英语听力精选进阶版 14426

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

26 March 2014

Road of nails

Transcript¹:

Mending punctures² is big business in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.

But competition is intense. And police believe some tyre repairmen are paying criminal gangs to throw nails onto the roads, to drum up more business.

Now, a community group is trying to clear the roads using home-made magnets.

They've collected more than two tonnes of nails in the last three years.

Police say they'll work with these volunteers to tackle the problem.

Vocabulary:

punctures small holes made by sharp objects

tyre a thick rubber ring around a wheel

drum up to create interest, support or business

magnets metal objects that can attract certain metals

tackle to deal with

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.

punctures / tyre / drum up / magnets / tackle

1. Even through the thickness of my hand I can feel the _________ tugging³ at the disk of metal.

2. A blog was launched on Monday to try and _________ interest, and a cycling campaigner said urgent action needed to be taken.

3. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but several drivers including his teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered __________.

4. Vehicle examiners found fifteen cars with inadequate⁴ __________ during a routine check last week on Douglas promenade⁵.

5. A new scheme is being launched this morning to try to _________ long-term unemployment in eight of Wales' worst affected⁶ areas.

Answers:

1. Even through the thickness of my hand I can feel the magnet tugging at the disk of metal. Source: Rare earths: Neither rare, nor earths

2. A blog was launched on Monday to try and drum up interest, and a cycling campaigner said urgent action needed to be taken. Source: Giro d'Italia Belfast route to pass site of Dunlop tyre revolution 

3. Mercedes' Nico Rosberg won the British Grand Prix at Silverstone, but several drivers including his teammate Lewis Hamilton suffered punctures. Source: Your view: Rosberg wins British GP amid tyre chaos⁷

4. Vehicle examiners found fifteen cars with inadequate tyres during a routine check last week on Douglas promenade.

Source: Worn tyres prompt Isle⁸ of Man prosecution⁹ warning

5. A new scheme is being launched this morning to try to tackle long-term unemployment in eight of Wales' worst affected areas. Source: Long-term jobless scheme offers 5,000 training places 

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 punctures   

n.（尖物刺成的）小孔( puncture的名词复数 )；（尤指）轮胎穿孔；（尤指皮肤上被刺破的）扎孔；刺伤v.在（某物）上穿孔( puncture的第三人称单数 )；刺穿（某物）；削弱（某人的傲气、信心等）；泄某人的气

参考例句：

• My car has had two punctures this week. 这个星期我的汽车轮胎被戳破两次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• SCULLY: Needle punctures, maybe. An animal bite. Electrocution of some kind. 针刺的，也许。动物的咬伤。某种电击。 来自互联网

3 tugging   

n.牵引感v.用力拉，使劲拉，猛扯( tug的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Tom was tugging at a button-hole and looking sheepish. 汤姆捏住一个钮扣眼使劲地拉，样子显得很害羞。 来自英汉文学 - 汤姆历险
• She kicked him, tugging his thick hair. 她一边踢他，一边扯着他那浓密的头发。 来自辞典例句

4 inadequate   

adj.(for,to)不充足的，不适当的

参考例句：

• The supply is inadequate to meet the demand.供不应求。
• She was inadequate to the demands that were made on her.她还无力满足对她提出的各项要求。

5 promenade   

n./v.散步

参考例句：

• People came out in smarter clothes to promenade along the front.人们穿上更加时髦漂亮的衣服，沿着海滨散步。
• We took a promenade along the canal after Sunday dinner.星期天晚饭后我们沿着运河散步。

6 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。

7 chaos   

n.混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• After the failure of electricity supply the city was in chaos.停电后，城市一片混乱。
• The typhoon left chaos behind it.台风后一片混乱。

8 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

9 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。