英语听力精选进阶版 13212

Report

In a statement with distinctly political overtones, no doubt with next month's general election in mind, the prime minister on Tuesday night focused more on what is not included in the €78 billion package than what is. 

There will, he assured the Portuguese¹ people he was addressing in a live television broadcast, be no more cuts in public sector² salaries, no abolition³ of holiday and Christmas bonuses, and no freeze in the lowest pensions - some of which in Portugal, are well below €300 a month. 

Essentially⁴, Mr Socrates stressed, the plan coincides with the austerity package parliament rejected last month, leading to the minority Socialist⁵ government's resignation, but is more far-reaching in some areas and calls for rigorous analysis and monitoring of progress. And, he said, it also includes some labour market reforms that he did not detail. 

More information, and less politics, is expected from IMF and EU officials on Wednesday. Portugal's right-of-centre opposition⁶ parties, which have been consulted by the visiting officials during the past two weeks, had said they backed the bailout bid in principle.

Alison Roberts, BBC News, Lisbon

1 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

2 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

3 abolition   

n.废除，取消

参考例句：

• They declared for the abolition of slavery.他们声明赞成废除奴隶制度。
• The abolition of the monarchy was part of their price.废除君主制是他们的其中一部分条件。

4 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

5 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

6 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。