英语听力精选进阶版 14272

BBC Learning English

19 June 2013

Protests in Brazil

Transcript¹:

Brazil hasn't seen protests on this scale for over 20 years.

Police in riot gear stood behind barriers to protect state buildings in Rio, where over 100,000 people joined the march.

Demonstrators marched through the streets of Brazil's biggest cities, to protest about the rising costs of public transport and the expense of staging the 2014 World Cup. 

Vocabulary:

on this scale

as big as this 

riot gear

clothes and equipment the police use when dealing² with a large demonstration 

that might become violent   

barriers 

fences to stop people getting into a particular area 

rising costs

increases in the amount of money needed to complete a particular project

staging

organising

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. on this scale / riot gear / barriers / rising costs / staging

1.  A tile manufacturer is shedding 75 jobs as part of "restructuring" plans.Johnson Tiles, which employs about 400 people at its factory in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, said the _________ of energy had affected³ business.

2.  The Turkish government worried that the women's funeral might end in violence. As the ceremony ended, a group of several hundred young men marched up the hill towards a police station. Officers dressed in _________came out to stand in front of the main gate. But neither side confronted the other. 

3.  King Richard's skeletal remains⁴ were found by archaeologists beneath a car park in Leicester, and are due to be re-interred in the city next year. York City Council is _________ events including exhibitions and festivals.

4.  Prosecutors described the thieves as "professionals". They had dressed as police, wore masks and were well armed. They forced their way through security _________ and drove towards the Helvetic Airways⁵ plane, forcing open the cargo⁶ hold to reach gems⁷ that had already been loaded.

5.  The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned⁸ the police's tactics, saying: "The use of violence by police _________ appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part."

Answers:

1.  A tile manufacturer is shedding 75 jobs as part of "restructuring" plans. Johnson Tiles, which employs about 400 people at its factory in Tunstall, Stoke-on-Trent, said the rising cost of energy had affected business.

2.  The Turkish government worried that the women's funeral might end in violence. As the ceremony ended, a group of several hundred young men marched up the hill towards a police station. Officers dressed in riot gearcame out to stand in front of the main gate. But neither side confronted the other.

3.  King Richard's skeletal remains were found by archaeologists beneath a car park in Leicester, and are due to be re-interred in the city next year. York City Council is staging events including exhibitions and festivals.

4.  Prosecutors described the thieves as "professionals". They had dressed as police, wore masks and were well armed. They forced their way through security barriers and drove towards the Helvetic Airways plane, forcing open the cargo hold to reach gems that had already been loaded.

5.  The US has expressed concern over Turkey's handling of the protests and Amnesty International condemned the police's tactics, saying: "The use of violence by police on this scale appears designed to deny the right to peaceful protest altogether and to discourage others from taking part."

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 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

3 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

4 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。

5 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

6 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

7 gems   

growth； economy； management； and customer satisfaction 增长

参考例句：

• a crown studded with gems 镶有宝石的皇冠
• The apt citations and poetic gems have adorned his speeches. 贴切的引语和珠玑般的诗句为他的演说词增添文采。

8 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。