英语听力精选进阶版 7694（在线收听）

The funeral of the American singer Whitney Houston has just ended in Newark, New Jersey. It took place in a Baptist church, where she first began her singing career as a child. After many tributes by friends and family, the service concluded with a recording of Whitney Houston's greatest hit I Will Always Love You. As part of the ceremony, Stevie Wonder performed his hit Love's in Need of Love Today.

美国歌手惠特尼·休斯顿的葬礼举行在新泽西纽瓦克一处浸礼会，童年的休斯顿就是在这个教堂里开始了歌唱生涯。朋友和家人为她送上了诸多颂词，最后葬礼结束时播放了惠特尼·休斯顿最伟大的歌曲I Will Always Love You。史提夫·汪达还在葬礼上表演了他最热门的单曲Love's in Need of Love Today。

There's been violence in the Syrian capital Damascus, where a Chinese diplomatic mission has met President Bashar al-Assad and called for restraint in the conflict between his forces and the opposition. A funeral in Damascus turned into one of the biggest demonstrations yet seen there. Opposition activists said at least one person was killed when security forces opened fire. Another 12 people were reported killed in other parts of the country.

Diplomats at the United Nations nuclear watchdog in Vienna say that Iran is on the verge of greatly expanding its nuclear programme at an underground site. They say it's preparing to install thousands of new machines for enriching uranium at the facility near the city of Qom. Bethany Bell reports.

联合国驻维亚纳核观察机构外交人员称，伊朗即将在一处秘密场地扩展核项目。称伊朗准备为库姆市附近的设备安装数千台新机器来进行铀浓缩。Bethany Bell报道。

New-generation centrifuges could greatly speed up the production of material that could be used for nuclear warheads. Western countries fear that Iran is secretly trying to develop a nuclear bomb, and they've increased international sanctions. But Tehran says its nuclear work is purely peaceful. This week, inspectors from the United Nations nuclear watchdog will be holding talks in Tehran to address the concerns about Iran's controversial nuclear work.

新一代的离心机能大大加快生产制造核弹头的原材料，西方国家担心伊朗秘密开发一种核弹，就对伊朗加强了国际制裁。但伊朗当局称其核项目纯粹用于和平目的。本周，联合国核观察机构的检查员将在德黑兰举行会议，将就伊朗富有争议的核项目进行对话。

There have been more clashes in Senegal between police and people protesting against President Abdoulaye Wade's decision to stand for a third term in next weekend's elections. Thomas Fessy reports from the capital Dakar.

塞内加尔民众抗议反对总统阿卜杜拉耶·瓦德参加下周第三任期的选举，警察和民众冲突不断。Thomas Fessy在首都达喀尔报道。

The security forces have engaged in street running battles, firing tear gas and rubber bullets at scores of youth[s] who have mounted barricades , setting ablaze tyres and throwing stones back at the police. This is happening right in the centre of the capital, just a few blocks away from the main square of the city's business centre, where the protesters were hoping to hold a rally. Just about a week ahead of the election, they say they will continue to protest until the incumbent President Abdoulaye Wade withdraw[s] his candidacy for a third term. Thomas Fessy reporting.

安全部队开始了巷战，他们使用催泪瓦斯和橡皮弹，打击数十名越过路障的青年，这些青年人点燃轮胎，并向警察投掷石块反击。这次冲突就发生在首都的中心，几个街区外是该市的商业中心主大街，抗议者本计划在这里举行集会。现在距大选还有一周时间，抗议者称将继续对抗下去，直到现任总统阿卜杜拉耶·瓦德放弃竞选第三个任期为止。

World News from the BBC

Somali leaders have signed an agreement which they hope will end the country's crisis. Somalia has been without a central government for the last 20 years. Martin Plaut has the details.

索马里领导人签署一份协议，希望以此结束本国的危机局面。过去20年来，索马里一直没有中央政府。Martin Plaut报道。

The plan envisages a new smaller parliament with an upper chamber of elders. Thirty per cent of MPs will be women. The constitution would provide for a federal system of government building on the autonomous regional assemblies that already exist. The agreement - signed by the current government, two regional administrations and a pro-government militia - will be discussed at next week's London conference on Somalia. But the Islamist group al-Shabab, which holds much of the centre and south of the country, did not participate in the agreement.

协议计划成立一个较小规模的新议会以及长老上层内阁，其中30%的议员将是女性。在现存的自治区大会基础上，宪法将提供一套联邦政府体系。现任政府、两个地区当局和一个亲政府的民兵组织签署了这项协议，下周伦敦的索马里会议将会讨论该协议。但控制该国中部和南部大部分的伊斯兰阿尔沙巴布组织并没有参与进来。

Reports from Russia say that 17 security personnel have been killed during four days of fighting on the Chechen-Dagestan border in the North Caucasus. Seven insurgents were also killed in what's been the worst violence in the region in months. Russia is facing an Islamist insurgency along its southern border more than a decade after it defeated a separatist movement in Chechnya.

Votes are being counted in the Baltic republic of Latvia in a referendum on whether Russian should become the second official language. The Central Election Commission said around two thirds of registered voters participated. Ethnic Russians, who make up a third of Latvia's population of about two million, feel discriminated against as proficiency in Latvian is needed to become a citizen and to vote.

波罗的拉脱维亚共和国举行公投，决定是否将俄罗斯语作为第二官方语言，目前投票正在清点中。中央选举委员会称，大约2/3的注册选民参与了投票。俄罗斯族人占拉脱维亚1/3的人口，人数约两百万，要成为公民并获得选举权，必须熟练掌握拉脱维亚语，因为这些俄罗斯人感到受歧视。

The former head of the International Monetary Fund, Dominique Strauss-Kahn, is expected to be questioned next week by police investigating an alleged prostitution ring . Sources familiar with the case say he's been summoned for questioning on Tuesday about sex parties that allegedly took place at restaurants and swingers' clubs in cities including Paris and Washington. Mr Strauss-Kahn resigned as head of the IMF in May after he was accused of trying to rape a New York hotel maid. That case collapsed.

国际货币基金组织前主席Dominique Strauss-Kahn将于下周受审，他涉嫌警察调查的一起卖淫团伙案。据了解案情的人员称，他已于周二受审过，案情是发生在巴黎和华盛顿等城市餐馆和花花公子俱乐部的性派对事件。五月份，Strauss-Kahn被指控试图强奸纽约旅馆一名女服务员，随后他就辞去国际货币基金组织主席一职。这起案件后来没有继续调查下去。