VOA慢速英语2015 白宫证实在叙利亚的美国人质已死亡

White House Confirms Death of US Hostage¹ in Syria 白宫证实在叙利亚的美国人质已死亡

U.S. officials have confirmed that an American woman held hostage in Syria is dead. Twenty-six-year old Kayla Mueller was kidnapped in August of 2013 while doing aid work.

Islamic State militants³ claimed Ms. Mueller died in a Jordanian airstrike in the Syrian city of Raqqa. Jordan was targeting Islamic State militants in the attack February 6. The airstrike was in response to the Islamic State’s killing⁴ of a Jordanian pilot.

However, the U.S. questioned the claims made by the Islamic State that Ms. Mueller died in the airstrike. U.S. officials said there was “no evidence of civilians⁵ in the target area.”

Ms. Mueller’s parents wrote in a statement they were “heartbroken” over their daughter’s death. They called her a humanitarian⁶ who, in their words, “dedicated⁷ the whole of her young life to helping⁸ those in need of freedom, justice, and peace.”

Deadly fighting in Somali town

Reports from central Somalia say at least 12 people were killed in fighting Tuesday. Witnesses say Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a group fighters attacked government bases in the town of Guri-El.

A VOA reporter in the area said locals told him the town is under “full control” of Ahlu Sunna Wal Jama’a. The group is considered moderate. It has helped the Somali government in fighting the Islamist militant² group al-Shabab. However, the two sides are disputing the group’s representation⁹ in the local and national government.

Egypt and Russia sign military, economic, nuclear deals

Russia and Egypt signed several agreements Tuesday to strengthen military and economic ties. The two countries also signed a deal to help Egypt develop its nuclear power abilities. The agreements came after a two-day visit to Cairo by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

At a news conference Tuesday, President Putin said he and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi had agreed to increase cooperation in several areas, including Russian investments in Egypt, tourism, and cooperation in the battle against terrorism.

Obama calls Putin to discuss Ukraine

U.S. President Barack Obama spoke¹⁰ by phone to Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. He called to discuss the increasing violence in eastern Ukraine and Russia’s support for the separatists fighting there.

Mr. Obama urged the Russian leader to support a peace deal for Ukraine at a four-country meeting in Belarus this week. Leaders from Russia, Germany, France and Ukraine will meet in the Belorussian capital of Minsk Wednesday to review a possible peace deal.

Words in the News

response – n. something that is done as a reaction to something else

dedicated – adj. having very strong support for or loyalty¹¹ to a person, group, cause, etc.

moderate – adj. having or expressing beliefs that are neither very liberal nor very conservative

1 hostage   

n.人质，抵押品

参考例句：

• One group claimed to have executed the American hostage.一个组织声称已经处决了那名美国人质。
• Have you read the article about the rescue of the hostage?你看了关于营救人质的文章了吗？

2 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

3 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。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

6 humanitarian   

n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者

参考例句：

• She has many humanitarian interests and contributes a lot to them.她拥有很多慈善事业，并作了很大的贡献。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area.英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

7 dedicated   

adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的

参考例句：

• He dedicated his life to the cause of education.他献身于教育事业。
• His whole energies are dedicated to improve the design.他的全部精力都放在改进这项设计上了。

8 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

9 representation   

n.表现某人（或某事物）的东西，图画，雕塑

参考例句：

• The painting is a representation of a storm at sea.这幅画描绘的是海上的暴风雨。
• All parties won representation in the national assembly.所有政党在国民大会中都赢得了代表资格。

10 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

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

11 loyalty   

n.忠诚，忠心

参考例句：

• She told him the truth from a sense of loyalty.她告诉他真相是出于忠诚。
• His loyalty to his friends was never in doubt.他对朋友的一片忠心从来没受到怀疑。