英语听力精选进阶版 17058

 

WBR: India's Flipkart pulls out of controversial Airtel deal 14 April 2015

Tue, 14 Apr 15

India's biggest online retailer¹ has pulled out of a controversial deal after a social media backlash. Flipkart had agreed a deal with phone network Airtel to let customers browse² its site for free, with Flipkart picking up their internet data costs. But critics said this went against net neutrality. The row comes as regulators in India are drawing up new rules surrounding net neutrality. The sardine³ population off the west coast of the US has plummeted⁴ and the fishing season due to start on July 1st has already been cancelled. However, sardine numbers are so low that an emergency meeting has been called to decide whether boats should be tied up even earlier. Plus, in Indonesia, home to the world's largest muslim population, there's a creeping crackdown on the sale of alcoholic⁵ drinks. And the BBC's Ali Moore reports from Singapore, where the low oil price means many drilling programmes have been delayed or cancelled, resulting in huge and expensive oil rigs simply being left idle.

1 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

2 browse   

vi.随意翻阅，浏览；(牛、羊等)吃草

参考例句：

• I had a browse through the books on her shelf.我浏览了一下她书架上的书。
• It is a good idea to browse through it first.最好先通篇浏览一遍。

3 sardine   

n.[C]沙丁鱼

参考例句：

• Every bus arrives and leaves packed as fully as a sardine tin.每辆开来和开走的公共汽车都塞得像沙丁鱼罐头一样拥挤。
• As we chatted,a brightly painted sardine boat dropped anchor.我们正在聊着，只见一条颜色鲜艳的捕捞沙丁鱼的船抛了锚。

4 plummeted   

v.垂直落下，骤然跌落( plummet的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Share prices plummeted to an all-time low. 股票价格暴跌到历史最低点。
• A plane plummeted to earth. 一架飞机一头栽向地面。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 alcoholic   

adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者

参考例句：

• The alcoholic strength of brandy far exceeds that of wine.白兰地的酒精浓度远远超过葡萄酒。
• Alcoholic drinks act as a poison to a child.酒精饮料对小孩犹如毒药。