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Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition
Top Chinese leadership and visiting US vice1 President Joe Biden vow2 to work together for bilateral3 ties and a global recovery.
North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Il visit Russia and is scheduled to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
Egypt recalls its ambassador to Israel after the killings5 of three Egyptian security men along the Egypt-Israel border in the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli violence.
India's most prominent anticorruption crusader, Anna Hazare, begins a public hunger strike and mass protest to push for government reform.
Hot Issue Reports
Biden's Trip Received by China's Confidence and Commitment to US Economy
U.S. Vice President Joe Biden is in China, trying to reassure8 Chinese leaders to maintain their confidence in the U.S. economy.
As Su Yi reports, China's top leadership has made clear that it is confident the U.S. economy will recover and reassured9 its willingness to work together with the Americans for a global recovery.
"To get straight to the point, Mr. President, President Obama asked me to come to Beijing to meet with you and others to reaffirm absolute total commitment to a strong and enduring, positive relationship with China."
Biden has reaffirmed Chinese president Hu Jintao that the Obama administration is fully10 committed to the two countries' bilateral ties.
Earlier he told his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, that Sino-American relations are crucial to global economic stability.
Xi has promised that China will avoid an economic hard landing.
"We will work for three elements-stable and relatively11 fast economic growth, economic restructuring, and management of inflation expectations. We have confidence and the capability12 to maintain stable and relatively fast growth of the national economy. China's economy will never see a so-called 'hard landing.'"
China's Vice Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai said in a briefing after the meetings that the two sides had found common ground on how to implement13 a global economic recovery.
"Both (countries) said they would work to strengthen cooperation, work with other relevant countries in coordinating14 macroeconomic policy, and promote, strengthen, stabilize15, recover and develop the world economy through bilateral and multilateral talks, including the G20. China and the U.S. are willing to take the responsibilities required to fulfill16 this."
Biden's trip comes amid mounting tension between the two nations over the staggering U.S. debt.
Earlier this month, the United States suffered a historic credit downgrade by rating agency Standard & Poor's.
To reassure confidence, Chinese Premier18 Wen Jiabao gave Biden a ringing endorsement19 of the resilience of the U.S. economy.
"Although the United States is undergoing some economic hardship, I believe that it is able to overcome its difficulties and return to a robust20 track of development. The prosperity and stability of the United States is favorable for the whole world."
Biden's meetings with Chinese leaders have also underlined the issues around U.S. arms sales to Taiwan and the denuclearization talks on the Korean Peninsula.
This is Biden's first trip to East Asia as vice president. He will also visit Mongolia and Japan.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi.
North Korea Top Leader Visits Russia
North Korea's top leader Kim Jong Il is now on a visit to Russia during which he is scheduled to meet with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev.
North Korea's state-run broadcaster KRT has confirmed the visit through a newsreader.
"Our leader Kim Jong-Il will pay a visit to Siberia and the Far Eastern region of the Russian Federation21 at the invitation of Dmitry Nikolaevich Medvedev, president of the Russian Federation. During the visit the top leaders of the two countries will have a meeting."
The country's official news agency KCNA says Kim's special train passed through Khasan, the border railway station of Russia in the morning of Aug. 20. It says the visit marks a historic occasion in boosting the friendship between the two countries.
Russian media earlier reported that the North Korean leader will travel to Ulan Ude, where he is expected to meet with Medvedev around mid-week.
Russian Foreign Ministry24 said the deliveries of up to 50,000 tons of food will end in September, and Russia regards the humanitarian operation as "a contribution to the traditionally neighborly relations between people of the two countries".
Kim visited Russia twice in 2001 and 2002.
Taliban Attack on British Council Compound in Kabul Kills 12
Taliban militants25 have stormed the British Council office in the Afghan capital, Kabul, killing4 at least 12 people and taking over the compound for hours.
A suicide car bomb destroyed the compound wall and a number of armed men forced their way inside.
The Afghan Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack that marked the anniversary of Afghanistan's independence.
"This is a particularly vicious and cowardly attack, but it is an attack that hasn't succeeded. I spoke28 to our ambassador in Kabul this morning and he assured me that all of the British Council staff is safe and are now back at the British Embassy and the Embassy is safe, but obviously there has been a tragic29 loss of life of Afghan police and others."
Syria: 20 Killed in Fresh Protests; Syrians Reject Foreign Interventions31
In Syria, at least 20 people are reported killed and dozens injured in fresh protests following the international call for President Bashar al-Assad to step down.
Syrian state television says a limited number of protests erupted after Friday prayers in several areas, including southern Deraa province and central Homos city.
The official SANA news agency reports at least five people have been killed by armed groups.
The reports cannot be independently verified as foreign journalists are banned from heading to restive32 areas in the country.
Meanwhile, the European Union is expanding its sanctions against Syria by imposing33 an asset freeze and travel ban on 20 Syrian nationals.
The EU is also preparing new restrictive measures, including an embargo34 on the import of Syrian crude oil.
The new EU sanctions come following U.S.-led calls for Assad to step down.
But some Syrians say the president is capable of leading "reforms" in his country.
"The Syrian president is legitimate36, and he obtained his legitimacy37 from the Syrian people; the Syrian people who believe that the Syrian president, Mr. Assad, is the person who is capable of leading the reforming operation."
Some people in Damascus are backing his view, saying the United States should keep out of Syrian affairs.
"Syrian people of all backgrounds and spectrums-pro-(Assad), opposition38 or even the independents-completely refuse any type of external intervention30 in Syrian internal affairs, especially the American intervention, which means the concept of intervention is refused in our internal affairs."
Human rights groups say about two-thousand people have been killed and thousands of others arrested in Syria since mid-March.
Egypt has decided40 to recall the country's diplomatic envoy to Israel after the killings of three Egyptian security men along the Egypt-Israel border in the latest round of Palestinian-Israeli violence.
The Egyptian government has also summoned the Israeli ambassador in Cairo to protest the killings.
Palestinian militants launched a series attacks in South Israel on Thursday, killing eight people. Israeli forces then chased down the attackers and killed at least six of them.
The gunmen who targeted Israeli vehicles on Thursday are believed to have crossed into southern Israel through the Egyptian desert.
The Egyptian security men were caught in the crossfire41 and might have been mistakenly killed by Israeli forces as Palestinian militants who were reportedly in Egyptian security uniforms when they launched the attacks.
Egyptians have held a protest outside the Israeli embassy in Cairo.
"This is an extreme humiliation42 to Egypt, and we reject this humiliation (from Israel). We have and always had called for our demand to end the peace treaty with Israel."
Following Thursday's conflict, Israel repeatedly bombed targets in the Gaza Strip, apparently43 in retaliation44 of the Palestinian attacks, killing 15 Palestinians so far, including militants and innocent civilians45.
Analysts46 say Thursday's attack signals a new danger for Israel from its border with the Sinai Peninsula, which was quiet under the rule of the former Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak.
Indian Anti-corruption7 Campaigner Stages Hunger Strike
India's most prominent anticorruption crusader, Anna Hazare, has begun a public hunger strike and mass protest to push for government reform.
Hazare has been released from a New Delhi jail and was greeted by thousands of cheering supporters.
The white-clad, 73-year-old activist47 cloaked his demands for a tough anticorruption law in the halo of India's liberation hero Mohandas K. Gandhi.
Earlier in the week, Indian police briefly49 arrested Hazare after he declared his intention to hold a public hunger strike in defiance50 of their restrictions51 on the demonstration52.
He began his fast in jail and refused to leave when police tried to free him, demanding the right to hold a long public demonstration.
Hazare's standoff with authorities has galvanized the nation's anger at official corruption. Sympathy protests have been organized across the country in a show of support.
Hazare's protest is aimed at pushing the government to pass his version of a proposed bill to create a powerful ombudsman to police top officials.
Government officials have criticized Hazare in turn, saying he was twisting time-honored protest tactics to subvert54 the legislative55 process and force elected officials to bow to his own agenda.
Norway has ordered mass killer Anders Behring Breivik to remain in solitary58 confinement59 for the next four weeks despite his complaints.
Judge Hugo Abelseth made the announcement after a court hearing in Oslo.
"The Oslo court has decided to extend Breivik's isolation period by four weeks. The court has decided to extend it because police are worried he (Breivik) will tamper60 with police evidence, and the court agrees."
Breivik has admitted killing 77 people last month in a bomb attack in Oslo and a subsequent shooting spree on a nearby island.
Police have still not ruled out the possibility of accomplices61 to the crime and are keen to prevent Breivik from communicating with the outside world.
The 32-year old Breivik described his isolation as boring and monotonous62, and as a sadistic63 method of torture.
Under Norwegian rules, Breivik will likely remain in prison until he goes to trial in a year, but the conditions under which he is held may at some point be relaxed.
Spain Announces Further Austerity Measures
Spain has announced further austerity measures while unveiling a halving64 of sales tax on home purchases.
Spanish Economy Minister Elena Salgado says Spain seeks to strike a balance between cutting its national deficit65 and stimulating66 economic growth.
"We continue to work in both aspects-fiscal67 consolidation68 and structural69 reforms and in general everything that contributes to the creation of jobs in our country."
Under the new measure, sales tax for the purchase of newly constructed homes will be cut from 8 percent down to 4 percent in order to stimulate70 Spain's badly-hit construction sector71.
The temporary tax cut would last through till the end of the year.
The government will also increase corporate72 tax, which is aimed at bringing 2.5 billion euros in additional revenue in 2011.
Moves to cut drug costs for regional governments with a new bill on generic73 medicines will save 2.4 billion euros. A further 2.5 billion euros will be saved by front-loading tax payments from large businesses to 2013.
The government says the measures will make it easier for it to hit its deficit targets this year as it battles to avoid being dragged into a euro zone debt crisis.
Spain aims to cut its deficit to six percent of gross domestic product (GDP) this year.
The Spanish parliament has been recalled to vote next week on the measures, which are expected to win lawmakers' approval.
Severe Drought Hits Yunnan Province
A severe drought has hit more than 20 counties and cities in the central and eastern parts of southwest China's Yunnan Province.
The drought has affected74 nearly 6 million people in the province, about one-eighth of the total population.
More than 800,000 hectares of crops have been destroyed, among which 60,300 hectares have borne no harvest at all.
It's estimated that the province's direct economic losses in agriculture amount to 5 billion yuan.
Kong Chuizhu, Deputy Governor of Yunnan Province, says drought relief emergency plans have been carried out.
"We have raised more than 200 million yuan to combat the drought."
Since the flood season began in May, the province's accumulated rainfall has been 477 millimeters, 103 millimeters lower than the same period in the previous years.
During the main flood season of July and August, the accumulated rainfall has dropped to its lowest level since 1959.
Meanwhile, a continuous heat wave in Yuhuan County in east China's Zhejiang Province has withered76 670 hectares of local rice paddies and caused a total harvest failure in half the area.
Farmers say water in the fields have evaporated because of high temperatures, leaving a high density77 of salinity78 that has damaged crops.
New Unmanned Air Vehicles Unveiled in Moscow International Air Show
Several Russian aircraft production companies have unveiled new unmanned air vehicles during this year's Moscow International Air Show.
The JSC Vega Radio Engineering Corporation presented Lutch, Russia's first unmanned air vehicle or UAV.
Designed to carry out air strikes, Lutch can carry up to 170 kilograms of ammunition79 and weapons control systems.
With an 800-kilogram maximum take-off weight, the aircraft is able to fly at speeds of up to 270 kilometers per hour with an endurance of no less than 18 hours.
Seroezhko Aleksander Aleksanderovich, chief of Vega's UAV project, further elaborates on the plane's advantages.
"The advantage of this UAV is that it can perform a variety of assignments in a wide range, including scouting80 and attacking. Moreover, it can take off on a short runway."
Another Russian aircraft producer, the Zala Aero Group, also unveiled a new UAV, called the ZALA 421-16E during the air show.
Under development for the past 14 months, the ZALA 421-16E tactical UAV is a 2.8m flying-wing type aircraft with a pusher propeller81 configuration82.
It's also equipped with a color PAL6 camera utilizing83 HD quality resolution. The ZALA 421-16E will be used during the 2014 Winter Games in Sochi.
This year's Moscow International Air Show features Russia's state-of-the art planes.
Boeing, Airbus, and other international aircraft producers have also sent their latest products to be displayed at the event.
China Daily: Where Are Our Tax Cuts?
Workers who earn high year-end bonuses in China sometimes take home much less after paying taxes than those who earn slightly lower ones.
The current taxation84 system divides the total bonus amount by 12 to determine the tax rate according to the progressive tax scheme as well as a quick-calculation tax deduction85 number. That means some taxpayers86 whose monthly bonus is slightly higher than the thresholds pay much more tax than those who earn a few yuan less. As a result, many citizens have called for a larger quick-calculation tax deduction to solve the problem.
The public reacted positively87 when state media reported earlier this week that the Central Government was considering revising the tax calculation in the next few months. But their joy quickly turned into disappointment when the State Administration of Taxation said the news was just a rumor88.
A commentary in "China Daily" notes that Chinese taxpayers were angry when they found out the tax regulator did not intend to make even the slightest change, because they believe they deserve tax cuts in the face of rising living costs.
Analysts predict the country's inflation rate may hit more than 6 percent in the third quarter. Amid high inflationary pressure, the nation's lawmakers have raised the income tax threshold by 1,500 to 3,500 yuan.
The commentary also says the rapid growth of the Chinese government's revenues has given people a further reason for requesting tax cuts. In 2010, the country's fiscal revenues climbed more than 20 percent year-on-year. In the first seven months of this year, the government collected more than 30 percent more revenue than during the same period last year.
The commentary argues that it is time for the State Administration of Taxation to conduct an investigation89 to find out who started the rumor and explain why a seemingly reasonable change in the taxation calculation has been postponed90 time and again.
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1 vice | |
n.坏事;恶习;[pl.]台钳,老虎钳;adj.副的 | |
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2 vow | |
n.誓(言),誓约;v.起誓,立誓 | |
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3 bilateral | |
adj.双方的,两边的,两侧的 | |
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4 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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5 killings | |
谋杀( killing的名词复数 ); 突然发大财,暴发 | |
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6 pal | |
n.朋友,伙伴,同志;vi.结为友 | |
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7 corruption | |
n.腐败,堕落,贪污 | |
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8 reassure | |
v.使放心,使消除疑虑 | |
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9 reassured | |
adj.使消除疑虑的;使放心的v.再保证,恢复信心( reassure的过去式和过去分词) | |
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10 fully | |
adv.完全地,全部地,彻底地;充分地 | |
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11 relatively | |
adv.比较...地,相对地 | |
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12 capability | |
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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13 implement | |
n.(pl.)工具,器具;vt.实行,实施,执行 | |
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14 coordinating | |
v.使协调,使调和( coordinate的现在分词 );协调;协同;成为同等 | |
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15 stabilize | |
vt.(使)稳定,使稳固,使稳定平衡;vi.稳定 | |
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16 fulfill | |
vt.履行,实现,完成;满足,使满意 | |
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17 creditor | |
n.债仅人,债主,贷方 | |
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18 premier | |
adj.首要的;n.总理,首相 | |
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19 endorsement | |
n.背书;赞成,认可,担保;签(注),批注 | |
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20 robust | |
adj.强壮的,强健的,粗野的,需要体力的,浓的 | |
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21 federation | |
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会 | |
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22 batch | |
n.一批(组,群);一批生产量 | |
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23 humanitarian | |
n.人道主义者,博爱者,基督凡人论者 | |
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24 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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25 militants | |
激进分子,好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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26 bloody | |
adj.非常的的;流血的;残忍的;adv.很;vt.血染 | |
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27 condemns | |
v.(通常因道义上的原因而)谴责( condemn的第三人称单数 );宣判;宣布…不能使用;迫使…陷于不幸的境地 | |
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28 spoke | |
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说 | |
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29 tragic | |
adj.悲剧的,悲剧性的,悲惨的 | |
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30 intervention | |
n.介入,干涉,干预 | |
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31 interventions | |
n.介入,干涉,干预( intervention的名词复数 ) | |
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32 restive | |
adj.不安宁的,不安静的 | |
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33 imposing | |
adj.使人难忘的,壮丽的,堂皇的,雄伟的 | |
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34 embargo | |
n.禁运(令);vt.对...实行禁运,禁止(通商) | |
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35 analyst | |
n.分析家,化验员;心理分析学家 | |
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36 legitimate | |
adj.合法的,合理的,合乎逻辑的;v.使合法 | |
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37 legitimacy | |
n.合法,正当 | |
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38 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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39 envoy | |
n.使节,使者,代表,公使 | |
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40 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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41 crossfire | |
n.被卷进争端 | |
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42 humiliation | |
n.羞辱 | |
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43 apparently | |
adv.显然地;表面上,似乎 | |
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44 retaliation | |
n.报复,反击 | |
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45 civilians | |
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓 | |
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46 analysts | |
分析家,化验员( analyst的名词复数 ) | |
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47 activist | |
n.活动分子,积极分子 | |
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48 traitors | |
卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 ); 叛徒; 背叛者; 背信弃义的人 | |
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49 briefly | |
adv.简单地,简短地 | |
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50 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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51 restrictions | |
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则) | |
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52 demonstration | |
n.表明,示范,论证,示威 | |
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53 activists | |
n.(政治活动的)积极分子,活动家( activist的名词复数 ) | |
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54 subvert | |
v.推翻;暗中破坏;搅乱 | |
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55 legislative | |
n.立法机构,立法权;adj.立法的,有立法权的 | |
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56 killer | |
n.杀人者,杀人犯,杀手,屠杀者 | |
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57 isolation | |
n.隔离,孤立,分解,分离 | |
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58 solitary | |
adj.孤独的,独立的,荒凉的;n.隐士 | |
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59 confinement | |
n.幽禁,拘留,监禁;分娩;限制,局限 | |
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60 tamper | |
v.干预,玩弄,贿赂,窜改,削弱,损害 | |
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61 accomplices | |
从犯,帮凶,同谋( accomplice的名词复数 ) | |
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62 monotonous | |
adj.单调的,一成不变的,使人厌倦的 | |
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63 sadistic | |
adj.虐待狂的 | |
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64 halving | |
n.对分,二等分,减半[航空、航海]等分v.把…分成两半( halve的现在分词 );把…减半;对分;平摊 | |
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65 deficit | |
n.亏空,亏损;赤字,逆差 | |
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66 stimulating | |
adj.有启发性的,能激发人思考的 | |
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67 fiscal | |
adj.财政的,会计的,国库的,国库岁入的 | |
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68 consolidation | |
n.合并,巩固 | |
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69 structural | |
adj.构造的,组织的,建筑(用)的 | |
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70 stimulate | |
vt.刺激,使兴奋;激励,使…振奋 | |
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71 sector | |
n.部门,部分;防御地段,防区;扇形 | |
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72 corporate | |
adj.共同的,全体的;公司的,企业的 | |
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73 generic | |
adj.一般的,普通的,共有的 | |
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74 affected | |
adj.不自然的,假装的 | |
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75 dwindled | |
v.逐渐变少或变小( dwindle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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76 withered | |
adj. 枯萎的,干瘪的,(人身体的部分器官)因病萎缩的或未发育良好的 动词wither的过去式和过去分词形式 | |
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77 density | |
n.密集,密度,浓度 | |
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78 salinity | |
n.盐分;咸度;盐浓度;咸性 | |
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79 ammunition | |
n.军火,弹药 | |
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80 scouting | |
守候活动,童子军的活动 | |
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81 propeller | |
n.螺旋桨,推进器 | |
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82 configuration | |
n.结构,布局,形态,(计算机)配置 | |
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83 utilizing | |
v.利用,使用( utilize的现在分词 ) | |
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84 taxation | |
n.征税,税收,税金 | |
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85 deduction | |
n.减除,扣除,减除额;推论,推理,演绎 | |
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86 taxpayers | |
纳税人,纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 ) | |
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87 positively | |
adv.明确地,断然,坚决地;实在,确实 | |
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88 rumor | |
n.谣言,谣传,传说 | |
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89 investigation | |
n.调查,调查研究 | |
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90 postponed | |
vt.& vi.延期,缓办,(使)延迟vt.把…放在次要地位;[语]把…放在后面(或句尾)vi.(疟疾等)延缓发作(或复发) | |
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