英语听力精选进阶版 14196

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

3 April 2013 

Musical miners 

Transcript¹:  

This is Siberia – over 1,000 metres below ground. 

And miners at Russia's largest nickel mine were given the surprise treat of 

some cheerful music. 

Musicians swapped² their stage costumes for hard hats and overalls³ for the day. 

The company says it's all part of a plan to boost productivity and hope to hold 

more underground cultural activities to keep the positive attitude going. 

Vocabulary: 

nickel mine 

a hole in the ground from which nickel, a silver-white metal, is removed  

treat 

something special and enjoyable you do or buy for yourself or someone else  

swapped 

gave something in exchange for something else  

boost productivity 

increase the rate at which goods are produced 

positive attitude 

good feeling or opinion about something 

Watch the video online:  Musical miners   http://bbc.in/12e92x2 

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. 

nickel mine / treat / swapped / boost productivity / positive attitude 

1. He ________ his military fatigues⁴ for elegant business suits, but - in contrast 

to his jovial⁵ and temperamental father - remains⁶ a reserved figure. 

2. After being plant foreman of the Bindura ________ for 10 years, he climbed 

the unionist ladder until in 1988, he was elected secretary-general of the 

Zimbabwe Congress of Trade Unions. 

3. The usual American fast food outlets⁷ are spread around Cambridge but there 

are also takeaways or 'chippies', selling fish and chips, a national ________. 

4. "Under this funding round 121 projects from all corners of coastal⁸ Scotland 

have received ￡5.8m, to support modernisation, expansion and _________." 

5. According to a new survey by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers almost 

half of Georgians have a __________ towards Stalin. 

Answers: 

1. He swapped his military fatigues for elegant business suits, but - in contrast to 

his jovial and temperamental father - remains a reserved figure. 

2. After being plant foreman of the Bindura Nickel Mine for 10 years, he climbed 

the unionist ladder until in 1988, he was elected secretary-general of the Zimbabwe 

Congress of Trade Unions. 

3. The usual American fast food outlets are spread around Cambridge but there are 

also takeaways or 'chippies', selling fish and chips, a national treat. 

4. "Under this funding round 121 projects from all corners of coastal Scotland 

have received ￡5.8m, to support modernisation, expansion and boost 

productivity." 

5. According to a new survey by the Caucasus Research Resource Centers almost 

half of Georgians have a positive attitude towards Stalin. 

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 swapped   

交换（工作）( swap的过去式和过去分词 )； 用…替换，把…换成，掉换（过来）

参考例句：

• I liked her coat and she liked mine, so we swapped. 我喜欢她的外套，她喜欢我的外套，于是我们就交换了。
• At half-time the manager swapped some of the players around. 经理在半场时把几名队员换下了场。

3 overalls   

n.（复）工装裤；长罩衣

参考例句：

• He is in overalls today.他今天穿的是工作裤。
• He changed his overalls for a suit.他脱下工装裤，换上了一套西服。

4 fatigues   

n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服

参考例句：

• The patient fatigues easily. 病人容易疲劳。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• Instead of training the men were put on fatigues/fatigue duty. 那些士兵没有接受训练，而是派去做杂务。 来自辞典例句

5 jovial   

adj.快乐的，好交际的

参考例句：

• He seemed jovial,but his eyes avoided ours.他显得很高兴，但他的眼光却避开了我们的眼光。
• Grandma was plump and jovial.祖母身材圆胖，整天乐呵呵的。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 outlets   

n.出口( outlet的名词复数 )；经销店；插座；廉价经销店

参考例句：

• The dumping of foreign cotton blocked outlets for locally grown cotton. 外国棉花的倾销阻滞了当地生产的棉花的销路。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They must find outlets for their products. 他们必须为自己的产品寻找出路。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

8 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。