英语听力精选进阶版 14418

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

22 January 2014

New Zealand whales

Transcript¹:

Saving the lives of these stranded² whales is a race against time.

Around 70 pilot whales have been found on the sand at Puponga Beach in New Zealand this week.

More than 100 volunteers worked tirelessly to get the animals floating again.

It's no mean feat³ to return these mammals to the sea. But only 46 survived and are now safely swimming in deeper water.

Vocabulary:

stranded unable to leave a place because something prevents you

tirelessly working energetically non-stop

floating being near the surface of the water

no mean feat a great achievement

mammals animals which drink milk from their mothers' bodies when young, like dogs, cows and horses

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.

stranded / tirelessly / floating / no mean feat / mammals

1. The floods peaked at a lower level than expected but more than 30 suburbs are under water. Huge amounts of debris⁴ - cars, boats and jetties - have been __________ downstream, some smashing into bridges.

2. Collecting medicine from a hospital or clinic-based dispensary in some of South Africa's townships is __________. There is the cost of transport to the facility, often hours spent queuing, the cost to have someone look after children left at home, or the loss of pay because of missing work.

3. The Russian research ship Akademik Shokalskiy and Chinese icebreaker Xue Long have broken free from Antarctic ice where they had been __________ for several days.

4. "Our dedicated⁵ team of keepers, veterinary staff and many others worked __________ to ensure Tian Tian received the best care possible, which included remote observation and closing the panda enclosure to visitors to give her quiet and privacy."

5. Smaller __________, like koalas, which can weigh as little as 8kg (18lb), tend to have a smaller larynx with shorter, thinner vocal⁶ folds. And just like strings⁷ on a musical instrument, these make a higher pitched sound.

Answers:

1. The floods peaked at a lower level than expected but more than 30 suburbs are under water. Huge amounts of debris - cars, boats and jetties - have been floating downstream, some smashing into bridges. Source: Queensland rebuilding 'huge task'

2. Collecting medicine from a hospital or clinic-based dispensary in some of South Africa's townships is no mean feat. There is the cost of transport to the facility, often hours spent queuing, the cost to have someone look after children left at home, or the loss of pay because of missing work. Source: South Africa's cycling medicine men

3. The Russian research ship Akademik Shokalskiy and Chinese icebreaker Xue Long have broken free from Antarctic ice where they had been stranded for several days. Source: Antarctic ships escape from ice trap as weather changes

4. "Our dedicated team of keepers, veterinary staff and many others worked tirelessly to ensure Tian Tian received the best care possible, which included remote observation and closing the panda enclosure to visitors to give her quiet and privacy."

Source: Edinburgh Zoo panda Tian Tian 'no longer pregnant'

5. Smaller mammals, like koalas, which can weigh as little as 8kg (18lb), tend to have a smaller larynx with shorter, thinner vocal folds. And just like strings on a musical instrument, these make a higher pitched sound. Source: Koalas bellow with unique voice organ

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 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

4 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

5 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

6 vocal   

adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目

参考例句：

• The tongue is a vocal organ.舌头是一个发音器官。
• Public opinion at last became vocal.终于舆论哗然。

7 strings   

n.弦

参考例句：

• He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。
• She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。