英语听力精选进阶版 14134

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

22 August 2012 

Retiring elephants 

Transcript: 

They’re not the healthiest specimens¹ of the ten thousand that live in Burma.  

But thanks to the opening of this elephant retirement² home, these animals do at least have a safe refuge. 

The owners have brought in healthy elephants to boost funding for food and medicine through tourism. 

They say visitors should see them in their natural habitat and not as creatures of entertainment. 

Vocabulary: 

specimens  

typical examples 

retirement home 

place where old people go to live 

refuge 

a sheltered or safe place 

to boost 

to improve or increase 

natural habitat 

place where an animal lives in the wild 

Watch the video online: Retiring elephants 

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. 

specimens / retirement home / refuge/ to boost/ natural habitat 

1. A charity that runs __________ for victims of domestic violence has warned it will have to close every one of its centres, and that women will die, because of planned changes to benefit rules. 

2. The main aim is __________ lending to non-financial businesses in what the Bank has called "the real economy". 

3. The __________ are of a face and two jawbones with teeth. 

4. "We're very hopeful that in around 12 months we'll be able to release Noah back into his __________." 

5. A blue plaque³ is to be unveiled at the __________ in Deganwy, Conwy, of Titanic⁴ hero Commander Harold Lowe. 

Answers: 

1. A charity that runs refuges for victims of domestic violence has warned it will have to close every one of its centres, and that women will die, because of planned changes to benefit rules. 

Source: Refuges 'under threat' from shake-up of benefit rules

2. The main aim is to boost lending to non-financial businesses in what the Bank has called "the real economy". 

Source: Mortgage lending rebounded⁵ in July, lenders say 

3. The specimens are of a face and two jawbones with teeth. 

Source: New human species identified from Kenya fossils 

4. "We're very hopeful that in around 12 months we'll be able to release Noah back into his natural habitat." 

Source:   Kirtle Water orphaned⁶ otter⁷ recovering well 

5. A blue plaque is to be unveiled at the retirement home in Deganwy, Conwy, of Titanic hero Commander Harold Lowe. 

Source: Titanic hero Harold Lowe: Grandson tells of pride as plaque unveiled 

1 specimens   

n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人

参考例句：

• Astronauts have brought back specimens of rock from the moon. 宇航员从月球带回了岩石标本。
• The traveler brought back some specimens of the rocks from the mountains. 那位旅行者从山上带回了一些岩石标本。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

3 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

4 titanic   

adj.巨人的，庞大的，强大的

参考例句：

• We have been making titanic effort to achieve our purpose.我们一直在作极大的努力，以达到我们的目的。
• The island was created by titanic powers and they are still at work today.台湾岛是由一个至今仍然在运作的巨大力量塑造出来的。

5 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

6 orphaned   

[计][修]孤立

参考例句：

• Orphaned children were consigned to institutions. 孤儿都打发到了福利院。
• He was orphaned at an early age. 他幼年时便成了孤儿。

7 otter   

n.水獭

参考例句：

• The economists say the competition otter to the brink of extinction.经济学家们说，竞争把海獭推到了灭绝的边缘。
• She collared my black wool coat with otter pelts.她把我的黑呢上衣镶上了水獭领。