英语听力精选进阶版 7137（在线收听）

Background: 近日冰岛国会决定将赔偿由于冰岛银行2008年破产，而对其英国和荷兰储户造成的巨额存款损失。此举受到冰岛民众的强烈抗议，所以冰岛总统拒绝签署这项赔偿法案，并建议由公众投票的方式来做此决定。英国和荷兰政府对这个消息感到极为震惊和不满。

Icelandic MPs are meant to be enjoying a lengthy Christmas break - instead they've been summoned back to Parliament to discuss the fallout of President Olafur Grimsson's refusal to sign a bill allowing more than $5bn to be paid to the British and Dutch governments.

A quarter of the population had signed a petition calling for him to withhold his signature.

The money was meant to compensate the two governments after they bailed out savers put at risk when the online Icesave bank collapsed in 2008.

Now a public referendum will be held, possibly next month.

But ministers have warned Iceland's bid to join the EU could be damaged, and the country risks losing desperately needed financial aid.

There's also the danger of a constitutional crisis - the Prime Minister Johanna Sigurdardottir said she wasn't convinced his actions were legal.

Meanwhile, frantic diplomatic efforts have been made to try and build bridges with both the British and Dutch governments and other Nordic countries, who had made an agreement on refunding the compensation a condition of further aid payments.

Glossary 词汇表

MPs 国会议员 

fallout 余波 

sign a bill 签署法案 

signed a petition 在请愿书上签名 

withhold his signature 拒绝签字 

compensate 赔偿 

bailed out 帮助…脱离困境 

public referendum 公众投票 

EU 欧盟 

financial aid 经济援助 

constitutional crisis 宪法危机 

frantic diplomatic efforts 紧急的外交努力 

Nordic 北欧 

refunding the compensation 退还补偿

Questions and Answers

1. Who does Iceland owe the money to? 

Iceland owes Britain and Holland.

2. True or False? 50% of the population don't want him to pay the money. 

False. 25% are against payment.

3. When did the Icesave bank collapse? 

In 2008.

4. How will this affect Icelan'ds chances of joining the European Union? 

Some ministers have said that the crisis could damage Iceland's chances of joining the EU.