英语听力精选进阶版 14440

BBC Learning English 

Video Words in the News  

9 April 2014 

Stone from the sky

Transcript¹:

Skydiving can be dangerous... 

Especially when a big, black rock whizzes past as you fall.

Anders Helstrup filmed what some think is a meteorite² during his jump in Norway.

One geologist³ is convinced that the object is indeed from space.

But searches of the ground have been fruitless so far.

Vocabulary:

skydiving

a sport in which you jump from an aircraft and fall for as long as possible before 

opening a parachute

whizzes

moves very fast

meteorite

piece of rock from space that has fallen to Earth

geologist

scientist who studies rocks

fruitless

unsuccessful

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.

skydiving / whizzes / meteorite / geologist / fruitless

1. Rare, prehistoric⁴ rock art which could be more than 4,000 years old has 

been discovered in the Brecon Beacons⁵. The Bronze Age discovery was 

made late last year by national park _________ Alan Bowring.

2. Employees at the online storage firm _________ through corridors on 

skates and office scooters. Some take time off to play pool and video games, 

and a plush music room is ready for a karaoke contest.

3. A _________ team from Garvagh, County Londonderry, have celebrated⁶ 

their 30th anniversary by jumping from a hot air balloon.

4. Spanish astronomers⁷ spotted⁸ a _________ with a mass of about half a 

tonne crashing into the lunar surface last September.

5. However, Mr Burns has admitted that Fuel Entertainment's search may 

prove _________. "We don't know exactly what we'll find, but it's bound to 

be interesting," he said.

Answers:

1. Rare, prehistoric rock art which could be more than 4,000 years old has been 

discovered in the Brecon Beacons. The Bronze Age discovery was made late 

last year by national park geologist Alan Bowring.

Source: Bronze Age rock art uncovered in Brecon Beacons    

2. Employees at the online storage firm whizz through corridors on skates and 

office scooters. Some take time off to play pool and video games, and a plush 

music room is ready for a karaoke contest.

Source: Digital Indians: How Ruchi Sanghvi engineered her rise     

3. A skydiving team from Garvagh, County Londonderry, have celebrated their 

30th anniversary by jumping from a hot air balloon.

Source: Skydive team celebrates anniversary     

4. Spanish astronomers spotted a meteorite with a mass of about half a tonne 

crashing into the lunar surface last September.

Source: 'Biggest observed meteorite impact' hits Moon     

5. However, Mr Burns has admitted that Fuel Entertainment's search may prove 

fruitless. "We don't know exactly what we'll find, but it's bound to be 

interesting," he said.

Source: ET game excavation confirmed by studio     

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 meteorite   

n.陨石；流星

参考例句：

• The meteorite in Jilin Exhibition Hall is believed to be the largest in the world.吉林展览馆的陨石被认为是世界上最大的。
• The famous Murchison meteorite smashed into the Australian ground in 1969.1969年著名的默奇森陨石轰然坠落在澳大利亚。

3 geologist   

n.地质学家

参考例句：

• The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.在那山谷里，地质学家发现了许多裸露的化石。
• He was a geologist,rated by his cronies as the best in the business.他是一位地质学家，被他的老朋友们看做是这门行当中最好的一位。

4 prehistoric   

adj.（有记载的）历史以前的，史前的，古老的

参考例句：

• They have found prehistoric remains.他们发现了史前遗迹。
• It was rather like an exhibition of prehistoric electronic equipment.这儿倒像是在展览古老的电子设备。

5 beacons   

灯塔( beacon的名词复数 )； 烽火； 指路明灯； 无线电台或发射台

参考例句：

• A chain of beacons was lit across the region. 整个地区点起了一系列灯塔。
• Lighthouse and beacons flash at night. 晚上灯塔与信号台闪着光。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 astronomers   

n.天文学者，天文学家( astronomer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Astronomers can accurately foretell the date,time,and length of future eclipses. 天文学家能精确地预告未来日食月食的日期、时刻和时长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Astronomers used to ask why only Saturn has rings. 天文学家们过去一直感到奇怪，为什么只有土星有光环。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。