英语听力精选进阶版 13796

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

11th  January 2012 

Leap of Faith 

Transcript: 

Over a hundred metres above the Zambezi River.  

With just a cord tied around her feet, an Australian adrenaline junkie launches herself 

into the void.  

But Erin Langworthy's bungee jump became a nightmare when the line broke.  

She got through the ordeal¹ in one piece – here describing how she managed to swim to 

the river bank.  

Erin suffered only cuts and bruises² and thinks it's a miracle to be alive.  

Vocabulary: 

adrenaline junkie 

someone addicted³ to dangerous activities 

into the void 

into an empty space with no immediate⁴ touchable ground 

a nightmare 

a bad dream 

in one piece 

with no serious injury 

cuts and bruises 

minor⁵ injuries 

Watch this video online: Leap of Faith      

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from BBC 

news reports.  

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly. 

adrenaline junkie / into the void / a nightmare / in one piece / cuts and bruises 

1.  

"The __________ that I have is the memories of when I lived under the Taliban," she said. 

"That's what we went through and that's what might come back." 

2.  

She describes herself as an______________ having already tried skydiving and body boarding 

down sand dunes⁶.  

3.  

The victim suffered _______________ in the attack.  

4.  

"Four months ago I was in a very critical situation," Mr Chavez said. "Thanks be to God, four 

months have passed and here I am, all ____________ and on my feet." Mr Chavez, who has 

been in power since 1999, has said his illness will not stop him from standing⁷ for re-election 

next year. 

5. 

Greece is "on the brink⁸ of the abyss", President Karolos Papoulias has warned, after three 

people died during protests over planned austerity measures. "We are all responsible so that 

it does not take the step ____________," the president said in a statement. It followed a day 

of violence during which protesters set fire to a bank, killing⁹ three employees. 

Answers: 

"The nightmare that I have is the memories of when I lived under the Taliban," she said. 

"That's what we went through and that's what might come back." 

Source:  Afghanistan: Taliban peace deal 'threat to women's future'  

She describes herself as an "adrenaline junkie" having already tried skydiving and body 

boarding down sand dunes.  

Source:  Granny plans monumental birthday                 

The victim suffered cuts and bruises in the attack. 

Source:  Asian man attacked and racially abused in Salford         

"Four months ago I was in a very critical situation," Mr Chavez said. "Thanks be to God, four 

months have passed and here I am, all in one piece and on my feet." Mr Chavez, who has 

been in power since 1999, has said his illness will not stop him from standing for re-election 

next year.  

Source:  Venezuela's Chavez heads to Cuba for cancer check-up     

Greece is "on the brink of the abyss", President Karolos Papoulias has warned, after three 

people died during protests over planned austerity measures. "We are all responsible so that 

it does not take the step into the void," the president said in a statement. It followed a day 

of violence during which protesters set fire to a bank, killing three employees.  

Source:  Greek protesters urged to retreat from 'abyss'            http://bbc.in/a8iYfo 

1 ordeal   

n.苦难经历，（尤指对品格、耐力的）严峻考验

参考例句：

• She managed to keep her sanity throughout the ordeal.在那场磨难中她始终保持神志正常。
• Being lost in the wilderness for a week was an ordeal for me.在荒野里迷路一星期对我来说真是一场磨难。

2 bruises   

n.瘀伤，伤痕，擦伤( bruise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• He was covered with bruises after falling off his bicycle. 他从自行车上摔了下来，摔得浑身伤痕。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The pear had bruises of dark spots. 这个梨子有碰伤的黑斑。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

4 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

5 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

6 dunes   

沙丘( dune的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The boy galloped over the dunes barefoot. 那男孩光着脚在沙丘间飞跑。
• Dragging the fully laden boat across the sand dunes was no mean feat. 将满载货物的船拖过沙丘是一件了不起的事。

7 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

8 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。

9 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。