30 Am after one hour of forensic debate.经过近一个小时的法庭辩论后，法官于10时30分宣布休庭。

8 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

9 inciting   

刺激的，煽动的

参考例句：

• What are you up to inciting mutiny and insubordination? 你们干吗在这里煽动骚动的叛乱呀。
• He was charged with inciting people to rebel. 他被控煽动民众起来叛乱。

10 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。

11 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

12 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

13 consul   

n.领事；执政官

参考例句：

• A consul's duty is to help his own nationals.领事的职责是帮助自己的同胞。
• He'll hold the post of consul general for the United States at Shanghai.他将就任美国驻上海总领事(的职务)。

14 uproar   

n.骚动，喧嚣，鼎沸

参考例句：

• She could hear the uproar in the room.她能听见房间里的吵闹声。
• His remarks threw the audience into an uproar.他的讲话使听众沸腾起来。

15 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

16 housekeeper   

n.管理家务的主妇，女管家

参考例句：

• A spotless stove told us that his mother is a diligent housekeeper.炉子清洁无瑕就表明他母亲是个勤劳的主妇。
• She is an economical housekeeper and feeds her family cheaply.她节约持家，一家人吃得很省。

17 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

18 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

19 salute   

vi.行礼，致意，问候，放礼炮；vt.向…致意，迎接，赞扬；n.招呼，敬礼，礼炮

参考例句：

• Merchant ships salute each other by dipping the flag.商船互相点旗致敬。
• The Japanese women salute the people with formal bows in welcome.这些日本妇女以正式的鞠躬向人们施礼以示欢迎。