英语听力精选进阶版 14415

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

1January 2014

Death of a traditional craft

Transcript¹:

The ancient Afghan art of silk making.

The craft has been handed down through generations but is now under threat.

Demand for the delicate material has been falling for decades. Undercut by cheap imports, it's too expensive for ordinary Afghans. And the tourists haven't returned since the bloody² civil war.

Silk producers want investment and regulations to cut smuggling³, which they say is ruining the industry.

Vocabulary:

silk soft cloth produced from the thread of a type of worm

handed down passed from one generation to the next

under threat in danger

undercut negatively affected⁴ by a competitor selling the same product at a lower price

smuggling taking a product from one place to another illegally

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.

silk / handed down / under threat / undercut / smuggling

1. Iraq has the world's third largest reserves of crude oil but attacks, corruption⁵ and _________ have crippled exports.

2. More than 700 jobs are _________ in three tax offices in north-west England, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has said.

3. Since a Chinese empress supposedly dropped a cocoon⁶ into her hot tea and started to tease out the single thread of _________ that came loose, the smoothest of luxury materials has provided a status symbol for the rich and powerful.

4. The book has been _________ through his family over the generations.

5. Companies that think they can _________ competitors by employing illegal workers should be warned that they will face heavy fines and possible prosecution⁷.

Answers:

1. Iraq has the world's third largest reserves of crude oil but attacks, corruption and smuggling have crippled exports. Source: Iraq profile

2. More than 700 jobs are under threat in three tax offices in north-west England, the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union has said. Source: More than 700 tax jobs in Bootle, Preston and Salford' at risk'

3. Since a Chinese empress supposedly dropped a cocoon into her hot tea and started to tease out the single thread of silk that came loose, the smoothest of luxury materials has provided a status symbol for the rich and powerful. Source: How a northern town became a silk powerhouse 

4. The book has been handed down through his family over the generations.

Source: Book of soldiers' stories from World Wae One uncovered

5. Companies that think they can undercut competitors by employing illegal workers should be warned that they will face heavy fines and possible prosecution. Source: Belfast New Century Takeaway employed four illegal workers

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 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。

3 smuggling   

n.走私

参考例句：

• Some claimed that the docker's union fronted for the smuggling ring.某些人声称码头工人工会是走私集团的掩护所。
• The evidence pointed to the existence of an international smuggling network.证据表明很可能有一个国际走私网络存在。

4 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。

5 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

6 cocoon   

n.茧

参考例句：

• A cocoon is a kind of silk covering made by an insect.蚕茧是由昆虫制造的一种由丝组成的外包层。
• The beautiful butterfly emerged from the cocoon.美丽的蝴蝶自茧中出现。

7 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。