英语听力精选进阶版 13800

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

22 February 2012 

Carnival¹ climax 

Transcript: 

Billed as the biggest street party in the world, Rio de Janeiro's annual 

carnival has drawn² to a colourful conclusion. 

The city's best samba schools paraded amid Brazil's carnival festivities.  

The venue³ for this event was the newly-renovated⁴ Sambadrome. 

Thousands of dancers and musicians showed off their costumes and 

artistic⁵ skills to entertain the crowds that gathered to enjoy the spectacle.  

Vocabulary: 

billed as  

regarded as 

paraded  

to walk as a group as part of a public celebration 

festivities  

celebrations 

renovated  

repaired and improved an old building or structure 

spectacle  

show 

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. 

billed as / paraded / festivities / renovated / spectacle 

1. But, apart from concerns over potential increased rent in social housing, 

she was against the current proposals to move long-term residents into 

different __________ homes on site. 

2. Mr Barros says: 'The Carnival of the samba schools of Rio is a global 

__________, which sustains the tourism industry.' 

3. Not only will there be the usual __________ to mark the start of a new 

year, but excitement is also growing with the knowledge that the entire 

Chinese Olympic team will descend⁶ on the city in almost exactly six 

months' time.  

4. More than 100,000 people are then expected to take to the streets of 

the capital on Hogmanay for what is __________ the world's best New 

Year celebration.  

5. On Sunday 16 July around 250 famous cars will __________ through 

London to mark the return to the city of the British International Motor 

Show. 

Answers: 

1. But, apart from concerns over potential increased rent in social housing, 

she was against the current proposals to move long-term residents into 

different renovated homes on site. 

Source: Heyford Park open days to discuss school and homes plans 

2. Mr Barros says: 'The Carnival of the samba schools of Rio is a global 

spectacle, which sustains the tourism industry.' 

Source: Brazil's illegal numbers game under pressure 

3. Not only will there be the usual festivities to mark the start of a new 

year, but excitement is also growing with the knowledge that the entire 

Chinese Olympic team will descend on the city in almost exactly six 

months' time.  

Source: Leeds' Chinese new year toast ahead of China Olympic team 

arrival 

4. More than 100,000 people are then expected to take to the streets of 

the capital on Hogmanay for what is billed as the world's best New Year 

celebration.  

Source: Capital launches New Year party  

5. On Sunday 16 July around 250 famous cars will parade through 

London to mark the return to the city of the British International Motor 

Show. 

Source:  Famous cars in ￡10m London parade  

1 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

2 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

3 venue   

n.犯罪地点，审判地，管辖地，发生地点，集合地点

参考例句：

• The hall provided a venue for weddings and other functions.大厅给婚礼和其他社会活动提供了场所。
• The chosen venue caused great controversy among the people.人们就审判地点的问题产生了极大的争议。

4 renovated   

翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He renovated his house. 他翻修了房子。
• The house has been renovated three years earlier. 这所房子三年前就已翻新。

5 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。

6 descend   

vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降

参考例句：

• I hope the grace of God would descend on me.我期望上帝的恩惠。
• We're not going to descend to such methods.我们不会沦落到使用这种手段。