VOA标准英语2011--Hollywood Icon Elizabeth Taylor Dies

One of the most famous and most talked-about actresses to come out of Hollywood has died. Film legend Elizabeth Taylor died Wednesday of congestive heart failure at the age of 79.
Elizabeth Taylor's striking¹ beauty demanded the attention of audiences from the moment she appeared on the silver screen.
Her role in National Velvet² made Taylor a star at the age of 12, and the parts and the fame kept on coming.
Twice she won the Academy³ Award for Best Actress, for her role in Butterfield Eight, about a call girl involved with a married man, and in 1966 as a constantly bickering⁴ wife opposite actor Richard Burton in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf?
Born in London to American parents, she moved to Los Angeles before World War II, and went from child star to Hollywood starlet. But she gained attention for more than just her beauty and acting⁵ talent.
Her stormy personal life and eight marriages - two to Virginia Wolf co-star Richard Burton - as well as her friendship with the late pop-icon Michael Jackson, made her a constant source of stories for the press.
She also introduced her own perfume⁶ and raised money for several causes, including money for medical research on AIDS.
Taylor was hospitalized for congestive heart failure six weeks ago in Los Angeles. A statement from Taylor's family says she died peacefully, with her children at her side.

1 striking   

adj.显著的，惹人注目的，容貌出众的

参考例句：

• There is a striking difference between Jane and Mary.简和玛丽之间有显著的差异。
• What is immediately striking is how resourceful the children are.最令人注目的是孩子们的机智聪明。

2 velvet   

n.丝绒，天鹅绒；adj.丝绒制的，柔软的

参考例句：

• This material feels like velvet.这料子摸起来像丝绒。
• The new settlers wore the finest silk and velvet clothing.新来的移民穿着最华丽的丝绸和天鹅绒衣服。

3 academy   

n.(高等)专科院校；学术社团，协会，研究院

参考例句：

• This is an academy of music.这是一所音乐专科学院。
• I visited Chinese Academy of Sciences yesterday.我昨天去访问了中国科学院。

4 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

6 perfume   

n.香水(料，气)；vt.使充满芳香；洒香水

参考例句：

• The air was heavy with the perfume of the flower.空气中充满了花香。
• Those roses perfume the whole garden.那些玫瑰花使满园飘香。