VOA慢速英语 2007 0507a

This is the VOA Special English Development Report.

On April twenty-fourth, rebels in eastern Ethiopia attacked a Chinese-owned oil exploration field in the Ogaden area. They killed sixty-five Ethiopians workers and nine Chinese. Seven other Chinese were kidnapped but released. The Ogaden National Liberation Front took responsibility.

The group said China did not appear to recognize the struggles of the Somali people of Ogaden. The rebels have been fighting the Ethiopian government for more than twenty years. They urged China to cease all cooperation with the government in the area of oil exploration.

Some experts believe China may become more of a target in Africa as it expands its involvement there. Today, Chinese companies operate in most African nations. China has also been investing in local projects like roads, schools and hospitals.

 
An unidentified man walks past a Chinese trader sitting in front of his shop in Lagos, Nigeria
Ray Cheung writes for Business China, a newsletter published by the Economist¹ Intelligence Unit. He says China has invested in Africa since the nineteen fifties, but mostly within the past five years. By two thousand five, Chinese trade with Africa totaled about forty billion dollars.

Ray Cheung says the government has been urging state-owned companies to operate internationally to help support China's expanding economy. But, he adds, many of the leaders of those companies are not trained in good corporate² governance. He says the next generation of business leaders is more international and will have more of the skills needed for places like Africa.

Africans have generally welcomed China's investments. China, in return, gets oil and other natural resources that it needs, like copper³ and iron. But some say the growing Chinese involvement in Africa could lead to a form of economic colonization⁴.

China has an official policy of noninterference in other countries. But as Adam Wolfe noted⁵ in World Politics Watch, China will have to decide how much it can follow that policy in the face of risks like the attack in Ethiopia.

China, for example, has recently urged the government of Sudan to do more to end the violence in Darfur. China has faced international pressure to use its influence in Sudan to help solve the crisis. China National Petroleum⁶ is the main buyer of Sudanese oil.

In February, Chinese President Hu Jintao met with Sudan's president, Omar Hassan al-Bashir, during an eight-nation trip to Africa.

And that's the VOA Special English Development Report, written by Jill Moss⁷. I’m ______.

1 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

4 colonization   

殖民地的开拓，殖民，殖民地化； 移殖

参考例句：

• Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
• These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

7 moss   

n.苔，藓，地衣

参考例句：

• Moss grows on a rock.苔藓生在石头上。
• He was found asleep on a pillow of leaves and moss.有人看见他枕着树叶和苔藓睡着了。