英语听力精选进阶版 13993

World hunger overestimated¹

Summary

11 October 2012

The United Nations has conceded that it has overestimated the number of people suffering from hunger around the world. But a new study has shown that about 870 million people are still chronically² undernourished, a figure described as 'unacceptable'.

Reporter:

Alan Johnston

Report

A few years ago the United Nations announced that the number of hungry people around the world had gone through the one billion mark. But the UN agencies now say that at the time their data tended to exaggerate the problem. They say progress in the fight against hunger has actually been better than was thought.

But all the same, new and more accurate figures show that just under 870 million people are malnourished today. That's more than 12% of the global population. And in Africa the battle is being lost. More and more people there are hungry. One of the UN agency chiefs said that in this advanced age it was "entirely³ unacceptable" that 100 million children don't get enough to eat.

The report talked of the need for economic growth that might provide vulnerable communities with greater income-earning opportunities. But, as it looked for long-term solutions, the UN also spoke⁴ of the importance of good governance, political stability and the rule of law. The creation of conditions in which economies, and education and health services, might develop in the poorest parts of the world.

1 overestimated   

对（数量）估计过高，对…作过高的评价( overestimate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• They overestimated his ability when they promoted him. 他们提拔他的时候高估了他的能力。
• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。

2 chronically   

ad.长期地

参考例句：

• Similarly, any pigment nevus that is chronically irritated should be excised. 同样，凡是经常受慢性刺激的各种色素痣切勿予以切除。
• People chronically exposed to chlorine develop some degree of tolerance. 人长期接触氯气可以产生某种程度的耐受性。

3 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。