VOA慢速英语2015 IS在巴尔米拉罗马剧场处决20人

Islamic State Executes 20 in Palmyra Roman Theater IS在巴尔米拉罗马剧场处决20人

A Human Rights group says that the Islamic State militants² have executed 20 people in the ancient Roman theater in Palmyra, a UNESCO World heritage site. The Syrian Observatory³ for Human Rights says the militant¹ group accused the men of working with the Syrian government and shot them.

The militant group captured Palmyra on May 21. It has executed more than 200 people in the city. 

Syria’s antiquities⁴ director Mamoun Abdulkarim told Agence France-Presse that the killings⁵ are a sign of "the group's barbarism and savagery⁶ against the ancient monuments of Palmyra.

Heat wave kills 1,100 in India

A heat wave in India has killed more than 1,100 people in the southeastern states of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

An official from the Meteorological Department in the city of Hyderabad said the heat wave is the worst in nearly 10 years. Many cities in India have set new high temperature records. 

High temperatures are common in India in May and June. But dry winds in the past week have intensified⁷ heat. Many workers and homeless people could not get inside soon enough to escape the heat.

Rick Santorum to run for president

Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum launched his second campaign for the White House on Wednesday. He joins a crowded group seeking the 2016 Republican presidential nomination⁸.

Mr. Santorum made the announcement at a manufacturing plant in Pennsylvania. He represented the state in both the House and the Senate from 1991 until 2007.

In his first presidential campaign in 2012, Mr. Santorum surprised people with an early win in the Iowa caucus⁹. He won 10 more state caucuses¹⁰ and primaries before losing to Mitt¹¹ Romney, the party's nominee¹².

Words in the News

 antiquities – n. objects from ancient times

intensify¹³ – v. to become stronger or more extreme : to become more intense

plant –n. a building or factory where something is made

caucus – n. a meeting of members of a political party for the purpose of choosing candidates for an election

1 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。

2 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。

3 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

4 antiquities   

n.古老( antiquity的名词复数 )；古迹；古人们；古代的风俗习惯

参考例句：

• There is rest and healing in the contemplation of antiquities. 欣赏古物有休息和疗养之功。 来自辞典例句
• Bertha developed a fine enthusiasm for the antiquities of London. 伯沙对伦敦的古迹产生了很大的热情。 来自辞典例句

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 savagery   

n.野性

参考例句：

• The police were shocked by the savagery of the attacks.警察对这些惨无人道的袭击感到震惊。
• They threw away their advantage by their savagery to the black population.他们因为野蛮对待黑人居民而丧失了自己的有利地位。

7 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

9 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

10 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

11 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

12 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

13 intensify   

vt.加强；变强；加剧

参考例句：

• We must intensify our educational work among our own troops.我们必须加强自己部队的教育工作。
• They were ordered to intensify their patrols to protect our air space.他们奉命加强巡逻，保卫我国的领空。