英语听力精选进阶版 14299

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News 

16 October 2013

Protecting Venice

Transcript¹:

Think of Venice and water probably springs to mind.  

The problem is that unusually high tides often cause serious harm to its centuries-old architecture, which draws millions of visitors each year. 

Now, four new mobile barriers designed to protect the city have been successfully tested.  

Eventually, 78 floodgates will shut off the Venice lagoon² when water levels get too high.

Vocabulary:

springs to mind

arrives as a sudden thought 

high tides

when the sea or a river is at its highest level

draws

attracts 

designed

created for a specific purpose 

floodgates

gates that can be opened or closed to control the flow of water

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.

springs to mind / high tide / draws / designed / floodgates

1.  At the weekly papal audience which __________pilgrims from many countries, a priest read a summary of the Pope's address in Arabic for the first time, joining other briefs in French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese³, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Hungarian and Russian. 

2.  A system of nine dams called the Vltava Cascade⁴ was found to be dangerously full, and the __________ were opened at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Monday night. 

3.  The sea defence gates on Weston-super-Mare's seafront were closed during __________ at the weekend. Strong onshore winds were forecast which, coupled with a tidal surge, led to the precaution being taken.

4.  Some of the rules were __________to keep the young men in check, with advice on "not gadding⁵ and gossiping from chamber⁶ to chamber", or "picking your nose" in the company of tutors, a habit Duport regarded as "uncouth⁷ and unseemly".

5.  If you had to list prerequisites⁸ for being a bomb disposal officer, then courage would go without saying. Patience, ingenuity⁹ and an ability to keep a cool head under pressure also __________. 

Answers:

1.  At the weekly papal audience which draws pilgrims from many countries, a priest read a summary of the Pope's address in Arabic for the first time, joining other briefs in French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Slovak, Czech, Polish, Hungarian and Russian.

Source: Pope Benedict adds Arabic to weekly Vatican address       

2.  A system of nine dams called the Vltava Cascade was found to be dangerously full, and the floodgates were opened at 20:00 local time (18:00 GMT) on Monday night.

Source: Floods threaten Dresden as Prague river levels fall

3.  The sea defence gates on Weston-super-Mare's seafront were closed during high tides at the weekend. Strong onshore winds were forecast which, coupled with a tidal surge, led to the precaution being taken.

Source: Weston-super-Mare sea defences used as precaution

4.  Some of the rules were designed to keep the young men in check, with advice on "not gadding and gossiping from chamber to chamber", or "picking your nose" in the company of tutors, a habit Duport regarded as "uncouth and unseemly".

Source: Cambridge University student guide from 350 years ago    

5.  If you had to list prerequisites for being a bomb disposal officer, then courage would go without saying. Patience, ingenuity and an ability to keep a cool head under pressure also spring to mind.

Source: Peter Gurney, a 'born bomb-disposal officer'   

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 lagoon   

n.泻湖，咸水湖

参考例句：

• The lagoon was pullulated with tropical fish.那个咸水湖聚满了热带鱼。
• This area isolates a restricted lagoon environment.将这一地区隔离起来使形成一个封闭的泻湖环境。

3 Portuguese   

n.葡萄牙人；葡萄牙语

参考例句：

• They styled their house in the Portuguese manner.他们仿照葡萄牙的风格设计自己的房子。
• Her family is Portuguese in origin.她的家族是葡萄牙血统。

4 cascade   

n.小瀑布，喷流；层叠；vi.成瀑布落下

参考例句：

• She watched the magnificent waterfall cascade down the mountainside.她看着壮观的瀑布从山坡上倾泻而下。
• Her hair fell over her shoulders in a cascade of curls.她的卷发像瀑布一样垂在肩上。

5 gadding   

n.叮搔症adj.蔓生的v.闲逛( gad的现在分词 )；游荡；找乐子；用铁棒刺

参考例句：

• She likes gadding about while the children are at school. 孩子们在学校里的时候，她喜欢到处逛逛。 来自辞典例句
• We spent the whole day gadding about Paris. 我们一整天都在巴黎游玩。 来自辞典例句

6 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

7 uncouth   

adj.无教养的，粗鲁的

参考例句：

• She may embarrass you with her uncouth behavior.她的粗野行为可能会让你尴尬。
• His nephew is an uncouth young man.他的侄子是一个粗野的年轻人。

8 prerequisites   

先决条件，前提( prerequisite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Good muscles are one of the prerequisites of physical fitness. 肌肉发达是身体健康的一个必备条件。
• One of the outstanding prerequisites of any city is a local transportation system. 本地运输系统是任何城市的突出前提条件之一。

9 ingenuity   

n.别出心裁；善于发明创造

参考例句：

• The boy showed ingenuity in making toys.那个小男孩做玩具很有创造力。
• I admire your ingenuity and perseverance.我钦佩你的别出心裁和毅力。