英语听力精选进阶版 14516

Message in a bottle

BBC Learning English

Video Words in the News

17 September 2014

Message in a bottle

Transcript¹:

Nobody likes junk mail…

But this pile of rubbish might contain just what Nicola White is looking for.

She hunts for messages in bottles on the banks of the River Thames in England.

Nicola's found over 30 in three years, including a declaration² of love and an appeal for a job.

It seems, in this case, bottling up your emotions is a good way of sharing them.

Vocabulary:

junk mail

letters or emails, usually advertising³ something, which are sent to people who have not asked for them

hunts

tries to find (something or someone)

banks

raised land along the sides of a river

declaration of love

announcement of love

bottling up

hiding (negative feelings and emotions)

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.

junk mail / hunts / banks / declaration of love / bottling up

1. So a typical __________ might be: "Older brother loves younger sister." If, however the woman was older, it would be: "Older sister loves younger brother."

2. Officials say people should complain to the Direct Marketing⁴ Association or the Office of Fair Trading if they continue to receive __________ after requesting not to.

3. Tens of thousands of people have lined the __________ of the Qiantang River in China to watch the world-famous annual tidal bore.

4. Police are __________ for vandals who slashed⁵ 13 tyres on vehicles in Grouville belonging to a St Martin-based used car dealer⁶.

5. "_________ these harmful emotions is the worst thing that we can do and invariably⁷ makes matters worse," he said.

Answers:

1. So a typical declaration of love might be: "Older brother loves younger sister." If, however the woman was older, it would be: "Older sister loves younger brother."

2. Officials say people should complain to the Direct Marketing Association or the Office of Fair Trading if they continue to receive junk mail after requesting not to.

3. Tens of thousands of people have lined the banks of the Qiantang River in China to watch the world-famous annual tidal bore.

4. Police are hunting for vandals who slashed 13 tyres on vehicles in Grouville belonging to a St Martin-based used car dealer.

5. "Bottling up these harmful emotions is the worst thing that we can do and invariably makes matters worse," he said.

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 declaration   

n.宣布，宣告，宣言，声明（书），申报

参考例句：

• We read the declaration posted on the bulletin board.我们读了贴在布告板上的声明。
• At the recent convention a declaration was adopted.在最近举行的大会上通过了一项宣言。

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 marketing   

n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西

参考例句：

• They are developing marketing network.他们正在发展销售网络。
• He often goes marketing.他经常去市场做生意。

5 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 dealer   

n.商人，贩子

参考例句：

• The dealer spent hours bargaining for the painting.那个商人为购买那幅画花了几个小时讨价还价。
• The dealer reduced the price for cash down.这家商店对付现金的人减价优惠。

7 invariably   

adv.不变地，始终如一地，总是

参考例句：

• A unity invariably tends to break up into different parts.统一体总要分解为不同部分的。
• We always invariably support him.我们一直始终不变地支持他。