VOA慢速英语2015 中国努力营救沉船幸存者

China Races to Find Ferry Accident Survivors¹ 中国努力营救沉船幸存者

Chinese authorities are working quickly to reach survivors still trapped under a passenger ship that capsized -- or turned over -- in the Yangtze River late Monday. More than 450 passengers and crew were on board the ship when it went down. Most of the passengers were elderly Chinese tourists.

Only 15 people are known to have gotten out alive. More than 400 passengers are still missing. The People’s Daily website reported late Tuesday three bodies were found 50 kilometers from the wreckage² site.

Boko Haram attacks Maiduguri

Boko Haram militants³ have again attacked the Nigerian city of Maiduguri. The city is set to be the new base of government operations aimed at defeating the group.

Reports from the city said fighters used grenades in Tuesday's attack but were unable to advance beyond the city limits.

Later, a suicide bomber⁴ attacked a cattle market in Maiduguri. Early reports said up to 20 people died in the explosion.

Nine NGO employees shot dead in Afghanistan

Police in northern Afghanistan said Tuesday unknown gunmen have shot dead at least nine employees of an aid agency. The attack took place in Balkh province. The victims were from the non-governmental organization, People in Need.

The United Nations warned last month that the Afghan conflict has caused a record rise in civilian⁵ deaths in the first few months of 2015, compared to the same period in 2014.

No one has claimed responsibility for Monday's killings⁶ of aid workers in Balkh.

US Senate  votes on spy programs

The US Congress completed action Tuesday to end the government's huge program of collecting telephone call data designed to help stop terrorist attacks.  American telephone companies will take over the task in six months.

The Senate voted 67-32 in favor of legislation already approved by the House of Representatives.  It was then sent to President Barack Obama for his signature.  Mr. Obama says he will quickly sign the legislation.  He says the new rules protect both civil liberties and national security.

Words in the News

trap – v. to cause (a person or animal) to be unable to move or escape from a dangerous place

base –n. the main place in which a person works or lives or a business operates

grenade – n. a small bomb that is designed to be thrown by someone or shot from a rifle

surveillance – n. the act of carefully watching someone or something especially in order to prevent or detect a crime

1 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

2 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

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 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

5 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

6 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。