英语听力精选进阶版 14109

 

Depardieu to hand back passport

 

Summary

17 December 2012

The French actor Gerard Depardieu says he's handing back his French passport in protest at the tax increases imposed by Socialist¹ president Francois Hollande. Last week the 63-year-old actor announced he is moving to a small town in Belgium just over the French border.

Reporter:

Christian² Fraser

Report

He is prone³ to more than just the occasional outburst but this time Gerard Depardieu is at the centre of an almighty⁴ political storm. Last week, the actor announced he had quit Paris for a small town 800 yards from the French border; seemingly to dodge⁵ a 75% top rate of tax expected to come into force next year.

The Prime Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault said it was "shabby", and suggested he was shirking his patriotic⁶ responsibilities. "How pathetic is that?" writes the actor in today's Journal du Dimanche. "I am leaving because you believe success, creation, talent, anything different must be sanctioned."

The actor claims he has paid ￡120m ($194m) in taxes since beginning work as a printer at the age of 14. "And people more illustrious than me," he railed, "have gone into tax exile." Belgium is an attractive option for French people since it doesn't impose any additional taxes on wealth. And three months ago France's richest man Bernard Arnault applied⁷ for Belgian citizenship⁸. The government might question their loyalties⁹; but what sort of message is being sent to the outside investors¹⁰ France is hoping to attract, when some of the country's biggest names are heading for self-imposed exile?

1 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。

2 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

3 prone   

adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的

参考例句：

• Some people are prone to jump to hasty conclusions.有些人往往作出轻率的结论。
• He is prone to lose his temper when people disagree with him.人家一不同意他的意见,他就发脾气。

4 almighty   

adj.全能的，万能的；很大的，很强的

参考例句：

• Those rebels did not really challenge Gods almighty power.这些叛徒没有对上帝的全能力量表示怀疑。
• It's almighty cold outside.外面冷得要命。

5 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

6 patriotic   

adj.爱国的，有爱国心的

参考例句：

• His speech was full of patriotic sentiments.他的演说充满了爱国之情。
• The old man is a patriotic overseas Chinese.这位老人是一位爱国华侨。

7 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

8 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

9 loyalties   

n.忠诚( loyalty的名词复数 )；忠心；忠于…感情；要忠于…的强烈感情

参考例句：

• an intricate network of loyalties and relationships 忠诚与义气构成的盘根错节的网络
• Rows with one's in-laws often create divided loyalties. 与姻亲之间的矛盾常常让人两面为难。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会