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Hello and Welcome to News and Reports on China Radio International.
In This Edition
Iran's Foreign Minister meets with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General to discuss Tehran's nuclear programme.
UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's top political adviser1, Lynn Pascoe travels to Seoul for talks with the South Korean nuclear envoy2 ahead of his upcoming trip to North Korea.
Two major parties in Northern Ireland reach a power-sharing deal, ending a long search for lasting3 peace in the region.
And Toyota President offers personal apology for massive global recalls.
Hot Issue Reports
Iran FM Meets IAEA Chief
Iran's Foreign Minister has met with International Atomic Energy Agency Director General, on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference to discuss Tehran's nuclear programme.
Manouchehr Mottaki said that he had a "very good meeting" with Yukiya Amano, new chief of IAEA, on nuclear fuel swap4.
"Today I had a very good meeting with Mr. Amano. We discussed and exchanged views on a wide range of issues and the proposal that is on the table."
Mottaki said he was confident of a deal with the IAEA on shipping5 Tehran's low-enriched uranium abroad in exchange for higher-grade fuel that could be used in a civil-purpose reactor6.
He stressed that there is a political will for the swap while modalities and mechanisms7 to enrich uranium abroad still need to be clarified.
U.S. and German officials, however, remain suspicious. While noting "the door for diplomacy8 with Iran remains9 open," U.S. National Security Adviser James Jones said that Iran's "puzzling defiance10" compels Washington and its allies to a second track of increased pressure.
UN Envoy for NKorea Arrives in South for Talks
UN Secretary-general Ban Ki-moon's top political adviser, Lynn Pascoe, is in Seoul and has been meeting with the South Korean nuclear envoy ahead of his upcoming trip to North Korea.
Pascoe, the UN under-secretary-general for political affairs, met with South Korean nuclear envoy Wi Sung-lac to discuss the relationship between the UN and South Korea and his upcoming visit to Pyongyang.
"Well, we had an excellent discussion as always we would about the things with the ROK and UN in various issues. And we also talked some about the trip and what's going on, and we talked about things we may be doing together in the future."
Pascoe said that the entire range of issues would be discussed while he is in North Korea from February 9th through 12th, including North Korea's nuclear capabilities11 and its return to the six-party talks.
North Korea, which has tested an atomic bomb, walked away from the international disarmament talks last year.
The other participants, China, the US, Japan, South Korea and Russia, have been trying to get the talks back on track.
Pyongyang has pushed Washington for a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War and a lifting of sanctions first.
The United States, however, insists that no discussion about political or economic sanctions can take place before the disarmament talks resume.
Deal Reached over Justice, Policing in Northern Ireland
The two biggest parties in Northern Ireland have reached a power-sharing deal on devolution of policing and justice power from London, signaling an end to a long search for lasting peace in the region.
British Prime Minister Gordon Brown announced that Northern Ireland will take over its own policing and justice powers on Apr. 12.
"We are closing the last chapter of a long and troubled story and we are opening a new chapter for Northern Ireland. Let it be said of times to come, that after decades of violence, years of talks, weeks of stalemate, this is the day we have secured the future, a lasting peace, power being where it should be, in the hands of the people of Northern Ireland, the strongest answer to those who would bring violence back to our streets, and today's agreement is the opportunity for a fresh start."
The deal came after two weeks of negotiations12 between the Democratic Unionist Party and the Republican Sinn Fein, ending a threatened collapse13 of the government in which the two parties share power.
G7 Finance Ministers Meet on Global Economic Stability
Finance ministers from the group of seven most industrialized countries have ended their meeting in Canada to discuss cooperation on global economic and financial stability and balanced development.
Canadian Finance Minister Jim Flaherty, the chair of the meetings, said the major concern of the discussions is economic recovery and financial stability.
"There are differences of action that have occurred between several countries, with respect to that issue and I hope we'll make some progress in our informal discussions on the issue. I mean we're all agreed that there needs to be some protection of the public with respect to failures of the systemically important institutions."
Flaherty said that the G7 cannot play the leading role it once did, but it will continue to evolve in an ever-changing world while contributing, through frank and open discussion, to a more stable and prosperous world for all.
NATO Chief Says Situation in Afghanistan is Improving
NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen says the situation in Afghanistan is improving after a difficult year.
Rasmussen was speaking during a two-day NATO meeting in Istanbul, Turkey, about the war in Afghanistan."Tens of thousands of additional forces are now deploying14 to Afghanistan. The Afghan security forces are growing in number and capability15. The NATO training mission in Afghanistan is now up and running. And transition to Afghan lead will begin this year."
Rasmussen also praised the 36 countries that offered to send more troops.
The international forces will exceed 140,000 troops when the 30,000 new U.S. troops and 10,000 allied16 reinforcements are deployed17 this year.
Major world powers decided18 last week to boost Afghanistan's military to 171,600 by October 2011, up from the current 98,000 troops.
Meanwhile,a motorcycle bomb struck a crowd watching a dog fight on Friday in southern Afghanistan, killing19 at least three people and wounding more than two dozen others.
The blast on the outskirts20 of Lashkar Gah, capital of Helmand province, came as NATO and Afghan forces are preparing to launch a major offensive against the Taliban in the area.
The explosives-packed motorcycle was parked near the dog fight, according to the deputy provincial21 police chief.
Dog fighting was forbidden under the Taliban regime but has emerged as a popular pastime in many parts of Afghanistan after the hard-line Islamist movement was ousted22 in 2001.
New Bomb Attack Injures 7 Civilians23 in Pakistan
A bomb attached to a motorcycle has hit a security convoy24 passed through a busy area in Pakistan's southwestern city of Quetta in Baluchistan province, wounding seven civilians.
No one claimed responsibility, but authorities have blamed Baluch nationalists for previous attacks aimed at security forces.
Syed Muhammad Ali Khan witnessed the bombing on Saturday.
"I saw one motorbike was standing26 in which a bomb was planted. All of sudden the blast happened in which one of my cars was damaged and my three relatives were injured. A hotel window was also broken and a few people were also injured inside the hotel."
Nationalists in the impoverished27 southwestern province have waged a violent campaign for years to demand more autonomy and a greater share of income from the area's natural resources for its residents.
Meanwhile, thousands of minority Shiite Muslims have attended a mass funeral for those killed in a pair of bombings in Pakistan's largest city of Karachi.
At least 31 people died and 170 others were wounded on Friday when suspected Sunni militants28 targeted a bus carrying Shiite worshippers and then attacked a major hospital treating victims of the first bomb.
Allama Mirza Yusuf Husain is one of the mourners.
"They are the anti-country elements, who are also the enemies of Islam, and they are committing such heinous29 crimes. They are not entitled to be called human beings. They are wolves and beasts in the guise30 of humans."
Friday's blasts coincided with Arbaeen, the final day of the annual 40-day mourning period for Husayn bin25 Ali, the grandson of the Prophet Muhammad.
Witnesses said about 7,000 mourners attended the funeral.
Karachi has a history of religious violence between Shiite and Sunni Muslims, and the city has been tense in recent weeks due to clashes between rival political parties that have left dozens dead.
Ten U.S. Missionaries31 Face Charges of Child Kidnapping in Haiti
Ten American missionaries accused of trying to take three dozen children out of Haiti without permission have appeared at a closed hearing in the capital Port-au-Prince.
Jean-Louise Martine is Chief of Staff of the Haitian Judiciary Department.
"They are waiting here to receive further instructions. The judge will meet with them here and question them."
A lawyer for the 10 missionaries told reporters he would ask the judge to grant them "provisional release," a type of bail32 without money posted until their trial, the date of which has not yet been set.
The investigating judge charged the Americans on Thursday with kidnapping for trying to take 33 children across the border into the Dominican Republic on January 29th without documentation.
Each of the Americans was charged with one count of kidnapping, which carries a sentence of five to 15 years in prison, and one of criminal association, punishable by three to nine years.
U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton told reporters in Washington on Friday that she would let the Haitian judicial33 system decide.
"We are providing consular34 services; we have full access to them. The American ambassador is speaking with his counterparts in the Haitian government. Obviously, this is a matter for the Haitian judicial system. We are going to continue to provide support."
The Baptist group, most of whose members are from two Idaho churches, says it was rescuing abandoned children and orphans35.
At least two-thirds of the children involved in the case, ranging in age from 2 to 12, have parents, although some parents say they gave them up willingly because the missionaries promised the children a better life.
Toyota President Offers Apology over Prius brakes problem
Toyota Motor Corporation's president says the automaker is still deciding what to do about the braking problems on its new Hybrid36 Prius.
Akio Toyoda was speaking at a hastily called news conference in Nagoya, Japan, late on Friday.
"I apologize from the bottom of my heart for all the concern that we have given to so many customers in so many countries. But believe me, Toyota's car is safe, but we're trying to (improve) our product (to make it) better.
Toyoda says his company is moving as quickly as possible with a global recall of 4.5 million vehicles, about half of which are in the United States.
Japan's transport minister Seiji Maehara says the government has learned that Toyota planned to carry out either a recall or a voluntary repair over brake problems with its Prius hybrid.
But he added the automaker has not yet informed the transport ministry37 which option it will take.
Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota's founder38, took office last year. He has been widely criticized for not coming out sooner to answer questions about the flood of quality problems that have hit Toyota.
Former President Says Ukraine's Political Situation is Unpredictable
Ukraine's former president says while the country's situation is unpredictable as a presidential election approaches on Sunday, there is no threat of a revolution like the one in 2004 that brought the current leaders to power.
Leonid Kuchma says Ukrainians are disappointed with outgoing President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko, who together led the Orange protests six years ago.
"There is no threat of a revolution, no doubt about this, despite the loud declarations by Yulia Vladimirovna Tymoshenko. She has the right to declare this. Of course, she doesn't want to lose power, but she is aware of the prevailing39 public opinion."
Russia-friendly opposition40 leader Viktor Yanukovych is facing off against Tymoshenko in Sunday's vote.
Kiev authorities said on Friday they had received a permit application from Yanukovych supporters for a rally of up to 50,000 people around the city the day after the vote.
Tymoshenko accused Yanukovych on Thursday of plotting to steal the vote and pledged to stage mass street protests in a replay of the 2004 Orange demonstrations41.
Tymoshenko helped lead the Orange revolt, which rallied hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians demanding economic and political reform.
Competition Turns White-hot Before Ukrainian Presidential Run-off
The competition has turned white-hot between Ukrainian presidential hopeful Viktor Yanukovych and his bitter rival Yulia Tymoshenko two days before the presidential election runoff vote.
Friday was the last day the presidential candidates were allowed to campaign and make speeches.
During the taping of a local television talk-show debate, Yanukovych promised to lay his opponent's legacy42 to rest.
"I've traveled across Ukraine several times over (to) practically all of its regions, and I sense the mood of the people, and people want change. People came to vote with this mood during the first round. More than 70 percent of voters favored change, and I don't think anything will change in the runoff."
If Yanukovych wins, it will be an impressive reversal of fortune.
His Kremlin-backed election as president five years ago triggered the mass Orange protests, and his win was thrown out on grounds of fraud.
Tymoshenko, the prime minister, has accused Yanukovych of once again plotting to steal the vote and has vowed43 to mobilize her army of supporters to stop him.
"What we all need is the confidence that no one will change our choice, no one will be able to falsify or diminish it. What matters most is what kind of country we want to build, and when we talk about the two possible roads, we should focus on the main principle on which democracy rests: the right of a people to freely choose the government in their own country."
Yanukovych won 35 percent of the vote to Tymoshenko's 25 percent in the first round of voting last month.
Tymoshenko is expected to close at least some of the gap by picking up votes splintered among candidates in the first round.
Snow Paralyzes US Capital
A blizzard44 battered45 the US capital of Washington and mid-Atlantic states on Saturday, with emergency crews struggling to keep pace with the heavy, wet snow that piled up on roadways, toppled trees and left thousands without electricity.
A record 75 centimeters or more was predicted for Washington, where heavy, wet snow and strong winds threatened to clog46 roads and paralyze the region's transportation and commerce.
Airlines cancelled flights, schools closed and the federal government sent workers home, where they could be stuck for several days in a region ill-equipped to deal with so much snow.
"I have to change the time I'm traveling, and I have to go today instead of Monday because of the expected snow storm."
"I actually changed my flight, because the one to Philly (Philadelphia) just keeps being cancelled, so I just changed. I am not going anywhere, I am going back home."
Before the heavy snow started falling, shoppers jammed aisles47 and emptied stores of milk, bread and shovels48.
Across the region, transportation officials were deploying thousands of trucks and had hundreds of thousands of tons of salt at the ready.
The storm comes less than two months after a December 19th storm dumped more than 40 centimeters of snow on Washington.
Newspaper Picks
China Daily: Chinese Universities Should Be Granted Autonomy
Premier49 Wen Jiabao has said good universities in China must be unique and independent and have the right to preside over their own affairs.
Wen is seeking opinions from the academic circle for a work report that he will present at the annual session of the National People's Congress early next month.
In reality, the government runs most universities the way it governs various departments under its auspices50. Most university presidents and deans of various departments are from the upper echelons51 of government and enjoy a wide range of benefits. Some universities they run are very utilitarian52, and everything they do is linked with money.
An editorial in China Daily addresses the reasons why some university presidents show little or no concern for whether their academic environments are good enough for professors and students to really delve53 into what they are teaching and learning.
The editorial says it is no wonder then that academic scandals have been emerging one after another. There is also the increasingly prosperous business of selling dissertations54 or having them published for those who need diplomas, degree certifications or promotions55.
The editorial emphasizes that Wen is greatly concerned about these academic problems and says it is right for universities to be autonomous56 and manage their own affairs such as enrolling57 students and hiring or dismissing professors.
But much needs to be done before universities are granted autonomy. University presidents should be elected from among professors rather than nominated by higher education authorities. Both professors and students should have the right to decide whether their presidents should stay or go.
The editorial concludes that autonomy can only be granted when a system is in place to ensure that it will be employed to improve a university's quality.
Beijing Times: Universities Should Not Link Salaries with Workloads58
Our next topic today also concerns education.
A few professors at Peking University's Law School have been up in arms about a new salary distribution system in which their salaries will be determined59 by the number of classes they teach and articles they publish in academic journals.
The professors fear that such a system may force them and others to focus solely60 on work quantity rather than quality.
An editorial in the Beijing Times agrees with the professors, saying there has long been an outcry over universities that link salaries with workloads. It also says decisions by university leaders always backfire, and the salary issue is just one such case.
The editorial argues that university leaders tend to measure improvements in academic quality by dramatic increases in the number of articles that professors publish in renowned61 academic journals, while the public measures it by enhanced academic value and contributions to research work.
When it comes to university internationalization, school officials believe they should hire more Chinese scholars who have returned from overseas, while the public believes the schools should strive to be on same level as world-renowned universities.
The editorial concludes by saying that to help universities make the right decisions in educational reform, more voices should be heard from average teachers and the general public.
0207 weather for 07:00
Beijing will be overcast62 today with a high of 0 degrees celcius, tonight will also be overcast with a low of -5
Shanghai will have drizzle63 today with a high of 13, tonight will be cloudy with a low of 9
Some cities around the world.
New York clear, 1
Houston,overcast , 16
Washington sunny, 1
London foggy, 6
Berlin, foggy -3
Mombasa, sunny, 33.
Johannesburg clear,27
Jakarta, thundershowers, 32
Singapore, thundershowers, 32
Finally in Islamabad, it is going to rain with a high of 19
1 adviser | |
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2 envoy | |
n.使节,使者,代表,公使 | |
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3 lasting | |
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持 | |
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4 swap | |
n.交换;vt.交换,用...作交易 | |
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5 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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6 reactor | |
n.反应器;反应堆 | |
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7 mechanisms | |
n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 );机械装置;[生物学] 机制;机械作用 | |
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8 diplomacy | |
n.外交;外交手腕,交际手腕 | |
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9 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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10 defiance | |
n.挑战,挑衅,蔑视,违抗 | |
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11 capabilities | |
n.能力( capability的名词复数 );可能;容量;[复数]潜在能力 | |
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12 negotiations | |
协商( negotiation的名词复数 ); 谈判; 完成(难事); 通过 | |
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13 collapse | |
vi.累倒;昏倒;倒塌;塌陷 | |
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14 deploying | |
(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的现在分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用 | |
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15 capability | |
n.能力;才能;(pl)可发展的能力或特性等 | |
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16 allied | |
adj.协约国的;同盟国的 | |
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17 deployed | |
(尤指军事行动)使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 ); 施展; 部署; 有效地利用 | |
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18 decided | |
adj.决定了的,坚决的;明显的,明确的 | |
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19 killing | |
n.巨额利润;突然赚大钱,发大财 | |
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20 outskirts | |
n.郊外,郊区 | |
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21 provincial | |
adj.省的,地方的;n.外省人,乡下人 | |
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22 ousted | |
驱逐( oust的过去式和过去分词 ); 革职; 罢黜; 剥夺 | |
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23 civilians | |
平民,百姓( civilian的名词复数 ); 老百姓 | |
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24 convoy | |
vt.护送,护卫,护航;n.护送;护送队 | |
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25 bin | |
n.箱柜;vt.放入箱内;[计算机] DOS文件名:二进制目标文件 | |
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26 standing | |
n.持续,地位;adj.永久的,不动的,直立的,不流动的 | |
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27 impoverished | |
adj.穷困的,无力的,用尽了的v.使(某人)贫穷( impoverish的过去式和过去分词 );使(某物)贫瘠或恶化 | |
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28 militants | |
激进分子,好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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29 heinous | |
adj.可憎的,十恶不赦的 | |
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30 guise | |
n.外表,伪装的姿态 | |
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31 missionaries | |
n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 ) | |
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32 bail | |
v.舀(水),保释;n.保证金,保释,保释人 | |
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33 judicial | |
adj.司法的,法庭的,审判的,明断的,公正的 | |
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34 consular | |
a.领事的 | |
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35 orphans | |
孤儿( orphan的名词复数 ) | |
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36 hybrid | |
n.(动,植)杂种,混合物 | |
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37 ministry | |
n.(政府的)部;牧师 | |
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38 Founder | |
n.创始者,缔造者 | |
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39 prevailing | |
adj.盛行的;占优势的;主要的 | |
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40 opposition | |
n.反对,敌对 | |
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41 demonstrations | |
证明( demonstration的名词复数 ); 表明; 表达; 游行示威 | |
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42 legacy | |
n.遗产,遗赠;先人(或过去)留下的东西 | |
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43 vowed | |
起誓,发誓(vow的过去式与过去分词形式) | |
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44 blizzard | |
n.暴风雪 | |
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45 battered | |
adj.磨损的;v.连续猛击;磨损 | |
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46 clog | |
vt.塞满,阻塞;n.[常pl.]木屐 | |
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47 aisles | |
n. (席位间的)通道, 侧廊 | |
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48 shovels | |
n.铲子( shovel的名词复数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份v.铲子( shovel的第三人称单数 );锹;推土机、挖土机等的)铲;铲形部份 | |
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49 premier | |
adj.首要的;n.总理,首相 | |
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50 auspices | |
n.资助,赞助 | |
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51 echelons | |
n.(机构中的)等级,阶层( echelon的名词复数 );(军舰、士兵、飞机等的)梯形编队 | |
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52 utilitarian | |
adj.实用的,功利的 | |
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53 delve | |
v.深入探究,钻研 | |
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54 dissertations | |
专题论文,学位论文( dissertation的名词复数 ) | |
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55 promotions | |
促进( promotion的名词复数 ); 提升; 推广; 宣传 | |
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56 autonomous | |
adj.自治的;独立的 | |
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57 enrolling | |
v.招收( enrol的现在分词 );吸收;入学;加入;[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 );登记,招收,使入伍(或入会、入学等),参加,成为成员;记入名册;卷起,包起 | |
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58 workloads | |
(某一人或组织)工作量,工作负担( workload的名词复数 ) | |
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59 determined | |
adj.坚定的;有决心的 | |
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60 solely | |
adv.仅仅,唯一地 | |
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61 renowned | |
adj.著名的,有名望的,声誉鹊起的 | |
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62 overcast | |
adj.阴天的,阴暗的,愁闷的;v.遮盖,(使)变暗,包边缝;n.覆盖,阴天 | |
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63 drizzle | |
v.下毛毛雨;n.毛毛雨,蒙蒙细雨 | |
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