英语听力精选进阶版 13797

BBC Learning English 

Words in the News  

18th January 2012 

Sealed Fate 

Transcript: 

Rescued from certain death at sea. 

This seal pup has been separated from its mother by storms and joined others in a 

sanctuary¹ in the Netherlands. The refuge has been overwhelmed by the arrival of 

hundreds washed up on the beaches. 

They are fed herrings stuffed with vitamins. 

But when they grow up, they will face other challenges. Overfishing and pollution also 

affect their chances of survival. 

Vocabulary: 

sanctuary 

safe place 

overwhelmed 

received a number greater than it would normally cope with 

washed up 

brought to the shore of a body of water 

stuffed 

totally filled with (something) 

overfishing 

fishing too much to the point of threatening the local fish population 

Watch this video online: Sealed Fate               

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from BBC 

news reports.  

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly. 

sanctuary / overwhelmed / washed up / stuffed / overfishing 

1.  

Turkey was often very difficult to get, so housewives were advised to cook "murkey", which 

was ____________ mutton. The stuffing was largely made of breadcrumbs. No-one threw 

away a stale loaf in those days. 

2.  

About 40,000 people on Mindanao are living in evacuation centres after losing their homes 

and possessions. China and the US are among international donors² offering assistance. Mr 

Ramos said funeral parlours had been ___________ by the catastrophe³. 

3.  

The 2011 statistics included a very high peak of common dolphins being stranded⁴ during 

February and a high number of porpoises⁵ ending up on the coast during the winter. The 

group has also received samples from the 13m sperm⁶ whale which was __________ on 

Connemara's Omey island last week. 

4.  

Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood⁷, eating about 80% of the Atlantic and Pacific 

bluefins caught. However, restrictions⁸ on catches have been tightened⁹ in recent years 

because of concerns about __________. 

5. 

An animal ___________ in Bishop¹⁰ Auckland is appealing for help after being swamped with 

hundreds of hens released from their battery cages. 

Answers: 

1. 

Turkey was often very difficult to get, so housewives were advised to cook "murkey", which 

was stuffed mutton. The stuffing was largely made of breadcrumbs. No-one threw away a 

stale loaf in those days. 

Source:  Carrots in the Christmas pud: How wartime cooks made do 

2.  

About 40,000 people on Mindanao are living in evacuation centres after losing their homes 

and possessions. China and the US are among international donors offering assistance. Mr 

Ramos said funeral parlours had been overwhelmed by the catastrophe. 

Source:  Philippines floods: Aid agencies say 120,000 in need    

3.  

The 2011 statistics included a very high peak of common dolphins being stranded during 

February and a high number of porpoises ending up on the coast during the winter. The 

group has also received samples from the 13m sperm whale which was washed up on 

Connemara's Omey island last week. 

Source:  Record year for stranded whales              

4.  

Japan is the world's biggest consumer of seafood, eating about 80% of the Atlantic and Pacific 

bluefins caught. However, restrictions on catches have been tightened in recent years 

because of concerns about overfishing. 

Source:  Japan tuna is world's most expensive edible¹¹ fish         

5.  

An animal sanctuary in Bishop Auckland is appealing for help after being swamped with 

hundreds of hens released from their battery cages.  

Source:  Freed battery hens in Bishop Auckland need new homes    http://bbc.in/yfCw5s 

1 sanctuary   

n.圣所，圣堂，寺庙；禁猎区，保护区

参考例句：

• There was a sanctuary of political refugees behind the hospital.医院后面有一个政治难民的避难所。
• Most countries refuse to give sanctuary to people who hijack aeroplanes.大多数国家拒绝对劫机者提供庇护。

2 donors   

n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者

参考例句：

• Please email us to be removed from our active list of blood donors. 假如你想把自己的名字从献血联系人名单中删去，请给我们发电子邮件。
• About half this amount comes from individual donors and bequests. 这笔钱大约有一半来自个人捐赠及遗赠。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

4 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

5 porpoises   

n.鼠海豚( porpoise的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• A shoal of porpoises are well on the feed. 一群海豚正在吞食。 来自辞典例句
• In 1928 some porpoises were photographed working like beavers to push ashore a waterlogged mattress. 1928年有人把这些海豚象海狸那样把一床浸泡了水的褥垫推上岸时的情景拍摄了下来。 来自辞典例句

6 sperm   

n.精子，精液

参考例句：

• Only one sperm fertilises an egg.只有一个精子使卵子受精。
• In human reproduction,one female egg is usually fertilized by one sperm.在人体生殖过程中，一个精子使一个卵子受精。

7 seafood   

n.海产食品，海味，海鲜

参考例句：

• There's an excellent seafood restaurant near here.离这儿不远有家非常不错的海鲜馆。
• Shrimps are a popular type of seafood.小虾是比较普遍的一种海味。

8 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

9 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

10 bishop   

n.主教，（国际象棋）象

参考例句：

• He was a bishop who was held in reverence by all.他是一位被大家都尊敬的主教。
• Two years after his death the bishop was canonised.主教逝世两年后被正式封为圣者。

11 edible   

n.食品，食物；adj.可食用的

参考例句：

• Edible wild herbs kept us from dying of starvation.我们靠着野菜才没被饿死。
• This kind of mushroom is edible,but that kind is not.这种蘑菇吃得，那种吃不得。