VOA常速英语2008年-Ivorians Protest Food Prices; Government Bows t

By Nancy Palus
Dakar
01 April 2008

One person has been killed and several others injured in protests against rising prices of food in Ivory Coast.  Reports from the commercial capital, Abidjan, say protesters, mostly women and youths, blocked roads and fought with police for a second day of violent demonstations.  Nancy Palus reports for VOA from Dakar the government is taking steps to lower prices.

On Tuesday,  women in the Port Bouet neighborhood began marching in the morning and youths and other residents began pouring into the streets to join them.

Youths set up roadblocks and when they refused orders by the police to take them down, the two groups clashed.

Yomi Herman, who says he was at one of the roadblocks in Port Bouet, says during the clash an officer shot one of the young protesters.  He says the young man was able to run away but the officer pursued him and shot him in the head.

Herman says other protesters carried the body away in a cart.

At least 10 people are reported to have been injured in the two days of demonstrations¹ in Abidjan.

Responding to the mounting pressure, the Ivorian government Tuesday announced on national television it would take emergency measures to lower prices on basic goods.

Felix Tyeoulou-Dyela, secretary general of the government, said no country in the region has been spared a global rise in food prices.

Given the urgency of the situation, the government is temporarily suspending import taxes on several basic foods, including flour and rice, he said.  The government is also taking measures to curb² racketing that drives up the cost of many staple³ foods.

Ivory Coast is one of several countries in the region that has seen protests against the rising cost of living. In recent weeks, the prices of rice, cooking oil, sugar, milk as well as non-food items, such as cement, have risen sharply.  

1 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

2 curb   

n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制

参考例句：

• I could not curb my anger.我按捺不住我的愤怒。
• You must curb your daughter when you are in church.你在教堂时必须管住你的女儿。

3 staple   

n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类

参考例句：

• Tea is the staple crop here.本地产品以茶叶为大宗。
• Potatoes are the staple of their diet.土豆是他们的主要食品。