英语听力精选进阶版 9613

Hi there, I'm Sonali from the BBC World News for Schools. It's Wednesday the 4th of May. 

Coming up: 

?The worst year on record for American tornadoes¹. 

?Barca are through to the Champion's League final. 

?And the latest Twilight² instalment's up for 8 MTV Awards! 

First, they've been bitter rivals for years, but it looks like a big change could be underway in the Middle East. Palestinian politics has long been split between two groups, Hamas and Fatah. Both say they represent the Palestinian people, but when Hamas won an election back in 2006, they kicked Fatah out of one of the most important areas for Palestinians - Gaza. But now, a deal's about to be struck. Leaders are set to sign an agreement in Egypt saying they will work together in government. 

Next the U.S. has been experiencing the biggest outbreak of tornadoes since record began - that's according to America's National Weather Service. 362 tornadoes struck in just three days, with Alabama being particularly badly hit. These residents in the Alabama town of Tuscaloosa is just one of those affected³... 

CLIP: "It's sad in one sense to see the destruction that we've got here, but it fills your heart with joy to see all the people out working and helping⁴ one another." 

Now, at this time of year bats should be waking up from their winter's hibernation⁵, but in America far fewer will be emerging from the caves than normal. A mysterious disease has been sweeping⁶ through bat populations across the United States, killing⁷ more than a millions of them. Called ''White Nose syndrome⁸'', it's left some bat species on the brink⁹ of extinction¹⁰ and now scientists are worried it may spread even further afield. 

And for today's question we want to know whether bats are rodents¹¹ or mammals? 

Footy now and Barcelona are through to their 7th Champions League Final. Despite drawing 1-all with Real Madrid, this goal from Barcelona's Pedro was enough to win on aggregate¹²... 

CLIP: "And there is space there and he plays it through brilliantly for Pedro who scores for Barcelona! And that must be it, that must be semi-final over." 

Barcelona will either face Manchester United or Schalke in the final, it all depends on what happens in tonight's match. 

And yesterday we asked you which footy team's won the Champion's League the most time and the answer is.....Real Madrid! 

Finally, quick showbiz update - it looks like the latest Twilight Saga¹³: Eclipse is set to be a massive hit at the MTV Movie Awards. It's up for a massive eight nominations¹⁴, ahead of Harry¹⁵ Potter and the Deathly Hallows which has 6. 

OK, that's all from the World News for Schools team. We're back tomorrow, but before we go we want to say a big hello to Shaheen who got in touch from Kabul in Afghanistan, and to Luke who e-mailed us from Zimbabwe. We also want to give a big shout out to 

all the pupils who e-mailed us from the Island of Nuku-Hiva, in the French Polynesian Islands - great to hear from you guys. You sent us the Tahitian word for goodbye, which is nana! So nana for now - we're back tomorrow!

1 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

2 twilight   

n.暮光，黄昏；暮年，晚期，衰落时期

参考例句：

• Twilight merged into darkness.夕阳的光辉融于黑暗中。
• Twilight was sweet with the smell of lilac and freshly turned earth.薄暮充满紫丁香和新翻耕的泥土的香味。

3 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。

4 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

5 hibernation   

n.冬眠

参考例句：

• Bears wake up in the spring after a winter of hibernation.熊经过一个冬天的冬眠后在春季苏醒。
• The tortoise spends the winter months in hibernation.乌龟在冬眠中度过寒冬季节。

6 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

8 syndrome   

n.综合病症；并存特性

参考例句：

• The Institute says that an unidentified virus is to blame for the syndrome. 该研究所表示,引起这种综合症的是一种尚未确认的病毒。
• Results indicated that 11 fetuses had Down syndrome. 结果表明有11个胎儿患有唐氏综合征。

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 extinction   

n.熄灭，消亡，消灭，灭绝，绝种

参考例句：

• The plant is now in danger of extinction.这种植物现在有绝种的危险。
• The island's way of life is doomed to extinction.这个岛上的生活方式注定要消失。

11 rodents   

n.啮齿目动物( rodent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Rodents carry diseases and are generally regarded as pests. 啮齿目动物传播疾病，常被当作害虫对待。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Some wild rodents in Africa also harbor the virus. 在非洲，有些野生啮齿动物也是储毒者。 来自辞典例句

12 aggregate   

adj.总计的，集合的；n.总数；v.合计；集合

参考例句：

• The football team had a low goal aggregate last season.这支足球队上个赛季的进球总数很少。
• The money collected will aggregate a thousand dollars.进帐总额将达一千美元。

13 saga   

n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇

参考例句：

• The saga of Flight 19 is probably the most repeated story about the Bermuda Triangle.飞行19中队的传说或许是有关百慕大三角最重复的故事。
• The novel depicts the saga of a family.小说描绘了一个家族的传奇故事。

14 nominations   

n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Nominations are invited for the post of party chairman. 为党主席职位征集候选人。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Much coverage surrounded his abortive bids for the 1960,1964, and 1968 Republican Presidential nominations. 许多消息报道都围绕着1960年、1964年和1968年他为争取提名为共和党总统候选人所做努力的失败。 来自辞典例句

15 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。