新西兰英语 421 Business owners want access

　　Business people who have a shop, office or restaurant in the CBD (Central Business District) of Christchurch want access to their business. Most of the CBD has been closed since the earthquake in February. The Head of Civil Defence says it is too dangerous for people to enter this area. It is necessary to demolish¹ dangerous buildings first.
Business people are angry about a number of things. First they want more communication. They want to know when they can have access to the business. Will it be tomorrow, next week, next month or longer? They also want to know if their building is going to be demolished². In a few cases, owners watched on TV as a bulldozer demolished their building. Nobody contacted them first so it was impossible to save anything. Some buildings had beautiful doors, windows or timber³ but a bulldozer smashed⁵ everything.
But most importantly, people want to get into their building if possible. Some left behind personal things when they left in a hurry – perhaps a wallet or keys. Others want to remove equipment so they can continue their business from another part of the city. Some people need files – paper files or computer files. One businessman said he had not sent out February accounts before the earthquake so he has no money coming in. Other people said they could not open the cash register⁶ when the power went off after the earthquake. If the building is demolished, that money will go in the rubbish.
Not all buildings have a red sticker. Some have a green or yellow sticker but buildings on either side are dangerous. This is the reason that Civil Defence cannot let people into the CBD. They just have to wait.
Vocabulary
access – if you have access to a building, you are allowed to go in; wheelchair access is a ramp⁷ at the entrance.
smash⁴ – break with force
remove – take away
files – information about customers
accounts – bills
cash register – machine in a shop with a drawer for the money
Grammar
“it is too dangerous for people to enter” – Here is the grammar: “it is too + adjective⁸ (for someone) to + verb” e.g. “6am is too early for me to wake up.”
“let people into the CBD” – “let someone in” This is a useful phrase e.g. “I don’t have my key. Can you let me in?”
Questions
If business people have contents insurance, why do they need to get into their building?
If Usar people can move around the CBD, why not some business people as well?
What businesses keep paper files?

1 demolish   

v.拆毁(建筑物等)，推翻(计划、制度等)

参考例句：

• They're going to demolish that old building.他们将拆毁那座旧建筑物。
• He was helping to demolish an underground garage when part of the roof collapsed.他当时正在帮忙拆除一个地下汽车库，屋顶的一部份突然倒塌。

2 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

3 timber   

n.木材，原木，大木料，栋木

参考例句：

• These trees need more time to grow into useful timber.这些树不够年头，还没成材呢。
• The timber is graded according to its thickness.木材按厚度分级。

4 smash   

v.粉碎，打碎；n.轰动的演出，巨大的成功

参考例句：

• We heard the smash of plates breaking in the kitchen.我们听到厨房里盘子破碎的声音。
• The gifted author wrote one smash after another.这个天才作家创作了一篇又一篇轰动一时的作品。

5 smashed   

adj.喝醉酒的v.打碎，捣烂( smash的过去式和过去分词 )；捣毁；重击；撞毁（车辆）

参考例句：

• Several windows had been smashed. 几扇窗户劈里啪啦打碎了。
• In time-honoured tradition, a bottle of champagne was smashed on the ship. 依照由来已久的传统，对着船摔了一瓶香槟。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 register   

n.登记簿，花名册，注册员；v.登记，注册

参考例句：

• Please list your name in the attendance register.请在点名册上登记你的名字。
• He was looking over a hotel register.他正在仔细检查旅馆住宿登记表。

7 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

8 adjective   

n.形容词；adj.形容词的，用作形容词的

参考例句：

• Don't apply that adjective to me.不要用那个字眼来形容我。
• The adjective loose has several senses. 形容词loose有几个义项。