英语听力精选进阶版 16108

 

Business Matters: A blow for Obamacare 01 Jul 14

Tue, 1 Jul 14

The US Supreme¹ Court rules that business owners can opt² out of providing certain birth control methods as part of their company's health insurance scheme if the contraception is at odds³ with their religious beliefs. We hear from the left leaning American Civil Liberties Union and also from the Family Research Council on the religious right. In our New York bureau, Ben Casselman, Chief Economics Writer at FiveThirtyEight.com, discusses the $8.9bn fine levied⁴ against French bank BNP Paribas for busting⁵ US sanctions against countries like Iraq and Cuba. At home in India, Revathy Ashok of the Bangalore Political Action Committee, discusses the global problem of food wastage. Plus: what happens to a relationship when the woman earns more than the man? Lucy Kellaway of the Financial Times gives us her view.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 opt   

vi.选择，决定做某事

参考例句：

• They opt for more holiday instead of more pay.他们选择了延长假期而不是增加工资。
• Will individual schools be given the right to opt out of the local school authority?各个学校可能有权选择退出地方教育局吗？

3 odds   

n.让步，机率，可能性，比率；胜败优劣之别

参考例句：

• The odds are 5 to 1 that she will win.她获胜的机会是五比一。
• Do you know the odds of winning the lottery once?你知道赢得一次彩票的几率多大吗？

4 levied   

征（兵）( levy的过去式和过去分词 )； 索取； 发动（战争）； 征税

参考例句：

• Taxes should be levied more on the rich than on the poor. 向富人征收的税应该比穷人的多。
• Heavy fines were levied on motoring offenders. 违规驾车者会遭到重罚。

5 busting   

打破，打碎( bust的现在分词 )； 突击搜查（或搜捕）； （使）降级，降低军阶

参考例句：

• Jim and his wife were busting up again yesterday. 吉姆和他的妻子昨天又吵架了。
• He figured she was busting his chops, but it was all true. 他以为她在捉弄他，其实完全是真的。