AP 2010-09-14_在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

1. The Denver Post reports that authorities are investigating whether a fire pit sparked the devastating¹ ten-square-mile wildfire near Boulder². The wildfire that began Labor³ Day has cost nearly seven million dollars to fight and destroyed 169 homes.

2. Authorities in California are trying to identify remains⁴ they found in the wreckage⁵ of a natural gas line explosion. The official death toll⁶ remains at four. While some remains had been found, it wasn't immediately clear if they were from victims already accounted for.

3. After a power shrug⁷ with Iran's conservative leadership put her freedom into doubt, an American woman arrested more than a year ago along the Iraq border is on the verge⁸ of heading home. Sarah Shourd could be released in the “next two or three days” - or even sooner.

4. Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck teamed up Saturday night, recalling their thoughts and feelings the day of the 9/11 attacks. Palin applauded the conservative commentator⁹ as an inspiration for millions, saying he represents why so many citizens never have to apologize for being Americans.

点击

收听单词发音

1 devastating
adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的
参考例句：
It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。 Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

2 boulder
n.巨砾；卵石，圆石
参考例句：
We all heaved together and removed the boulder.大家一齐用劲，把大石头搬开了。 He stepped clear of the boulder.他从大石头后面走了出来。

3 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。

4 remains
n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹
参考例句：
He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。 The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

5 wreckage
n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏
参考例句：
They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。 New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

6 toll
n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)
参考例句：
The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。 The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

7 shrug
v.耸肩(表示怀疑、冷漠、不知等)
参考例句：
With a shrug,he went out of the room.他耸一下肩，走出了房间。 I admire the way she is able to shrug off unfair criticism.我很佩服她能对错误的批评意见不予理会。

8 verge
n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临
参考例句：
The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。 She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

9 commentator
n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员
参考例句：
He is a good commentator because he can get across the game.他能简单地解说这场比赛，是个好的解说者。 The commentator made a big mistake during the live broadcast.在直播节目中评论员犯了个大错误。