英语听力精选进阶版 14423

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

5 March 2014

Battle of the Oranges

Transcript¹:

This is no ordinary carnival².

It's an epic³ food fight, called the Battle of the Oranges.

The event takes place in Ivrea in northern Italy, and is based on a legend from the Middle Ages, when the daughter of a miller⁴ rejected the advances of an evil lord.

People take the celebration very seriously indeed. And with several hundred tonnes of oranges thrown in three days, the clean-up operation is a battle in itself.

Vocabulary:

carnival a lively street festival, often involving unusual costumes, dancing, eating and drinking

epic extremely large, long or complex

the Middle Ages a period in European history from around 1000 AD to 1500 AD

advances attempts to start a sexual or romantic relationship with someone

clean-up making a place clean and tidy

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.

carnival / epic / the Middle Ages / advances / clean-up

1. Historic Scotland, which looks after the property, hopes that archaeologists will uncover new clues to castle life in ____________.

2. The city, one of the worst hit by the storm, is undergoing a massive ___________ with aid agencies paying locals a couple of dollars a day to help clear the debris⁵.

3. State Health Minister Shabir Ahmed Khan quit after the senior gynaecologist alleged⁶ that he "made sexual ___________" and tried to molest⁷ her.

4. The best samba schools of Rio de Janeiro have paraded amid Brazil's ___________ festivities.

Thousands of dancers and musicians showed off their colourful costumes and artistic⁸ skills to entertain the crowds that gathered to enjoy the spectacle.

5. A large snake has swallowed a crocodile following an ___________ struggle in northern Australia.

Answers:

1. Historic Scotland, which looks after the property, hopes that archaeologists will uncover new clues to castle life in the Middle Ages.

Source: Conservation work for Barra's Kisimul Castle

2. The city, one of the worst hit by the storm, is undergoing a massive

clean-up with aid agencies paying locals a couple of dollars a day to help clear the debris. Source: Typhoon Haiyan: Thousands join Tacloban clean-up

3. State Health Minister Shabir Ahmed Khan quit after the senior gynaecologist alleged that he "made sexual advances" and tried to molest her. Source: Kashmir minister accused of 'trying to molest' woman quits 

4. The best samba schools of Rio de Janeiro have paraded amid Brazil's carnival festivities.

Thousands of dancers and musicians showed off their colourful costumes and artistic skills to entertain the crowds that gathered to enjoy the spectacle.

Source: Brazilian massive extravaganza at Rio's carnival

5. A large snake has swallowed a crocodile following an epic struggle in northern Australia. Source: Snake eats crocodile in Northern Australia

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 carnival   

n.嘉年华会，狂欢，狂欢节，巡回表演

参考例句：

• I got some good shots of the carnival.我有几个狂欢节的精彩镜头。
• Our street puts on a carnival every year.我们街的居民每年举行一次嘉年华会。

3 epic   

n.史诗，叙事诗；adj.史诗般的，壮丽的

参考例句：

• I gave up my epic and wrote this little tale instead.我放弃了写叙事诗，而写了这个小故事。
• They held a banquet of epic proportions.他们举行了盛大的宴会。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 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。

6 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

7 molest   

vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏

参考例句：

• If the man continues to molest her,I promise to keep no measures with the delinquent.如果那人继续对她进行骚扰，我将对他这个违法者毫不宽容。
• If I were gone,all these would molest you.如果没有我，这一切都会来骚扰你。

8 artistic   

adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的

参考例句：

• The picture on this screen is a good artistic work.这屏风上的画是件很好的艺术品。
• These artistic handicrafts are very popular with foreign friends.外国朋友很喜欢这些美术工艺品。