英语听力精选进阶版 13883

BBC Learning English 

Words in the N ews   

8 Au gust¹ 2012  

Hong Kong's clean - up operation  

Transcript: 

The clean -up operation begins.   

Millions of pellets which are used to make plastic have been washed up on Hong 

Kong' s beaches, following the worst typhoon in 13 years. 

Environmentalists are concerned that the pellets will absorb dangerous  toxins², 

which could enter the food chain .   

Several hundred volunteers turned up to try and remove the translucent³  pellets, 

but the beaches could still take months to clean 

Vocabulary: 

clean -up operation 

a project to tidy up an area    

washed up  

appeared on a beach    

toxins   

dangerous chemicals 

food chain  

a group of organisms that feed off one another  

translucent   

semi- transparent⁴  

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.  

clean -up  / washed up / toxins / food chain / translucent  

1. A dead humpback   whale has been __________ in a Australian ocean 

swimming pool, surprising morning swimmers and causing a major problem for 

authorities who must remove it. 

2. Cigarette butts⁵ become trapped between paving stones and are then washed 

into drains and can cause blockages⁶ which in  turn can lead to flooding issues. 

They also leak __________  that contaminate water and can harm marine⁷ life. 

3. A new inflatable and __________  bubble- shaped hotel has appeared on the 

shores of the Baltic sea, some 150 kilometres south of the Estonian capital 

Tallinn.  

4. A __________  is continuing in the Borders town of Jedburgh after flooding 

caused by heavy rain. The town was struck by flash flooding on Sunday after the 

main streets turned into a river during a two hour downpour. 

5. Two major retailers⁸ in South Korea announced on Wednesday that they were 

suspending US beef sales. US Trade Representative Ron Kirk has urged 

Indonesia to lift the ban, saying that there is no evidence that the US 

__________  has been tainted⁹.  

Answers: 

1. A dead humpback  whale has been washed up in an Australian ocean swimming 

pool, surprising morning swimmers and causing a major problem for authorities who 

must remove it. 

Source: Humpback whale washes up in Sydn ey pool  

2. Cigarette butts become trapped between paving stones and are then washed into 

drains and can cause blockages which in turn can lead to flooding issues. They also 

leak  toxins that contaminate water and can harm marine life.   

Source: 'Rise' in smoking-related litter on Highland¹⁰ streets 

3. A new inflatable and translucent bubble-shaped hotel has appeared on the 

shores of the Baltic sea, some 150 kilometres south of the Estonian capital Tallinn.  

Source: Inside Estonia's see -through inflatable bubble hotel  

4. A clean -up is continuing in the Borders town of Jedburgh after flooding caused by 

heavy rain. The town was struck by flash flooding o n Sunday after the main streets 

turned into a river during a two hour downpour. 

Source: Jedburgh tries to get back to business after the floods 

5. Two major retailers in South Korea announced on Wednesday that they were 

suspending US beef sales. US Trade Representative Ron Kirk has urged Indonesia to 

lift the ban, saying that there is no evidence that the US  food chain  has been 

tainted.  

Source:  Indonesia bans some US beef imports after mad cow case 

1 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

2 toxins   

n.毒素( toxin的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The seas have been used as a receptacle for a range of industrial toxins. 海洋成了各种有毒工业废料的大容器。
• Most toxins are naturally excreted from the body. 大部分毒素被自然排出体外。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 translucent   

adj.半透明的；透明的

参考例句：

• The building is roofed entirely with translucent corrugated plastic.这座建筑完全用半透明瓦楞塑料封顶。
• A small difference between them will render the composite translucent.微小的差别,也会使复合材料变成半透明。

4 transparent   

adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的

参考例句：

• The water is so transparent that we can see the fishes swimming.水清澈透明，可以看到鱼儿游来游去。
• The window glass is transparent.窗玻璃是透明的。

5 butts   

笑柄( butt的名词复数 )； （武器或工具的）粗大的一端； 屁股； 烟蒂

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。
• The house butts to a cemetery. 这所房子和墓地相连。

6 blockages   

n.堵塞物( blockage的名词复数 )；堵塞，阻塞

参考例句：

• The storms could increase the risks posed by river blockages. 暴风雨会增加因河道堵塞所造成的危险。 来自互联网
• An angiogram shows the location and severity of blockages in blood vessels. 冠状动脉造影能够显示血管内的阻塞位置以及阻塞的严重程度。 来自互联网

7 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

8 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

9 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 highland   

n.(pl.)高地，山地

参考例句：

• The highland game is part of Scotland's cultural heritage.苏格兰高地游戏是苏格兰文化遗产的一部分。
• The highland forests where few hunters venture have long been the bear's sanctuary.这片只有少数猎人涉险的高山森林，一直都是黑熊的避难所。