VOA慢速英语2015 约旦伊斯兰国家协议俘虏交换截止日期

 

Deadline passes in Jordan-Islamic State prisoner exchange deal 约旦伊斯兰国家协议俘虏交换截止日期

Jordan has demanded proof that a pilot the Islamic State group threatened to kill is still alive, as a deadline set by the militants² in a prisoner exchange expired Thursday.

The Islamic State threatened to kill the Jordanian pilot and a Japanese hostage, unless Jordan released an Iraqi suicide bomber³ by sunset Thursday. The Islamic State demanded that she be delivered to the Turkish border.

A Jordanian government spokesman said one hour after the deadline that the prisoner would only be released if the Islamic State gave proof the Jordanian pilot was still alive.

The spokesman later told reporters that Jordan and Japan were working together to secure the release of the Japanese hostage as well.

Explosion near hospital in Mexico kills at least seven

A gas truck exploded and destroyed part of a maternity⁴ hospital in Mexico City Thursday morning. At least seven people were killed.

Mexico City's mayor said at least 54 people were injured, 22 of them children.

Officials said a leak in a hose from the truck may have caused the explosion. About 100 people were in the hospital at the time of the explosion. About 60 have been accounted for.

Rescue workers are searching for survivors⁵. Officials said people were likely still buried in the rubble⁶.

Israeli PM blames Iran for fighting along Israel-Lebanon border

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has blamed Iran for Wednesday's deadly fighting along the Lebanese border. The fighting was the most severe since the 2006 war between Israel and the Iranian-backed militant¹ group Hezbollah.

Mr. Netanyanu said on Thursday Israel will continue to defend itself against all threats, "near and far alike."

The border between Israel and Lebanon was calm Thursday. The clashes on Wednesday between Israel and Hezbollah killed two Israeli soldiers and a U.N. peacekeeper.

WHO focus on Ebola shifts to ending outbreak

The World Health Organization said Thursday it is in the “second phase” of their response to slowing the worst-ever outbreak of Ebola. Officials will stop working to quickly build treatment facilities. The efforts now will be centered on efforts to find infected people and manage their cases.

The number of new cases this week fell to its lowest level since last June.

However, U.N. Ebola coordinator⁷ David Nabarro warned Thursday that the disease is still present in one-third of the areas of the three worst affected⁸ west African nations. A total of 99 new cases were reported last week in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, according to WHO figures.

Words in the News:

proof – n. something that shows something else is true or correct

maternity – adj. used to refer to an area in a hospital where women who are giving birth to babies are cared for

phase – n. a part or step in a process : one part in a series of related events or actions

figure – n. a value that is expressed in numbers

1 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。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

4 maternity   

n.母性，母道，妇产科病房；adj.孕妇的，母性的

参考例句：

• Women workers are entitled to maternity leave with full pay.女工产假期间工资照发。
• Trainee nurses have to work for some weeks in maternity.受训的护士必须在产科病房工作数周。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

6 rubble   

n.（一堆）碎石，瓦砾

参考例句：

• After the earthquake,it took months to clean up the rubble.地震后，花了数月才清理完瓦砾。
• After the war many cities were full of rubble.战后许多城市到处可见颓垣残壁。

7 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。