英国新闻听力 11

BBC News with Marian Marshall.

The G8 Group of the world's leading industrialized nations have agreed to hold a summit with other key countries in the near future to discuss restructuring the international financial system. The G8 leaders also said that they agreed to reopen the world trade negotiations¹ that collapsed² earlier this year. The move came as European Union leaders meeting in Brussels discussed the plan to bail³ out struggling banks. From there, Oana Lungescu reports.

The whole of Europe without exception has approved the financial rescue plan, announced French President Nicolas Sarkozy. There was also, he said, unanimous support for a world summit that would revamp capitalism⁴ and November would be a good time to hold it. The world's eight industrialized nations have already pledged to meet soon with other key nations to adopt the reforms needed to avoid another crisis. But with a recession looming⁵, Italy and Poland are now threatening to block the EU's ambitious plan to fight climate change which, they say, is a burden for industry.

Share prices have dropped sharply on fears of a global recession. The Dow Jones Index in New York closed almost 8% down, there were also steep falls in Brazil, Argentina, London and other European markets. The recession fears also drag down oil prices. The Chairman of the US Federal Reserve, Ben Bernanke, warned of economic hardship even if confidence returned to the financial markets. Michelle Fleury reports.

The latest report from the US Federal Reserve, the so-called "Beige Book", pointed⁶ to a broad slowdown in economic activity. This was on top of grim retail⁷ figures which show that Americans are spending less money. Two thirds of all economic activity in the US comes from consumer spending. So it was hardly surprising that even strong company results from US bank JP Morgan and drinks giant Coco Cola failed to lift the gloom.

The United States military in Iraq says it's killed al-Qaeda's second-in-command in the country. It's said the man known as Abu Qaswarah and thought to be of Moroccan origin died during a raid by American forces in the northern city of Mosul this month. An American spokesman, Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, said Abu Qaswarah was one of several al-Qaeda members killed in the operation.

"Significant intelligence collected in the hunt for Abu Qaswarah, led coalition⁸ forces to a building in Mosul, that served as a key command and control location for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Upon entering the building, forces were immediately fired upon, coalition forces returned fire in self-defense, leading to the death of five terrorists."

The American presidential candidates Barack Obama and John McCain are preparing for the final televised debate of the election campaign, which is expected to be dominated by economic issues. The latest opinion poll shows Mr. Obama with a commanding 14-point lead over his Republican opponent. And correspondents say Mr. McCain badly needs a decisive win in the debate to be held in New York State.

BBC News.

A commission of inquiry⁹ into Kenya's post-election violence has recommended a special tribunal be set up to prosecute¹⁰ those responsible for the bloodshed. The head of the commission said he had drawn¹¹ up a list of people who were allegedly behind the violence. If a tribunal wasn't created to try them, it’d hand the list to the International Criminal Court. The commission's report said much of the violence had been organized by politicians and businessmen.

A new report released to mark United Nations World Food Day says more than 900 million people in developing countries are facing starvation as food prices soar. The study by the charity Oxfam says spiraling inflation in the cost of basic foods have pushed an extra 119 million people into hunger this year. It added that the higher prices had resulted in a fourfold increase in the profits of some food companies.

The Lower House of Parliament in Italy has approved a controversial plan to create separate classes for immigrant children. Opposition¹² leaders have denounced the proposal as xenophobic. The Senate still has to pass the plan. From Rome, Duncan Kennedy reports.

Under the plan, children of immigrants would all have to take a special citizenship¹³ test. Those that passed will be able to join regular classes, but those that failed will be placed in so-called "bridge classes", where they would follow Italian language, law and culture courses as well as the basic curriculum until they could pass the test. The measure was proposed by Italy's Northern League, which is part of the country's center-right governing coalition. But the motion was attacked by opposition politicians. One described it as an act of the worst xenophobia.

It's been confirmed that the American pop star Madonna and the British film director Guy Ritchie are getting divorced after eight years of marriage. Madonna's spokeswoman said that the couple hadn't yet reached a settlement and appealed for the media to respect their privacy.

BBC News.

1 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

2 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

3 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

4 capitalism   

n.资本主义

参考例句：

• The essence of his argument is that capitalism cannot succeed.他的论点的核心是资本主义不能成功。
• Capitalism began to develop in Russia in the 19th century.十九世纪资本主义在俄国开始发展。

5 looming   

n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近

参考例句：

• The foothills were looming ahead through the haze. 丘陵地带透过薄雾朦胧地出现在眼前。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Then they looked up. Looming above them was Mount Proteome. 接着他们往上看，在其上隐约看到的是蛋白质组山。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 回顾与展望

6 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

7 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

8 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

9 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

10 prosecute   

vt.告发；进行；vi.告发，起诉，作检察官

参考例句：

• I am trying my best to prosecute my duties.我正在尽力履行我的职责。
• Is there enough evidence to prosecute?有没有起诉的足够证据？

11 drawn   

v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的

参考例句：

• All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
• Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。

12 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。

13 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。