英语听力精选进阶版 13882（在线收听）

BBC Learning English 

Words in the N ews   

1  August  2012 

The oldest underwear?  

Transcript: 

Supporting women for six centuries.   

These bras, discovered in a medieval castle in Austria ,  reveal that the 

undergarment may have been worn as far back as the 15

th

 century.   

Apart from the  wear and tear, they look  remarkably similar to their 

modern day versions.  

They were spotted almost by accident when the floorboards of the castle 

were removed during renovation.  

Vocabulary: 

bras 

pieces  of underwear used to support women's breasts    

undergarment 

clothing people use underneath their outer layer   

wear and tear 

damage caused by using something continuously    

remarkably 

worthy of notice   

spotted 

seen or observed suddenly   

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from 

BBC news reports.   

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence 

correctly.  

bra  / undergarment / wear and tear / r emarkably  / spotted 

1. "___________ , 62% of severely ob ese children under 12 years of age already 

had one or more cardiovascular risk factors," the study concluded. More than half 

had high blood pressure, and there were also cases of low "good cholesterol" and 

high blood sugar, which can result in Type 2 diabetes.  

2.  Even without integral layered and embroidered neck- frills and cuffs, the 

amount of coloured embroidery on the upper part of shirt and smock continued 

to grow, transforming the simple  ______  into an object of beauty in its own right.  

3. The toy - sized contestants waved and limbered up before the race got under 

way. Organisers say they expect the race to be won not by the fastest robot but 

by the one that can withstand the most  _________.   

4. Former US presidential candidate John Edwards' late wife ripped off her shirt 

and ________  in a row with her husband over his affair, a court has heard.  

5. The bodies were ____________  by helicopter but have not yet been 

recovered due to treacherous weather conditions.  

Answers: 

1. "Remarkably, 62% of severely obese children under 12 years of age already 

had one or more cardiovascular risk factors," the study concluded. More than half 

had high blood pressure, and there were also cases of low "good cholesterol" and 

high blood sugar, which can result in Type 2 diabetes. 

Source:  Severely obese children's hearts already in danger 

2. Even without integral layered and embroidered neck- frills and cuffs, the 

amount of coloured embroidery on the upper part of shirt and smock continued 

to grow, transforming the simple  undergarment into an object of beauty in its 

own right.   

Source:  Underwear as outerwear   

3. The toy - sized contestants waved and limbered up before the race got under 

way. Organisers say they expect the race to be won not by the fastest robot but 

by the one that can withstand the most wear and tear.   

Source:  First robot marathon kicks off in Osaka, Japan 

4. Former US presidential candidate John Edwards' late wife ripped off her shirt 

and bra   in a row with her husband over his affair, a court has heard.  

Source:  John Edwards' betrayed wife 'tore off bra'  

5.  The bodies were spotted by helicopter but have not yet been recovered due 

to treacherous weather conditions.  

Source:  Bodies of US climbers found on Peru mountain