英语听力精选进阶版 10562

The founder¹ of Virgin² Sir Richard Branson says lessons will be learned following the explosion of a Virgin Galactic rocket during a test flight in California. Sir Richard joined US Federal investigators³ at the crash site, looking at why Spaceship II broke up in midair. Our correspondent David Willies reports from the Mojave Desert.

维珍银河创始人理查德·布兰森爵士称，将从本公司火箭在加州的航天测试爆炸事件中吸取教训。理查德爵士和美国联邦调查员一道出现在坠毁地点，探明为何二号飞船会在半空中爆炸。记者戴维·威利斯在莫哈韦沙漠报道。

“A visibly shaken Sir Richard Branson said yesterday's disaster was a considerable setback⁴ to his mission and in the light of what had happened, he wouldn't be pushing on blindly. He indicated that Virgin Galactic's future would ultimately depend on the outcome of the crash investigators' inquiry⁵. Spaceship II broke apart a couple of minutes after separating from the mother ship during a test flight here. One of the pilots ejected and is seriously ill in hospital. The other didn't survive.”

“理查德·布兰森爵士颤抖着说，昨天的灾难是其团队的一大挫折，考虑到目前的情况，他不会再盲目推进该项目了。他说维珍银河的未来将完全取决于坠毁调查员的调查结果。在这次航天测试中，二号飞船在离开母舰几分钟后就解体了，其中一名飞行员被喷射出并严重受伤，目前在医院治疗，另一名丧生。”

The opposition⁷ in Burkina Faso says it won't accept a military takeover of the country and is going to take to the streets on Sunday in protest. President Blaise Compaore stepped down on Friday after a popular uprising. The army has named lieutenant-colonel Isaac Zida as the country's new leader. The African Union has called for a civilian-led transition leading to free and fair elections as soon as possible. Here is our West Africa correspondent Thomas Fessy.

布基纳法索反对派称不会接受军方接管该国的结果，并将于周日继续抗议。总统布莱斯·孔波雷在民众起义后已于周五下台，军方任命陆军中校齐达担任新领袖。非盟呼吁由民选政府过渡到自由公平的选举，而且越快越好。西非记者托马斯·费西报道。

“After 24 hours of a power struggle within the army to decide who should lead the country, opposition parties and civil groups are claiming the victory from the popular uprising that forced President Compaore to resign. They say the management of the transition belongs to the people and shouldn't be confiscated⁸ by the army. They've called for a mass rally in the morning. There is growing concern among the population that this week's events may now be hijacked⁹ by a military coup⁶.”

“军方内部就决定国家领导人一事进行了24小时候的权力斗争，反对党和民间组织都声称在这次迫使总统孔波雷下台的民众起义中取得胜利。他们过渡期需要由人民来管理，这一权力不应该被军方夺走。他们呼吁早上进行大规模集会，目前人们越来越担心本周的事件会被军方政变劫持。”

Tens of thousands of people have been protesting through the Republic of Ireland over the introduction of charges for tap water. The average household will have to pay about 300 dollars a year. Chris Pay reports.

爱尔兰共和国成千上万人抗议对自来水收费，每户人家每年将必须支付300美元的费用。克里斯·佩报道。

“Campaigners have held almost 100 demonstrations¹⁰ across the Republic of Ireland. Some protesters burned registration¹¹ forms for the water charges scheme. In January of next year, people will have to pay for domestic water supply for the first time. It's a consequence of the international financial bailout which Ireland accepted in 2010. The multi-billion Euro package rescued the country's economy, but the condition was that Ireland had to reduce its national debts.”

“活动人士已在爱尔兰共和国各地举行了近100场游行，有的抗议者燃烧税费计划的注册表。明年1月份，人们将必须首次为家庭用水付费。这是2010年爱尔兰接受国际财政救援引起的，涉资数十亿美元的欧洲一揽子计划拯救了该国经济，但前提是爱尔兰必须减少国家债务。”

Police in Hong Kong have arrested a British man over the murders of two women. The victims were found in a luxury flat in the Wan¹² Chai District. Police said one of the bodies had been stuffed into a suitcase and left out on a balcony. Media in Hong Kong are reporting that the man arrested at the scene was a 29-year old banker with a top global firm and that the women were sex workers.

香港逮捕了谋杀两名妇女的英国男子，受害者是在湾仔区的一个豪华公寓被发现的。警方称其中一具尸体被塞入一个行李箱，然后放在阳台上。香港媒体报道称在现场被捕的男子是一名29岁的银行家，拥有一家顶级全球公司，这两个妇女是性工作者。

Iraqi officials say Islamic State militants¹³ have carried out a new mass killing¹⁴ of members of a tribe in Anbar Province. The officials say the Jihadists lined up and shot at least 50 men and women of the Albu Nimr tribe in retaliation¹⁵ for their resistance to IS. The Albu Nimr had fought the militants for several weeks.

伊拉克官方称IS武装分子在安巴尔省一个部落实施了新的大规模屠杀，官方称这些圣战分子在Albu Nimr部落将至少50名男女排在一起，然后开枪打死了他们，这是为了报复他们对IS的抵抗。Albu Nimr部落几周以来一直在与这些武装分子作战。

Rights activists¹⁶ in Saudi Arabia say the pioneering female lawyer Suad al-Shamery has been arrested for comment she made on twitter which have been portrayed¹⁷ by her opponents as insulting Islam. Our Arab Affairs editor Sebastian Usher¹⁸ reports.

沙特阿拉伯权利人士称女性律师先驱者Suad al-Shamery因在推特上的言论被捕，她的反对者称她在羞辱伊斯兰教。阿拉伯事务记者塞巴斯蒂安·亚瑟报道。

“Suad Shamery has long been a thorn in the sight of religious establishment in Saudi Arabia. She's persistently¹⁹ questioned the good faith of some Islamic clerics whom she sees as one of the main obstacles preventing Saudi women from obtaining more rights. She received threats early this year for suggesting that the adoption²⁰ of long beards is a sign of being a devout²¹ Muslim was silly. She is now facing police interrogation over similar twits. The signs are not good. She set up a group called Saudi de Libros. Her co-founder Ria Badavi is currently serving a 10-year sentence for insulting Islam.”

“Suad al-Shamery一直是沙特阿拉伯宗教界的眼中钉，她一直质疑一些伊斯兰教阿訇的忠诚，她认为他们是阻碍沙特妇女获得更多权利的主要障碍质疑。她今年年初就收到威胁，因为她认为蓄场胡须作为虔诚穆斯林的标志是愚蠢的。她现在因类似的嘲笑而面临警方质问，这情况看来不妙。她成立了一个名叫Saudi de Libros的组织，该组织的合作创始人Ria Badavi目前因侮辱伊斯兰教而服刑10年。”

An Argentine judge has asked Spain to arrest and extradite two Spanish former ministers accused of involvement in murder during the military rule of General Franco. They can not be tried in Spain because of an amnesty law. But the officials could be prosecuted²² in Argentina. The families of alleged²³ victims have asked Argentina for help because it has an extradition²⁴ treaty with Spain.

阿根廷法官请求西班牙逮捕并引渡两名西班牙前部长，这两人被控涉嫌在佛朗哥将军军事统治期间参与谋杀案。因为一项赦免法他们不能在西班牙受审，但官方能在阿根廷进行起诉，受害者家属请求阿根廷提供帮助，因为阿根廷与西班牙签署有引渡协议。

The authorities in Bangladesh say they are struggling to restore electricity supplies after the whole country was hit by a power blackout. The first time this has happened in seven years. A director of state-run power development board acknowledged that the national grid²⁵ had collapsed²⁶. He said efforts to bring the power back had failed repeatedly. Officials say there is a glitch²⁷ in the transmission line to India opened last year.

孟加拉国当局称该国发生大面积停电，目前正努力恢复电力供应。这是7年来的第一次停电，国有电力开发董事会主任承认国家电网已经崩溃，他说力图恢复电力的努力多次失败。官方称去年开始输送给印度的线路出现了故障。

1 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

2 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

3 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。

5 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

6 coup   

n.政变；突然而成功的行动

参考例句：

• The monarch was ousted by a military coup.那君主被军事政变者废黜了。
• That government was overthrown in a military coup three years ago.那个政府在3年前的军事政变中被推翻。

7 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。

8 confiscated   

没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Their land was confiscated after the war. 他们的土地在战后被没收。
• The customs officer confiscated the smuggled goods. 海关官员没收了走私品。

9 hijacked   

劫持( hijack的过去式和过去分词 )； 绑架； 拦路抢劫； 操纵（会议等，以推销自己的意图）

参考例句：

• The plane was hijacked by two armed men on a flight from London to Rome. 飞机在从伦敦飞往罗马途中遭到两名持械男子劫持。
• The plane was hijacked soon after it took off. 那架飞机起飞后不久被劫持了。

10 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

11 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

12 wan   

(wide area network)广域网

参考例句：

• The shared connection can be an Ethernet,wireless LAN,or wireless WAN connection.提供共享的网络连接可以是以太网、无线局域网或无线广域网。

13 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

14 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。

15 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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》

17 portrayed   

v.画像( portray的过去式和过去分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• Throughout the trial, he portrayed himself as the victim. 在审讯过程中，他始终把自己说成是受害者。
• The author portrayed his father as a vicious drunkard. 作者把他父亲描绘成一个可恶的酒鬼。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

18 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

19 persistently   

ad.坚持地；固执地

参考例句：

• He persistently asserted his right to a share in the heritage. 他始终声称他有分享那笔遗产的权利。
• She persistently asserted her opinions. 她果断地说出了自己的意见。

20 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

21 devout   

adj.虔诚的，虔敬的，衷心的 (n.devoutness)

参考例句：

• His devout Catholicism appeals to ordinary people.他对天主教的虔诚信仰感染了普通民众。
• The devout man prayed daily.那位虔诚的男士每天都祈祷。

22 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

23 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

24 extradition   

n.引渡（逃犯）

参考例句：

• The smuggler is in prison tonight,awaiting extradition to Britain.这名走私犯今晚在监狱，等待引渡到英国。
• He began to trouble concerning the extradition laws.他开始费尽心思地去想关于引渡法的问题。

25 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

26 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

27 glitch   

n.干扰；误操作，小故障

参考例句：

• There is a glitch in the computer program somewhere.这个计算机程序中的某个部分有点小问题。
• It could just be a random glitch that can be solved by restarting the machine.可能只是一个小故障，重新启动主机就能解决了。