2007年VOA标准英语-Britain Reduces Threat Level from 'Critical' to

By VOA News
04 July 2007
 

Britain has lowered its national security level from its highest level, "critical" to "severe," indicating that authorities no longer believe a terrorist attack is imminent¹.

Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said the action does not mean the threat of terrorism is gone and urged the public to stay vigilant².

The decision to lower the terror threat one level came after the detention³ of eight people following car bombing attempts in London and Glasgow last week.

British authorities say all eight are doctors or worked for the country's national health service.

Britain's Prime Minister Gordon Brown is seen after a meeting of the government's top emergency committee Cobra, 29 Jun 2007

Earlier, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown told parliament authorities will expand background checks on immigrants entering the country to fill skilled jobs, including medical personnel.

Also Wednesday, a senior British cleric said that last April he met in Jordan with an unnamed al-Qaida leader who apparently⁴ warned him of attacks by doctors. Canon Andrew White said the al-Qaida official told him that "those who cure you are going to kill you." He said meeting the man was like meeting the devil. White runs an Anglican church in Baghdad. He said he passed the information to the British Foreign Office, which denies receiving the warning.

Some information for this report was provided by AP.

1 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

2 vigilant   

adj.警觉的，警戒的，警惕的

参考例句：

• He has to learn how to remain vigilant through these long nights.他得学会如何在这漫长的黑夜里保持警觉。
• The dog kept a vigilant guard over the house.这只狗警醒地守护着这所房屋。

3 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

4 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。