英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-10-04

 Police have shot dead a woman after a car chase in Washington that ended near the capital building. The woman allegedly tried to run security barriers at the White House. A police officer was also injured when his car crashed. There are reports a child was found inside the woman’s car.

 

More than 130 African asylum¹ seekers have drowned after their boat sank off the Italian coast. Passengers reportedly jumped overboard when the boat caught fire. Up to 500 people are thought to have been on the boat. As many as 200 are still missing. 

 

Prime Minister Tony Abbott is preparing to make his second visit to Indonesia in just one week. He’ll head to Bali on Sunday to join 20 other leaders for the APEC summit. Push for a free-trade pact² will be high on the agenda. 

 

Russian authorities have now charged all 30 Greenpeace activists³ including an Australian with piracy⁴. Colin Russell was part of the group who was arrested after a protest at an Arctic oil rig. They face up to 30 15 years in jail if convicted.

 

And more than 20 warships⁵ from around the world will sail into Sydney Harbour this morning to mark the Navy’s centenary. One hundred years ago today, the Royal Australian Navy’s first purpose-built fleet arrived in Sydney. A flotilla of tall ships is already there to take part in the celebrations.

1 asylum   

n.避难所，庇护所，避难

参考例句：

• The people ask for political asylum.人们请求政治避难。
• Having sought asylum in the West for many years,they were eventually granted it.他们最终获得了在西方寻求多年的避难权。

2 pact   

n.合同，条约，公约，协定

参考例句：

• The two opposition parties made an electoral pact.那两个反对党订了一个有关选举的协定。
• The trade pact between those two countries came to an end.那两国的通商协定宣告结束。

3 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 piracy   

n.海盗行为，剽窃，著作权侵害

参考例句：

• The government has already adopted effective measures against piracy.政府已采取有效措施惩治盗版行为。
• They made the place a notorious centre of piracy.他们把这地方变成了臭名昭著的海盗中心。

5 warships   

军舰，战舰( warship的名词复数 )； 舰只

参考例句：

• The enemy warships were disengaged from the battle after suffering heavy casualties. 在遭受惨重伤亡后，敌舰退出了海战。
• The government fitted out warships and sailors for them. 政府给他们配备了战舰和水手。