英语听力精选进阶版 8924

Russia says it's prepared to back a forty-eight-hour ceasefire in the city of Aleppo, following an impassioned appeal by the U.N. Envoy¹ to Syria. Stefeni Mesduro, who welcomed the Russian move, but warned that the challenge for now was for Moscow to deliver the agreement of the Syrian government.

在俄方倡议下，叙利亚北部城市勒颇将实施临时性停火，时间持续48小时。联合国驻叙利亚特使米斯杜拉发表强烈的声明，对俄罗斯的举动表示欢迎，但是他同时还警示到现在墨西哥面临的挑战是如何使叙利亚政府履行协议。

Police sources in Brazil say that U.S. Olympic swimmers in Rio de Janeiro invented a story about a robbery in an effort to disguise an altercation² with a petrol station security guard. But a spokesman for the Rio Games urged people to, as he put it, give the kids a break, saying that they had made a mistake, but life went on.

巴西警方知情人士表示，参加里约奥运会的美国游泳选手捏造了抢劫案，是为了掩饰其在加油站和保安人员发生的争执。但是，里约发言人表示，放过这些孩子们。他们的确犯了错误，但是生活仍要继续。

The United Nations has finally acknowledged they contributed to an outbreak of cholera³ six years ago that killed ten thousand people in Haiti. Scientific studies have repeatedly shown that Nepalese U.N. troops were the source of the disease. But until now, the U.N. has always denied responsibility.

联合国首次承认联合国行动是导致数千人死亡的海地霍乱疫情的爆发原因。科学研究一再证明，尼泊尔联合部队是霍乱疾病的来源。但是到目前为止，联合国仍拒绝承担责任。

The United Nations says South Sudan's former Vice⁴ President, x, who has not been seen in public for weeks, is in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The U.N. Mission in Congo helped to transport him.

联合国表示已经消失在公众视野数周的南苏丹前副总统马尔沙现在在刚果共和国。联合国驻刚果部队帮助了其转移工作。

The U.S. Justice Department has announced plans to phase out the use of private prisons. An official said they did not provide the same level of safety or security as jails run by the federal authorities, or substantially save on costs. A report earlier this month concluded that privately-run prisons were almost also more violent.

美国司法部门宣布，计划结束私人监狱。一位官员表示私人监狱并不能提供联邦政府监狱的同等的安全级别和安全性，其也未能大量节约费用。本月初发布的一份报告也显示，私人监狱更加暴力。

The online taxi service, Uber, has confirmed that it will start carrying passengers in self-driving cars within the next two weeks. Starting this month, customers in the U.S. city of Pittsburg will be able to summon a self-driving car using the Uber app on their smartphone.

在线出租车服务，优步，证实，在未来两周将使用无人驾驶车辆搭载乘客。从本月开始，匹兹堡的乘客可以使用手机上的优步App预约无人驾驶车辆。

The social network, Twitter, says it's suspended nearly a quarter of a million more accounts for promoting terrorism. The company announced more than a hundred thousand such suspensions in February.

社交网络，推特表示暂停了传播恐怖主义的将近25万账户。推特公司曾于2月份暂停10万账户。

And two British brothers have won gold and silver in the men's triathlon in Rio. Alistair Brownlee crossed the finish line just six seconds ahead of his younger brother, Jonathan.

男子铁人三项，英国兄弟包揽金银牌，哥哥阿里斯泰尔-布朗利发挥更为神勇，以6秒的优势获得金牌。弟弟乔纳森-布朗利获得亚军。

1 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

2 altercation   

n.争吵，争论

参考例句：

• Throughout the entire altercation,not one sensible word was uttered.争了半天，没有一句话是切合实际的。
• The boys had an altercation over the umpire's decision.男孩子们对裁判的判决颇有争议。

3 cholera   

n.霍乱

参考例句：

• The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。
• Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

4 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。