VOA慢速英语2014 美国圣战分子在叙利亚被杀

 

American Jihadist Killed in Syria 美国圣战分子在叙利亚被杀

Details are being gathered about the first American known to be killed fighting for Islamic State militants¹ in Syria. Douglas McCain was 33 years old when he died Sunday. He was raised in Minnesota and had worked as a caregiver in California.

On Tuesday, the U.S. National Security Council confirmed Douglas McCain's death.  The State Department said U.S. officials had communicated with his family.

Mr. McCain reportedly left the U.S. for Turkey and later traveled into territory controlled by the Islamic State militants. Over the weekend, he took part in an attack near Aleppo against another opposition² group, called the Free Syrian Army, NBC News reported.

The Free Syrian Army killed McCain. It also executed six others Islamic State militants posted their photos on Facebook.

U.S. officials have recently expressed concern about American citizens who join extremists groups like Islamic State. They fear one or more might return home to carry out terrorist³ acts on American territory.

Pro-Russian Separatists Capture Key Southeast Town

Ukrainian government forces and pro-Russian continued to battle for control of Ukraine’s coast Wednesday. The separatists captured an important town in the southeast.

The separatists entered Novoazovsk after three days of shelling. About 40,000 people live in the town, a popular vacation place along the Sea of Azov. The town is on a road that links Russia to the Ukrainian port of Mariupol and Crimea on the Black Sea.

The fighting happened as Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed a possible peace plan.

First Patient to Receive Spine⁴ Part Made from 3-D Printer

A Chinese boy with bone cancer has become the first patient with a spinal⁵ part from a three-dimensional printer.

Twelve-year-old Qin has Ewing’s sarcoma. The sometimes deadly bone cancer usually attacks children and young adults, causing severe pain. 

Doctors at Beijing University removed a small part of Qin’s backbone⁶ and replaced it with a 3-D printer copy.  The part is made of titanium.

Doctors say Qin will soon regain⁷ normal movement of his body.

1 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 terrorist   

n.恐怖主义者，恐怖分子

参考例句：

• Without the gun,I'm a sitting duck for any terrorist.没有这支枪，我就成了恐怖分子下手的目标了。
• The district was put on red alert during a terrorist's bomb scare.这个地区在得到恐怖分子炸弹恐吓后作了应急准备。

4 spine   

n.脊柱，脊椎；(动植物的)刺；书脊

参考例句：

• He broke his spine in a fall from a horse.他从马上跌下摔断了脊梁骨。
• His spine developed a slight curve.他的脊柱有点弯曲。

5 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

6 backbone   

n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气

参考例句：

• The Chinese people have backbone.中国人民有骨气。
• The backbone is an articulate structure.脊椎骨是一种关节相连的结构。

7 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。