英语听力精选进阶版 14512

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

20 August 2014

Talking statues

Transcript¹:

Alone and aloof². Figures from history stand mute in London and Manchester.

But now, an art project hopes to breathe new life into them.

Using your phone, you scan the plaque³. And then… you get a call from Queen Victoria:

"Hello, Victoria here."

The creator of the project wants people to take a fresh look at these familiar faces.

Vocabulary:

aloof

not friendly; not wanting to join in with activities with other people

mute

silent; not talking or unable to talk

to breathe new life into

to give new energy or ideas to

plaque

flat piece of metal or stone with information on it that is hung from a wall or door or other surface

to take a fresh look

to look at or consider something again in a different way

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.

aloof / mute / to breathe new life into / plaque / to take a fresh look

1. A federal appeals court has asked a lower district court _________ at which claims are legitimate⁴.

2. A _________ mounted on the front of the "Dundee Postal⁵ War Memorial" said the capsule should be opened by the Postmaster, in the presence of the Lord Provost, on 4 August 2014.

3. Mr Mintoff made a point of making himself accessible to ordinary people. In public he always presented himself as a statesman but he was not distant or _________.

4. The new clientele has helped __________ a sport that was in decline.

5. "I thought my voice had killed him, so it was better not to speak - so I simply stopped speaking," she said. She remained _________ for five years, but read voraciously⁶.

Answers:

1. A federal appeals court has asked a lower district court to take a fresh look at which claims are legitimate.

2. A plaque mounted on the front of the "Dundee Postal War Memorial" said the capsule should be opened by the Postmaster, in the presence of the Lord Provost, on 4 August 2014.

3. Mr Mintoff made a point of making himself accessible to ordinary people. In public he always presented himself as a statesman but he was not distant or aloof.

4. The new clientele has helped breathe new life into a sport that was in decline.

5. "I thought my voice had killed him, so it was better not to speak - so I simply stopped speaking," she said. She remained mute for five years, but read voraciously.

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 aloof   

adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的

参考例句：

• Never stand aloof from the masses.千万不可脱离群众。
• On the evening the girl kept herself timidly aloof from the crowd.这小女孩在晚会上一直胆怯地远离人群。

3 plaque   

n.饰板，匾，(医)血小板

参考例句：

• There is a commemorative plaque to the artist in the village hall.村公所里有一块纪念该艺术家的牌匾。
• Some Latin words were engraved on the plaque. 牌匾上刻着些拉丁文。

4 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

5 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

6 voraciously   

adv.贪婪地

参考例句：

• The bears feed voraciously in summer and store energy as fat. 熊在夏季吃很多东西，以脂肪形式储存能量。 来自《简明英汉词典》