英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-10-11

 Leading the news. The ACT will push on with its same sex marriage laws despite threats of a high court challenge. The ACT is on course to pass a bill to legalise gay marriage later this month，but the Federal Attorney General George Brandis says he’ll challenge that law in the High Court, because he argues it violates the marriage act. 

 

The ballot¹ for a new Labor² leader closes today. Party members have until five pm to lodge³ their votes. Bill Shorten is widely tipped to have won yesterday’s caucus⁴ ballot, but he could still lose out to his rival Anthony Albanese who is popular with party’s rank and file.

 

U.S. Republicans have offered a temporary extension to the debt ceiling in exchange for negotiations⁵ to end the budget deadlock⁶. The president is due to sit down with Republican leaders this morning. The White House says the president will continue consider the offer rather, but won’t be held to the ransom⁷.

 

Malala Yousafzai has won the European Union’s annual human rights award. The Pakistani teenager survived being shot in the head by the Taliban last year for campaigning for girls' education. She’s also tipped to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize to be announced later today.

 

A new Australian research shows even casual smoking can be deadly. Researchers looked at the health records of 200,000 Australians. They found that smoking ten cigarettes a day doubles the risk of premature⁸ death compared to people who don’t smoke.

1 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 lodge   

v.临时住宿，寄宿，寄存，容纳；n.传达室，小旅馆

参考例句：

• Is there anywhere that I can lodge in the village tonight?村里有我今晚过夜的地方吗？
• I shall lodge at the inn for two nights.我要在这家小店住两个晚上。

4 caucus   

n.秘密会议；干部会议；v.（参加）干部开会议

参考例句：

• This multi-staged caucus takes several months.这个多级会议常常历时好几个月。
• It kept the Democratic caucus from fragmenting.它也使得民主党的核心小组避免了土崩瓦解的危险。

5 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

6 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

7 ransom   

n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救

参考例句：

• We'd better arrange the ransom right away.我们最好马上把索取赎金的事安排好。
• The kidnappers exacted a ransom of 10000 from the family.绑架者向这家人家勒索10000英镑的赎金。

8 premature   

adj.比预期时间早的；不成熟的，仓促的

参考例句：

• It is yet premature to predict the possible outcome of the dialogue.预言这次对话可能有什么结果为时尚早。
• The premature baby is doing well.那个早产的婴儿很健康。