英语听力精选进阶版 14167

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

9 January 2013 

Shark fin¹ discovery 

Transcript: 

Thousands of shark fins² drying on a Hong Kong rooftop.  

It's thought they were stored away from the gaze of tourists and conservationists who find the trade hard to stomach. 

They say the practice of removing the fin and tossing the shark back into the sea is barbaric. 

But shark's fin soup is considered a delicacy³ by many Chinese diners, who also claim it has medicinal qualities. 

Vocabulary: 

shark fins 

thin vertical⁴ parts sticking out of the body of sharks which help them move 

around 

hard to stomach 

hard to accept – of something that is unpleasant or wrong 

barbaric 

extremely cruel and unpleasant 

delicacy 

something rare or expensive that is good to eat 

medicinal qualities 

properties which are good for your health 

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports.  

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly. 

shark fins / hard to stomach / barbaric / delicacy / medicinal qualities  

1.  At first the company found it _________ some of the more hostile messages from passengers. 

2.  Animal rights campaigners have long attacked the practice as ___________, and it is banned in Vietnam. 

3.  Although the EU banned removing ________ at sea and discarding the body, special permits allowed finning⁵ to continue legally. 

4.  Since about 4000 BC, the ancient Hindi medical theory of Ayurveda outlined honey's __________ in treating burns, allergies⁶ and infections. 

5.  Hairy crabs⁷ are the great autumn ________ of eastern China, and an obsession⁸ for those who can afford to eat them. 

Answers: 

1.  At first the company found it hard to stomach some of the more hostile messages from passengers. 

2.  Animal rights campaigners have long attacked the practice as barbaric, and it is banned in Vietnam. 

3.  Although the EU banned removing shark fins at sea and discarding the body, special permits allowed finning to continue legally. 

4.  Since about 4000 BC, the ancient Hindi medical theory of Ayurveda outlined honey's medicinal qualities in treating burns, allergies and infections. 

5.  Hairy crabs are the great autumn delicacy of eastern China, and an obsession for those who can afford to eat them. 

1 fin   

n.鳍；(飞机的)安定翼

参考例句：

• They swim using a small fin on their back.它们用背上的小鳍游动。
• The aircraft has a long tail fin.那架飞机有一个长长的尾翼。

2 fins   

[医]散热片；鱼鳍；飞边；鸭掌

参考例句：

• The level of TNF-α positively correlated with BMI,FPG,HbA1C,TG,FINS and IRI,but not with SBP and DBP. TNF-α水平与BMI、FPG、HbA1C、TG、FINS和IRI呈显著正相关，与SBP、DBP无相关。 来自互联网
• Fins are a feature specific to fish. 鱼鳍是鱼类特有的特征。 来自辞典例句

3 delicacy   

n.精致，细微，微妙，精良；美味，佳肴

参考例句：

• We admired the delicacy of the craftsmanship.我们佩服工艺师精巧的手艺。
• He sensed the delicacy of the situation.他感觉到了形势的微妙。

4 vertical   

adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置

参考例句：

• The northern side of the mountain is almost vertical.这座山的北坡几乎是垂直的。
• Vertical air motions are not measured by this system.垂直气流的运动不用这种系统来测量。

5 finning   

n.鱼鳍式划水（仰卧水面，两脚并拢，两手放身旁上下拍水使身体向头的方向移动）

参考例句：

• Fish could be sighted finning near the surface. 我们可以看到鱼把鳍露出水面。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• A shark was finning around the surface of the ocean. 一条鲨鱼把鳍露出海面游动。 来自互联网

6 allergies   

n.[医]过敏症；[口]厌恶，反感；（对食物、花粉、虫咬等的）过敏症( allergy的名词复数 )；变态反应，变应性

参考例句：

• Food allergies can result in an enormous variety of different symptoms. 食物过敏会引发很多不同的症状。 来自辞典例句
• Let us, however, examine one of the most common allergies; hayfever. 现在让我们来看看最常见的变态反应的一种--枯草热。 来自辞典例句

7 crabs   

n.蟹( crab的名词复数 )；阴虱寄生病；蟹肉v.捕蟹( crab的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• As we walked along the seashore we saw lots of tiny crabs. 我们在海岸上散步时看到很多小蟹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The fish and crabs scavenge for decaying tissue. 鱼和蟹搜寻腐烂的组织为食。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 obsession   

n.困扰，无法摆脱的思想(或情感)

参考例句：

• I was suffering from obsession that my career would be ended.那时的我陷入了我的事业有可能就此终止的困扰当中。
• She would try to forget her obsession with Christopher.她会努力忘记对克里斯托弗的迷恋。