英语听力精选进阶版 14422

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

26 February 2014

Sanctuary¹ in Indonesia

Transcript²:

A gentle giant in the waters off Indonesia.

Manta rays now have government protection from the threat of fishing within the archipelago's vast ocean.

Fishermen can make up to $500 for each ray caught. But studies suggest a single animal could generate up to $1 million in tourist revenue.

The government's decision has been welcomed by conservationists. Manta rays are listed as vulnerable by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature.

Vocabulary:

archipelago a group of islands

generate make, produce

revenue income

conservationists people who want to preserve nature and wildlife

vulnerable in danger, at risk of being harmed

Watch the video online: Sanctuary in Indonesia http://bbc.in/1dsTGoR

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.

archipelago / generate / revenue / conservationists / vulnerable

1. Profits at Sina Corp, owner of China's largest Twitter-like site Weibo, surged in the fourth quarter, boosted by a jump in advertising³ __________.

2. The __________ of hundreds of islands sits at least 1,000 km (600 miles) from the mainland, and is closer to the coast of Burma (Myanmar).

3. Discovering a new species can be the defining moment of a biologist's career, but for some it can also mean exposing rare and __________ animals to the dark world of the wildlife pet trade, with catastrophic results.

4. In Ethiopia, there is now a food 'safety net' scheme assisting some eight million people vulnerable to chronic⁴ food shortages. They are often supplied for food in return for work, and the idea is that many can also get access to micro-credit and to ways of helping⁵ them __________ their own income.

5. One of the iconic species for __________, the giant panda, remains⁶ listed as 'endangered', despite recent efforts in China to release captive-bred pandas into the wild.

Answers:

1. Profits at Sina Corp, owner of China's largest Twitter-like site Weibo, surged in the fourth quarter, boosted by a jump in advertising revenue. Source: Sina Weibo: Profits at 'China's Twitter' surge

2. The archipelago of hundreds of islands sits at least 1,000 km (600 miles) from the mainland, and is closer to the coast of Burma (Myanmar). Source: Tourist boat capsizes in Andaman Sea, 'killing⁷ 21'

3. Discovering a new species can be the defining moment of a biologist's career, but for some it can also mean exposing rare and vulnerable animals to the dark world of the wildlife pet trade, with catastrophic results. Source: Should the location of newly discovered species be hidden?

4. In Ethiopia, there is now a food 'safety net' scheme assisting some eight million people vulnerable to chronic food shortages. They are often supplied for food in return for work, and the idea is that many can also get access to micro-credit and to ways of helping them generate their own income.

Source: Horn of Africa tested by severe drought

5. One of the iconic species for conservationists, the giant panda, remains listed as 'endangered', despite recent efforts in China to release captive-bred pandas into the wild. Source: Concern grows for smallest bear

1 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

2 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。

3 advertising   

n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的

参考例句：

• Can you give me any advice on getting into advertising? 你能指点我如何涉足广告业吗?
• The advertising campaign is aimed primarily at young people. 这个广告宣传运动主要是针对年轻人的。

4 chronic   

adj.(疾病)长期未愈的，慢性的；极坏的

参考例句：

• Famine differs from chronic malnutrition.饥荒不同于慢性营养不良。
• Chronic poisoning may lead to death from inanition.慢性中毒也可能由虚弱导致死亡。

5 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

6 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。

7 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。