英语听力精选进阶版 9628

Hi there, I'm Sonali from the BBC World News for Schools. It's Thursday the 26th of May. 

Coming up: 

?Europe's new cookie laws. 

?Players gear¹ up for Champions League Final. 

?And rumours² that Cheryl Cole's been dropped from the American X Factor 

But first to Yemen, where violent clashes³ have led to around twenty people being killed since Wednesday. Bystanders say gunfire could be heard throughout the night... 

Clip⁴: Gunfire fx 

Clashes between the President's forces and anti - government protestors have led to more than 70 people being killed this week. The demonstrators want President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, but he says he won't go. Earlier, the United States told Americans in Yemen that they should leave the country. 

Next, we're talking about cookies, not the tasty kind but the ones ones that allow companies to track what you do online. These cookies help businesses collect information about you which can then be used to try and sell you stuff⁵ - and it's often done without people knowing. But soon it will be much harder to gather information about web users⁶ in Europe. New laws mean they will have to get people's permission before they store any info. 

Footy now and it's only 2 days until the biggest footy match of the year. Yep, the Champion's League Final kicks off on Saturday, so are the players feeling the pressure? Barcelona's Lionel Messi says no... 

CLIP: "Well I've been calm all year with this. People have enjoyed our game, the results, the title and I've enjoyed it too like all my team mates⁷ and not felt pressure at all." 

And for today's question we want to know what team Barcelona are facing in the final? Yesterday we asked you what the tallest building in New York is? And the answer is....The Empire State building! 

Next an exploding star might just be the single most far away object ever spied by a telescope. It's so far that it's taken a staggering⁸ 13.14 billion years for the light to reach planet⁹ earth - crazy! 

It's being reported that one of Britain's biggest celebs has been dropped as a judge on the American version¹⁰ of The X Factor. Cheryl Cole is already massive¹¹ in the UK, and with a move to America she just looked set to get bigger. But now the entertainment website TMZ says producers are worried that Americans won't be able to understands Cheryl's accent - Here's what some people in her home town Newcastle made of that: 

CLIP: "They'll get used to her - won't they get used to her?" "It's just being patient. I mean, yes, Geordies do talk quickly and our language is our own, the same as the Americans." 

OK, that's all from the World News for Schools team. We're back tomorrow. Before we head off we want to say a quick hello to Tom who's been in touch from Kennedy School in Hong Kong. We always love hearing from you. If you want to get in touch the e-mail is [email protected].

1 gear   

n.齿轮，传动装置，设备，衣服；vt.使适应

参考例句：

• We have to gear our lives to the new changes.我们必须使自己的生活适应新的变化。
• The teeth of the wheel gear into each other.齿轮互相啮合。

2 rumours   

n.传闻( rumour的名词复数 )；风闻；谣言；谣传

参考例句：

• The rumours were completely baseless. 那些谣传毫无根据。
• Rumours of job losses were later confirmed. 裁员的传言后来得到了证实。

3 clashes   

冲突( clash的名词复数 )； 不协调； （两群人之间的）打斗

参考例句：

• Clashes broke out between police and demonstrators. 警方与示威者发生了冲突。
• Several policemen were injured in the clashes. 几名警察在冲突中受伤。

4 clip   

n.夹子，别针，弹夹，片断；vt.夹住，修剪

参考例句：

• May I clip out the report on my performance?我能把报道我的文章剪下来吗？
• She fastened the papers together with a paper clip.她用曲别针把文件别在一起。

5 stuff   

n.原料，材料，东西；vt.填满；吃饱

参考例句：

• We could supply you with the stuff in the raw tomorrow.明天我们可以供应你原材料。
• He is not the stuff.他不是这个材料。

6 users   

用户，使用者( user的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The new software will prove a boon to Internet users. 这种新软件将会对互联网用户大有益处。
• Ramps should be provided for wheelchair users. 应该给轮椅使用者提供坡道。

7 mates   

[英]伙伴( mate的名词复数 )； 同伴； （非正式）配偶； （熟练工人的）助手

参考例句：

• He's out boozing with his mates. 他和他的朋友们喝酒去了。
• They've been best mates since school. 他们从上学时期以来就是最要好的朋友。

8 staggering   

a.惊人的

参考例句：

• Why is that man staggering about the room like that? 那人为什么那样摇摇晃晃地在屋里走来走去？
• Profits have shot up by a staggering 25%. 利润惊人地攀升了25%。

9 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

10 version   

n.版本；型号；叙述，说法

参考例句：

• His version of the events is pure supposition.他对这件事的说法纯属猜测。
• What is your version of this matter?你对这件事情的看法 怎么样？

11 massive   

adj.巨大的，大规模的，大量的，大范围的

参考例句：

• A massive sea search has failed to find any survivors.经过大规模的海上搜救仍未找到幸存者。
• He drank a massive amount of alcohol.他喝了大量的烈酒。