澳洲新闻 ABC新闻快递 2012-12-31

 US politicians are still struggling to forge a last-minute deal to avoid the fiscal¹ cliff. They need to find agreements on government spending before the new year or a series of tax hikes and budget cuts will come into effect. There are concerns failure to compromise could spell disaster for the US economy. 

 

 

 

A funeral's been held for the 23-year-old victim of a brutal² gang rape³. The woman was attacked on a bus two weeks ago. Six men are now facing the death penalty for her murder. 

 

 

 

Opposition⁴ activists⁵ in Syria say the Assad regime has massacred more than 200 people in the city of Homs. The claims have not been independently verified, but women and children are reportedly among the dead. Syrian government forces have retaken the city after several days of fierce fighting.

 

 

 

Convicted paedophile Dennis Ferguson has been found dead in his Sydney home. Police were called to the 64-year-old's flat in Surry Hills after a call from New South Wales ambulance service yesterday afternoon. A spokesman says initial reports suggest there are no suspicious circumstances. Ferguson was given 14 years' jail for sexually assaulting three children in Brisbane motel in the 1980s.

 

 

 

The police have found the body of a woman who went missing from a boat moored⁶ on Sydney Habour. The 49-year-old was on the boat with her family for cruise in the city's east. Her husband woke up at two o'clock this morning and discovered she was missing. The boat has been towed to Balmain for examination.

1 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

2 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

3 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

4 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 moored   

adj. 系泊的 动词moor的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London. 该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。
• We shipped (the) oars and moored alongside the bank. 我们收起桨，把船泊在岸边。