英语听力精选进阶版 14334

Putin closes Russian news agency

Summary

9 December 2013

Russia's President Vladimir Putin has closed down the country's state-owned news agency RIA Novosti. He announced it will be replaced by a news agency called Russia Today, led by one of the Kremlin's strongest supporters.

Reporter:

Daniel Sandford

Report

During Vladimir Putin's time as Russia's leader, RIA Novosti has tried hard to produce balanced coverage¹ for Russian and international audiences. Although state-owned, it has reflected the views of the opposition², and covered difficult topics for the Kremlin. 

Now, without warning, and with a stroke of President Putin's pen, it has been abolished. It's not clear yet what it was that sealed the agency's fate. 

The decree abolishing RIA Novosti also gets rid of the state-owned Voice of Russia radio station. It creates a new news agency under the "Rossia Segodnya" or "Russia Today" brand. Until now Russia Today has broadcast Kremlin-friendly news in several languages on TV and its website. 

The new Russia Today International News Agency will be headed by Dmitry Kiselev, a journalist who has been an ardent³ supporter of Vladimir Putin and who recently said that gay people should be banned from giving blood. He said their hearts should be burned rather than used in transplants.

1 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 ardent   

adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的

参考例句：

• He's an ardent supporter of the local football team.他是本地足球队的热情支持者。
• Ardent expectations were held by his parents for his college career.他父母对他的大学学习抱着殷切的期望。