英语听力精选进阶版 15409

 

Business Matters: Philippines in 'national calamity¹' 12 Nov 13

Tue, 12 Nov 13

As a state of national calamity has been declared in the Philippines, we have the latest on the relief effort now under way in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan. Also on the program we find out why Venezuela's president has sent troops into shops selling household appliances. He has been cracking down on the businessmen he calls "the bourgeois² parasites³" . There has been a baby boom in the American Mid⁴ West - which is a sign the economy is recovering. We ask whether it is a trend that's likely to spread across the rest of the United States. Plus, if you have a fear of jellyfish you may want to close your ears. We find out whether they really are taking over the world.

1 calamity   

n.灾害，祸患，不幸事件

参考例句：

• Even a greater natural calamity cannot daunt us. 再大的自然灾害也压不垮我们。
• The attack on Pearl Harbor was a crushing calamity.偷袭珍珠港(对美军来说)是一场毁灭性的灾难。

2 bourgeois   

adj./n.追求物质享受的(人)；中产阶级分子

参考例句：

• He's accusing them of having a bourgeois and limited vision.他指责他们像中产阶级一样目光狭隘。
• The French Revolution was inspired by the bourgeois.法国革命受到中产阶级的鼓励。

3 parasites   

寄生物( parasite的名词复数 )； 靠他人为生的人； 诸虫

参考例句：

• These symptoms may be referable to virus infection rather than parasites. 这些症状也许是由病毒感染引起的，而与寄生虫无关。
• Kangaroos harbor a vast range of parasites. 袋鼠身上有各种各样的寄生虫。

4 mid   

adj.中央的，中间的

参考例句：

• Our mid-term exam is pending.我们就要期中考试了。
• He switched over to teaching in mid-career.他在而立之年转入教学工作。