英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-10-18

 Thousands of firefighters have spent the night battling bushfires right across the state. Hundreds of homes are feared lost as around 100 fires continue burning 36 of those remain out of control. Now emergency warnings are in place for a large fire burning in the Blue Mountains and around Nords Warf north of Sydney.

   

West Australia Liberal MP Don Randall has paid back more than 5,000 dollars in taxpayer¹ funded traveling entitlements. Mr.Randall claimed the money for travel to North Queensland on what he called electorate² business. He later revealed he owns investment property there. 

   

Opposition³ Leader Bill Shorten will announce his frontbench portfolios⁴ today. The 30-strong Shadow Ministry⁵ was unveiled on Monday. Chris Bowen is expected to remain Shadow Treasurer⁶. Mr.Shorten’s rival for the top job, Anthony Albanese, will also be given a senior role.

   

Hundreds of thousands of government workers in the United Sates are heading back to work. President Barack Obama has signed a law ending a 16-day government shutdown and extending the country’s debt limit.

   

In Laos, rescue workers have recovered some bodies from a fatal plane crash that claimed the lives of 6 Australians. All 49 people on board the plane died when it crashed into the Mekong River during bad weather. A Sydney man, Gavin Rhodes, his wife Lee and their two young children, and an Australian aid worker Michael Creighton and his father Gorden all perished in the crash.

1 taxpayer   

n.纳税人

参考例句：

• The new scheme will run off with a lot of the taxpayer's money.这项新计划将用去纳税人许多钱。
• The taxpayer are unfavourably disposed towards the recent tax increase.纳税者对最近的增加税收十分反感。

2 electorate   

n.全体选民；选区

参考例句：

• The government was responsible to the electorate.政府对全体选民负责。
• He has the backing of almost a quarter of the electorate.他得到了几乎1/4选民的支持。

3 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

4 portfolios   

n.投资组合( portfolio的名词复数 )；（保险）业务量；（公司或机构提供的）系列产品；纸夹

参考例句：

• Price risk arises in non-trading portfolios, as well as in trading portfolios. 价格风险中出现的非贸易投资，以及在贸易投资组合。 来自互联网
• How do we fatten our portfolios and stay financially healthy? 我们怎样育肥我们的投资结构和维持财政健康呢？ 来自互联网

5 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

6 treasurer   

n.司库，财务主管

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith was succeeded by Mrs.Jones as treasurer.琼斯夫人继史密斯先生任会计。
• The treasurer was arrested for trying to manipulate the company's financial records.财务主管由于试图窜改公司财政帐目而被拘留。