VOA慢速英语2014 纽约宣布重新培训警察的计划

 

New York City Announces Plan to Retrain Police 纽约宣布重新培训警察的计划

New York City says it is planning to retrain its police force. Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the retraining of the city’s 20,000-member police force Thursday. He said it is essential that police treat people of all races equally.

On Wednesday, a New York grand jury ruled against charging a white police officer in connection with the death of an unarmed black man. The officer had held his arm around the man’s neck and forced him to the sidewalk before he died. A witness video of the act shows the man repeatedly saying he could not breathe.

Earlier Thursday, U.S. civil rights leaders condemned¹ the grand jury decision. 

A top New York police official says the three-day retraining will be completed by June.

Launch of U.S. space ship delayed

American space agency officials have delayed plans to launch a new spaceship for at least a day. The officials say their decision was based on several problems, including equipment failure and winds at the Cape² Canaveral launch area in Florida.

The spaceship is designed to take American astronauts to the moon and beyond. This first trip is to be unpiloted, however. The ship is to orbit Earth twice before returning. The orbit was to be 14 times farther from Earth than that of the International Space Station.

NASA officials say the launch could take place on Friday.

Al Qaida threatens U.S. hostage in Yemen

A group of Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has threatened to kill an American hostage. The group says the United States must meet its demands within three days to stop the killing³ of a man who says he is Luke Somers.  A video released Thursday shows him saying that he is certain his life is in danger. Gunmen in Saana captured an American news photographer of that name last year.

The group has not made clear what it expects from the United States.

Al Shabab claims the downing of a Kenyan plane

The Somali militant⁴ group Al Shabab says it has shot down a Kenyan military plane returning from fighting in Somalia. But the Kenyan military denies the report. It says technical problems caused the crash in the area of Kismayo.

Earlier Thursday, a spokesman for al-Shabab said its gunman had killed a former Somali lawmaker in the Somali capital, Mogadishu. The spokesman said a current member of Parliament was injured in the attack.

Words in the News

essential – adj. extremely important and necessary

orbit – v. to travel around (something, such as a planet or moon) in a curved path: to make an orbit around (something)

orbit – n. the curved path that something (such as a moon or satellite) follows as it goes around something else (such as a planet)

certain – adj. not having any doubt about something: convinced or sure

technical – adj. relating to the practical use of machines or science in industry, medicine, etc.

1 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

2 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

3 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

4 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。