VOA慢速英语2015 Police Officers Shot and Wounded in Ferguson, Missouri

Police Officers Shot and Wounded in Ferguson, Missouri

Two policemen were shot early Thursday in the midwestern American city of Ferguson, Missouri. The shooting happened a few hours after the city’s police chief resigned. A federal investigation¹ had found his department treats people of color unfairly.

One officer was shot in his upper body. The other was shot in the face. Both are expected to recover. The shootings took place during a protest at the Ferguson police station.

Officers say they believe the shots came from a gun fired from about 120 meters away. Police searched a house and have detained three people in connection with the shooting investigation. 

The Justice Department investigated the Ferguson police department following a controversial police shooting seven months ago.

Seven months ago, white police officer Darren Wilson shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. Many people protested the shooting.

Iraqi forces continue offensive in Tikrit

Iraqi military and volunteer fighters are moving toward the center of the Islamic State-controlled town of Tikrit. Attacks and bombings by the terrorist group have slowed the military offensive.

The operation is now in its second week. Iraqi commanders say the operation is moving gradually and purposely.

Wednesday night, the leader of one of the largest Shi’ite militias² said the militants⁴ in Tikrit “have two choices -- surrender or death.”

Thousands of Iraqi troops joined with volunteer militias early last week to try to take control of the city from the Islamic State fighters.   

Somalis say a drone has attacked al-Shabab

Reports from Somalia say the U.S. has carried out a drone strike against a vehicle carrying leaders of the militant³ group al-Shabab.

Somali officials and individuals close to al-Shabab told VOA’s Somali Service that the drone attacked a car Thursday night outside the southwestern town of Bardhere.

The targeted car reportedly belongs to Adan Garaar, a top member of al-Shabab’s security service, the Amniyat. Sources tell VOA the vehicle was destroyed in the drone strike. It was not immediately clear whether Adan Garaar was killed.

Adan Garaar is believed to have links to the gunmen who attacked the Westgate Mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi in 2013. More than 60 people were killed in that attack.

Earlier, al-Shabab claimed responsibility for an attack that targeted a top Somali political leader and left at least eight people dead.

Iranian leaders unhappy about a letter from U.S. Senators

Iran’s Supreme⁵ Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has criticized a letter sent by 47 U.S. Republican senators to Tehran. The lawmakers wrote about current talks on Iran’s nuclear program.

The Iranian leader said the letter represented, in his words, “disintegration⁶” in U.S. politics.

The United States, Britain, China, France, Russia and Germany are seeking guarantees that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful, in exchange for cancelling economic sanctions. Iran has repeatedly said it is not trying to build nuclear weapons.

Words in The News

controversial – adj. relating to or causing much discussion, disagreement or argument; likely to produce controversy⁷

gradually – adv. happening in a slow way over a long period of time

disintegration – n. to break apart into many small parts or pieces

1 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

2 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

3 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。

4 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。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 disintegration   

n.分散，解体

参考例句：

• This defeat led to the disintegration of the empire.这次战败道致了帝国的瓦解。
• The incident has hastened the disintegration of the club.这一事件加速了该俱乐部的解体。

7 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。