新西兰英语 425 New Earthquake Recovery Dept

　　The government has set up a new department called the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery¹ Authority² or CERA. The job of CERA is to rebuild Christchurch. CERA will exist for just five years. It will have a staff of 50, mostly from other government departments. The Minister of the Earthquake recovery, Gerry Brownlee, will be the Head of the department. The Christchurch City Council³ could not do this job alone; however, CERA will consult the three councils⁴ in the area. CERA will also have to consult the Christchurch MPs and a group of 20 people from the community and listen to their ideas.
The first thing that CERA will do is to produce a recovery plan by the end of October. The government is copying the Queensland government which set up a recovery department to rebuild after the floods earlier this year.
Questions
The Christchurch city council is elected by the people. This new department is not elected. Why are some people worried about this?
Who should be chosen from the community – architects, business people, parents, home owners?
Vocabulary
Recover means to get better. If you recover from an illness, you become well again. If a city recovers from a disaster, it improves.
Consult means to ask the opinion of other people and listen to what they say.
Produce a plan means make a plan. The words “produce” and “plan” go together.

1 recovery   

n.恢复，痊愈；追回，寻回，收复

参考例句：

• The doctors said that his recovery was a miracle. 医生们说他的复原是件奇事。
• The quick recovery was truly in response to medication.这次迅速康复确实是对药物治疗的反应。

2 authority   

n.当局，官方；权力，权威，威信；当权者

参考例句：

• He is recognized internationally as an authority in this field.国际上承认他是这方面的一个权威。
• Professor White is looked upon as an authority on mathematics.怀特教授被看成数学权威。

3 council   

n.理事会，委员会，议事机构

参考例句：

• The town council passed a law forbidding the distribution of handbills.市议会通过法律，禁止散发传单。
• The city council has declared for improving the public bus system.市议会宣布同意改进公共汽车系统。

4 councils   

n.委员会( council的名词复数 )；（郡、镇等）政务会；（尤指旧时讨论特定步骤的）协商会议；市政（或地方管理）服务机构

参考例句：

• It is one of the most notoriously corrupt city councils. 那是贪污腐败最为臭名昭著的市参议会之一。 来自辞典例句
• Local councils should use their powers to ensure strict observance of laws. 地方政务委员会应当行使权力以保证人们严格遵守法律。 来自辞典例句