英语听力精选进阶版 14176（在线收听）

BBC Learning English 

Video Words in the News  

27 February 2013 

Mexico's father of fun 

Transcript: 

Not what you usually see in a religious ceremony. 

Father Humberto Alvarez uses a toy to bless his young congregation with holy water.  

He says it's a way of reaching out to children who live in a community affected by drug crime.  

He also adorns his robes with the images of comic-book superheroes such as Superman and Batman. Alvarez says that like Jesus, these characters are searching for justice.  

Vocabulary: 

bless 

ask for God's help and protection 

holy water 

water that is blessed and used for religious purposes 

reaching out 

trying to communicate (with someone) 

adorns 

decorates 

justice 

fair and reasonable treatment 

Exercise: 

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from news reports.  

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

bless/ holy water/ reaching out/ adorns/ justice 

1.  The 70-member peace council was set up more than two years ago by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to open negotiations with insurgents.    It was given the task of ______ to hundreds of Taliban field commanders, but it has consistently failed to woo any senior figures away from the insurgency.  

2.  "What I'm really interested in is not the organisation that manages police and crime and _______, but actually what it means in terms of delivering crime reduction and _______ for people who are victims of crime." 

3.  A giant pink neon heart now _______ the European Parliament building in Brussels in memory of the late dissident playwright and Czech leader Vaclav Havel, who died a year ago. 

4.  Pope Benedict XVI has given his final Sunday _______ at the Vatican before     he steps down on Thursday. 

5.  Reverend Wanak gave many mourners communion before sprinkling Eryk's white coffin with _______. Then, as the bells of St Marie's tolled, two pallbearers carried the coffin, bearing a white wreath, from the church. 

Answers: 

1.  The 70-member peace council was set up more than two years ago by Afghan President Hamid Karzai to open negotiations with insurgents. It was given the task of reaching out to hundreds of Taliban field commanders, but it has consistently failed to woo any senior figures away from the insurgency. 

2.  "What I'm really interested in is not the organisation that manages police and crime and justice, but actually what it means in terms of delivering crime reduction and justice for people who are victims of crime". 

3.  A giant pink neon heart now adorns the European Parliament building in Brussels in memory of the late dissident playwright and Czech leader Vaclav Havel, who died a year ago. 

4.  Pope Benedict XVI has given his final Sunday blessing at the Vatican before he steps down on Thursday. 

5.  Reverend Wanak gave many mourners communion before sprinkling Eryk's white coffin with holy water. Then, as the bells of St Marie's tolled, two pallbearers carried the coffin, bearing a white wreath, from the church.