英语听力精选进阶版 8613

In a decision keenly anticipated in America and around the world, the US Federal Reserve has raised interests rates for the first time since the global financial crisis. The US central bank lifted its key short term rate by a moderate quarter of a percentage point. From Washington, here is Michelle Fleury. For the past 7 years, US borrowing costs have been held low to revive a sick US economy brought to its knees by a banking¹ crisis. Now the patient is returning to health. The Fed chairwoman Janet Yellen said the decision to raise rates, reflected America's renewed vigor². The increase was well telegraphed but as always with financial markets, attention immediately turns to what the world's important central bank will do next.

自世界经济危机以来，美联储首次提高利率，这一决定引起美国和全世界的密切关注。美国中央银行短期利率上升，微调0.25%。请听米歇尔·弗勒里藏华盛顿为您发回的报道。在过去7年，美国经济疲软，带来了一系列的银行危机。为了复苏美国经济，美国的借贷成本很低。美联储主席珍妮特·耶伦称，提高利率，这一决定反应了美国经济又重新恢复了生机。金融市场以及美国的利率增加。需要立即关注的就是世界重要的央行下一步将会采取什么措施。

The United States and Cuba have reached an understanding to allow regular commercial flights between them. Negotiators said an official announcement on this issue was imminent³. Scheduled flights will ease journeys for US citizens wanting to visit Cuba. Until now they've had to make complicated arrangements or traveled via a third countries. From Havana, here is Will Graham. The move to restore commercial flights between the US and Cuba coincides with the first anniversary of the announcement of an end to hostilities⁴ between the old enemies. In some regards, it is one of the most significant steps of the past 12 months and it will further facilitate the arrival of American visitors to Cuba. With tourism increasingly becoming the main economic motive⁵ for the communist-run island, it comes as a little surprise that the Cuban government was as keen on this particular measures as their counterparts in Washington.

美国和古巴已经达成共识，允许普通的商业航班。谈判代表称官方消息马上就会宣布。预定的航班将会便利想要去古巴的美国公民。直到现在，想要去古巴的美国公民不得不严密规划行程或者通过第三世界国家到达古巴。请听威尔·格兰姆从哈瓦那为您发回的报道。美国和古巴恢复商业航班，这一举动，符合第一次周年大会上宣布的结束宿敌之间的仇恨。在某些方面，这是在过去12个月，进一步便利美国游客到古巴游览的重要一步。旅游日益成为古巴主要的经济来源，古巴和美国政府都对这一特别的举措非常的热衷，着实让人小小惊讶。

Argentina is ending the foreign currency restrictions⁶ that have propped⁷ up the value of peso for the last four years. The finance minister Alfonso Prat-Gay said the old system had restricted economic growth. And he will now allow business to buy many dollars as they needed. But ordinary Argentines will still face some restrictions. The peso is now expected to fall in value. The current black market rate is much lower. And the central bank has been the power to intervene if it depreciates⁸ too quickly.

在过去四年，外汇限制支撑比索价值。阿根廷宣布结束外汇限制。财政部长Alfonso Prat-Gay 称旧的体制已经制约了经济的发展。现在允许企业买进他们需要的美元。但是普通的阿根廷公民仍面临一些制约。现在比索可能会贬值。现在在黑市，兑换利率非常的低。如果比索贬值过快，央行就要进行干预。

The United Nation secretary general Ban Ki-moon has said Burundi is on the brink⁹ of civil war. In a news conference in New York, Mr Ban described the political violence in Burundi in recent days as chilling. I am alarmed by the escalating¹⁰ violence in Burundi. What we have seen over the past a few days is chilling. The country is on the brink of civil war. That risks engulfing¹¹ the entire region. I have asked Mr Jamal Benomar, my special adviser¹², to go to the region before the end of this week to speak to the African Union, the countries in the region and of course the government of Burundi. World news from the BBC.

联合国秘书长潘基文称，布隆迪即将爆发内战。在纽约的新闻发布会上，潘基文称最近布隆迪的政治暴力让人不寒而栗。在过去几天，我们看到的让人心寒。这个国家马上就要发生内战。这个事件将会席卷整个地区。我已经派我的特别顾问班诺马尔先生，在这周末之前去那里，并对非洲联盟、该地区的所有国家以及布隆迪政府发表讲话。BBC全球新闻。

The United Nation's Children's Agency UNICEF says 16 million babies were born in war zones this year. That's one in eight of all births. The agency warns that there was an increased likelihood that these children will die before they turn five，and those that did survive might suffer what's been termed toxic¹³ stress, long term damage to their emotional development.

联合国儿童基金会称今年在战区有1600万婴儿诞生。这个数量占据了世界婴儿出生总量的1/8。儿童基金会警示，战区的这些婴儿在5岁之前死亡的几率增加，而那些存活下来的孩子可能会遭受到所谓的“有毒压力”，对其心理健康造成长期的损害。

The trial of a US police official charged in connection with the death of Freddie Fray¹⁴, a black man who died in police custody¹⁵ in Baltimore has been abandoned after the jury were unable to reach a verdict. The judge ruled a mistrial after two and half days of deliberation. A hearing was scheduled for Thursday to discuss a possible retrial. Mr Gray died in April after suffering a broken neck while in a police van.

一位美国警察官员面临审判，因为其与Freddie Fray的死亡有关。Freddie Fray是一名死于巴尔的摩警方拘留的黑人。由于陪审团未能达成判决，这位黑人的案件被搁置。进过两天半的商议之后，陪审团宣判裁定无效。听证会安排在周四，讨论再审问题。Gary死于四月份，死因是在警车中被扭断脖子而身亡。

Baltimore's mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake urges protesters gathering¹⁶ in the city to remain peaceful. All of us, if we believe in justice, must have respect for the outcome of the judicial¹⁷ process. 12 Baltimore city residents answered the solemn call to serve. They listened to the evidence presented and they rendered a decision. If some chooses to protest, then they peacefully demonstrate. That is their right.

巴尔的摩市市长 Stephanie Rawlings-Blake敦促聚集在这座城市抗议者保持镇定。我们所有的人，如果我们相信正义，必须尊重司法程序的结果。12位巴尔的摩城市居民回答庄严的调用服务。他们听了证据呈现一个决定。如果一些选择抗议，然后他们和平示威。这是他们的权利。

Hundreds of demonstrators in the Dutch town of Geldermalsen have disrupted a meeting at the local council which are convened¹⁸ to decide whether to build a new center for asylum-seekers. The protesters torn down fences and threw fireworks on the police. Thousands of refugees and migrants have entered Netherlands this year.

在荷兰 Geldermalsen小镇的数百民示威人员中断了当地委员会的地方会议。该会议召开的目的是决定是否建立一个新的难民中心。抗议者拆除围栏并向警察们投掷爆竹。今年数千名难民进入了荷兰。

Kuwait airways¹⁹ is no longer selling tickets for flights between New York and London after the US Department of Transport threatened legal action against the airline's policy of not allowing Israelis to board its planes. Kuwait law prohibits its citizens entering into an agreement with the Israelis. BBC news.

美国运输部威胁对科威特航空公司采取法律诉讼，因为科威特航空公司不允许以色列人登机。之后，科威特航空公司不再出售纽约和伦敦之间的机票。科威特和以色列达成协议，科威特法律禁止以色列公民入境。BBC新闻。

1 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

2 vigor   

n.活力，精力，元气

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• She didn't want to be reminded of her beauty or her former vigor.现在，她不愿人们提起她昔日的美丽和以前的精力充沛。

3 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

4 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

5 motive   

n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的

参考例句：

• The police could not find a motive for the murder.警察不能找到谋杀的动机。
• He had some motive in telling this fable.他讲这寓言故事是有用意的。

6 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

7 propped   

支撑，支持，维持( prop的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He sat propped up in the bed by pillows. 他靠着枕头坐在床上。
• This fence should be propped up. 这栅栏该用东西支一支。

8 depreciates   

v.贬值，跌价，减价( depreciate的第三人称单数 )；贬低，蔑视，轻视

参考例句：

• Money usually depreciates in value over a period of years. 金钱通常在一些年后贬值。 来自辞典例句
• The risk, of course, is that the forint devalues or depreciates. 风险当然是福林贬值或跌价。 来自互联网

9 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

10 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

11 engulfing   

adj.吞噬的v.吞没，包住( engulf的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• A photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house darkness. 一位摄影师把电灯的保险丝烧断了，使整栋房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• A professional photographer had fused the lights,engulfing the entire house in darkness. 一位职业摄影师把保险丝烧断了使整所房子陷于黑暗当中。 来自辞典例句

12 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

13 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

14 fray   

v.争吵；打斗；磨损，磨破；n.吵架；打斗

参考例句：

• Why should you get involved in their fray?你为什么要介入他们的争吵呢？
• Tempers began to fray in the hot weather.大热天脾气烦燥。

15 custody   

n.监护，照看，羁押，拘留

参考例句：

• He spent a week in custody on remand awaiting sentence.等候判决期间他被还押候审一个星期。
• He was taken into custody immediately after the robbery.抢劫案发生后，他立即被押了起来。

16 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

17 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

18 convened   

召开( convene的过去式 )； 召集； （为正式会议而）聚集； 集合

参考例句：

• The chairman convened the committee to put the issue to a vote. 主席召集委员们开会对这个问题进行表决。
• The governor convened his troops to put down the revolt. 总督召集他的部队去镇压叛乱。

19 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。