VOA慢速英语2015 约旦飞行员死亡

 

Jordanian Pilot Reportedly Dead 约旦飞行员死亡

The Jordanian pilot held by Islamic State militants² reportedly is dead. Photos released on social media Tuesday appear to show the pilot being burned to death.

Jordanian State television says Jordan confirmed the pilot's death and said he was killed on January 3.

The Jordanian military condemned³ the killing⁴ and promised it would not go unpunished.

A family member of the pilot told Reuters news agency that they learned of his death from the chief of Jordan's armed forces.

U.S. President Barack Obama said Tuesday that if the video is real, it would be another sign of the "viciousness and barbarity" of the militant¹ group.

The pilot had been at the center of a prisoner and hostage exchange involving Jordan, Japan and an Iraqi insurgent⁵ imprisoned⁶ in Jordan. Jordan had demanded proof that the pilot was alive before they would release the Iraqi prisoner.

Jailed Al Jazeera journalist gives Up Egyptian citizenship⁷

Al Jazeera reporter Mohamed Fahmy could soon be released from prison in Egypt now that he has surrendered his Egyptian citizenship.

Mr. Fahmy had been a citizen of both Egypt and Canada.

Monday night, Canadian Foreign Minister John Baird said Mr. Fahmy's release was "imminent⁸," or about to happen.

Mr. Fahmy and other reporters spent more than 400 days in prison after their arrest in December 2013. They were charged with aiding the Muslim Brotherhood⁹, which Egypt considers a terrorist group.

Egyptian officials expelled another Al Jazeera reporter earlier this week. He was returned to his home country of Australia.

A third Al Jazeera reporter remains¹⁰ in prison.

Chadian troops enter Nigeria to fight Boko Haram

Hundreds of Chadian ground troops entered northeastern Nigeria Tuesday as part of a growing effort in the area to fight Boko Haram insurgents¹¹.

Witnesses said Chadian soldiers and vehicles crossed a bridge from Cameroon into the Nigerian town of Gambaru. Another Chadian force of at least 300 soldiers deployed¹² near Bosso, a town on the border between Nigeria and Niger.

Chad is one of four countries that have promised to help fight Boko Haram, along with Cameroon, Niger and Benin.

American author Harper Lee to publish second book

Harper Lee, the writer of the American novel, “To Kill a Mockingbird,” announced Tuesday that she will publish a second book this July. “To Kill A Mockingbird” came out in 1960 and was immediately popular. At least forty million copies have been sold. The book was also made into a play and a film.

The new book “Go Set a Watchman” will be released on July 14. It will be Ms. Lee’s first in 55 years. The book is a sequel to “To Kill a Mockingbird.”

The publishing company Harper said that Ms. Lee completed the novel in the 1950s, before “To Kill a Mockingbird.” The Pulitzer Prize-winning author rediscovered her early work last year.

Words in the News

barbarity – n. extreme cruelty: a very cruel and violent quality

deport¹³ – v. to force (a person who is not a citizen) to leave a country

imminent – adj. happening very soon

novel – n. a long written story usually about imaginary characters and events

sequel – n. a book, movie, etc., that continues a story begun in another book, movie, etc.

1 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

2 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

3 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

6 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

7 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。

8 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

9 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

11 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

12 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

13 deport   

vt.驱逐出境

参考例句：

• We deport aliens who slip across our borders.我们把偷渡入境的外国人驱逐出境。
• More than 240 England football fans are being deported from Italy following riots last night.昨晚的骚乱发生后有240多名英格兰球迷被驱逐出意大利。