英语听力精选进阶版 8190

Good evening, it's an honor to declare open the 67th edition of the International Cannes Film Festival.

That's what we were hearing just then from the Italian actress and singer Chiara Mastroianni who was officially kicking off what is arguably the world's most influential¹ film festival. In her opening address, the president of the judging panel, New Zeeland director Jane Campion described it as “the Queen of festivals”. While as 20 years since she won the top prize the Palme d'Or for the movie The Piano, this year 18 films are vying² for the same honor among them the film chosen to open the festival. I heard from our arts correspondent Vincent Dowd. He is in Cannes and he's been telling me about the stirs that this movie has caused.

This is Grace Of Monaco, directed by Olivier Dahan. You may remember he had a huge hit with La Vie En Rose. This to be honest is not quite as good. It features Nicole Kidman of the title role. It's as much about the political clash over a half century ago now between the French President De Galle and Monaco as it is about the former actress Grace Kelly who of course became wife Prince Rainier of Monaco. You know, that clash was about tax which may sound very dull. It's kind of moderately interesting. But what's wrong is the psycho drama of Princess Grace, almost but not quite, deciding to go back to Hollywood? Just doesn't really grip. The script, I think, need to do more work. Anyway, I went to the press conference for the film a few hours ago. This is how Miss Kidman responded when a journalist pointed³ out the royal family of Monaco is pretty unhappy with the film.

Obviously, I feel sad because some, I think that the film has no malice⁴ towards the family or particularly towards Grace Rainier. I mean, it's fictionalized obviously. We've said that is not a biopic. And there is the essence of truth but is with a lot of these things you take dramatic license⁵ at times.

Whether she likes it or not, though, it's generating a lot of controversy⁶. And there is another movie getting people talking.

Yes, that's Welcome To New York. I mean, technically⁷ it's not a festival film but it doesn't matter that much, because it's been shown here at the weekend. The new movie by Abel Ferrara showing this weekend, in reality, everybody knows it's patently obviously about Dominique Strauss-Kahn, the French politician and his disastrous⁸ visit to New York in 2011.

1 influential   

adj.有影响的，有权势的

参考例句：

• He always tries to get in with the most influential people.他总是试图巴结最有影响的人物。
• He is a very influential man in the government.他在政府中是个很有影响的人物。

2 vying   

adj.竞争的；比赛的

参考例句：

• California is vying with other states to capture a piece of the growing communications market.为了在日渐扩大的通讯市场分得一杯羹，加利福尼亚正在和其他州展开竞争。
• Four rescue plans are vying to save the zoo.4个拯救动物园的方案正争得不可开交。

3 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

4 malice   

n.恶意，怨恨，蓄意；[律]预谋

参考例句：

• I detected a suggestion of malice in his remarks.我觉察出他说的话略带恶意。
• There was a strong current of malice in many of his portraits.他的许多肖像画中都透着一股强烈的怨恨。

5 license   

n.执照，许可证，特许；v.许可，特许

参考例句：

• The foreign guest has a license on the person.这个外国客人随身携带执照。
• The driver was arrested for having false license plates on his car.司机由于使用假车牌而被捕。

6 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

7 technically   

adv.专门地，技术上地

参考例句：

• Technically it is the most advanced equipment ever.从技术上说，这是最先进的设备。
• The tomato is technically a fruit,although it is eaten as a vegetable.严格地说，西红柿是一种水果，尽管它是当作蔬菜吃的。

8 disastrous   

adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的

参考例句：

• The heavy rainstorm caused a disastrous flood.暴雨成灾。
• Her investment had disastrous consequences.She lost everything she owned.她的投资结果很惨，血本无归。