orts from the United Nations.
It was the eighth straight year that the General Assembly's passed a resolution calling on the United States to lift its trade sanctions against Cuba, and as in past years, it was approved overwhelmingly. This year's vote was 155 to 2, with always the United States and Israel voting \"No\formerly this nation's ambassador to the United Nations, repeatedly referred to \"genocide\" in arguing in favor of the resolution. Mr. Alacon also said Cuba will file a 100-billion-dollar lawsuit against the United States because of the embargo, but he did not say where such a lawsuit would be filed. The United States representative Peter Burly said the US embargo against Cuba is a matter of bilateral trade policy, and has no place in the UN General Assembly.
Task 3
【答案】 A. 1) T 2) F 3) T 4) F B.
1) Shelter for the Homeless 2) a set of stamps/six stamps 3) building homes
4) information; the UN; government; institutions; worldwide 【原文】
Narrator: Since 1946, when the United Nations General Assembly recommended that
inter-national arrangements be set up to promote and coordinate research and the ex-change of information on housing, the United Nations has given increasing attention to the subject of human settlements. This year, the United Nations observes the International Year of Shelter for the Homeless. In commemoration of the year, the UN Postal Administration has released a special stamp issue. I recently spoke with Gisela Grunewald, Chief of the Postal Administration, who described the set and explained its significance.
Grunewald: We issued six stamps in honor of the Intemational Year for Shelter for the Homeless,
and these six stamps should really show the positive efforts that are being done around the world to help the homeless and to find shelter for them. So what we are showing on these six stamps are six different scenes that are aspects of building homes. You have surveying the terrain; you have putting windows in a house; you have the actual building of the walls and a number of steps in between, and the last stamp in this set actually shows one family that happily and proudly stands in front of its new home. So, as I said initially, we like to portray the positive side and the solutions that are proposed by the Organization when it is tackling a problem.
Narrator: So, in a sense, it's a progression as seen from beginning to end.
Grunewald: That is right. We know that the subject is shelter for the homeless, so the
homelessness as such is not shown but the solutions to the problem of the
homelessness.
Narrator: And what is the impact of such a stamp issue How can it really influence people's
lives
Grunewald: Well, one of the functions that United Nations stamps have is to inform the public
about what the Organization is doing. So, the impact of these stamps will certainly be one of spreading information about the International Year. We have more than 100,000 collectors throughout the world who will receive these stamps and they will get the information about this International Year with our stamps. Also, all the stamps which are going to be used to mail out mail from the three UN offices in New York, Geneva and Vienna will again send out the message that this is the International Year for Shelter for the Homeless, and will show that the UN is working on this problem. As far as the homeless people themselves are concerned, I think the impact of the stamps will be, again, by way of sensitizing and informing people about the problem that this is something that has to be tackled by governments and by other institutions and that it is a worldwide problem.
Task 4
【答案】 A. News Items 1 Participants Number of Demonstrators Place(s) Demands demonstrators mainly tens longterm unemployed thousands of Paris and several Protest the level of other cities un- employment and call for higher welfare payments Demand more government action to deal with the problems of the countryside 2 Some rural interest A quarter of a Central groups . farmers, million London agriculture workers, hunters and village dwellers B.
News Item 1 1) T 2) F
News Item 2 3) F 4) F
【原文】 News Item 1
Tens of thousands of demonstrators in France have been taking part in marches in Paris and several other cities, protesting the level of unemployment and calling for higher welfare payments. The march is a part of the campaign that began last year with the occupation of Welfare Offices by the long-term unemployed. But as Steven Jasol, our Paris correspondent, explains, the marches may indicate that the protest movement is losing momentum.
News Item 2
Here in Britain about a quarter of a million people have taken part in a march through central London to demand more government action to deal with the problems of the countryside. A number of rural interest groups have been taking part--farmers, agriculture workers, hunters and village dwellers: The movement grew out of opposition to a proposal to ban fox hunting, a traditional rural sport. But it expanded to take in a number of issues.
Task 5
【答案】 A. Countries the US Russia China B. 1) F 2) T 3) F 4) T 5) F 6) F
【原文】
The United States won only one of the 24 gold medals awarded here on the final day, but still led all nations after 16 days of sporting events with 39 gold, 25 silver and 33 bronze medals for a total of 97. It's the first time outside of home soil since 1968 that the USA has topped the Olympic medals table. Russia was second with 32 gold, 28 silver and 28 bronze for a total of 88. China was third with 59, including 28 gold, 16 silver and 15 bronze. In all, 80 nations won at least one medal. The United States won medals in 22 sports led by the swimmers with 33, and the track-and-field team with 20. The US men's basketball team of NBA stars beat the French in the gold medal match on the final day 85 to 75, but the Americans know, after barely getting into the final with a 2-point win over Lithuania, the Olympic gold medal is no longer a guarantee. The final day of the Olympics was not without controversy: three athletes were disqualified by the IOC for positive drug tests; only one was a medalist, Armenian Arshed Danianian, who was stripped of his bronze in weight lifting.
Number of Medals Gold 39 32 28 Silver 25 28 16 Bronze 33 28 15 Total 97 88 59 Task 6
【答案】 A.
1) A strategic partnership agreement.
2) It strengthens ties between the two countries in a variety of areas including security cooperation, diplomatic activity at the UN and trade and finance. 3) A package of arms deals.
4) First, they have agreed to an accord that will allow India to buy more diamonds from Russia. Second, India will get some advanced nuclear technology from Russia for its nuclear power
projects.
5) India hopes to reduce its dependence on imported oil. B.
1) tanks; fighter bombers; aircraft carrier 2) military hardware; three billion dollars 3) low; longstanding ties 4) importer; cutter; producer 【原文】
On the second day of Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to New Delhi, India and Russia have signed a strategic partnership agreement. VOA's Jim Teeple reports the object of the agreement is to seek peace, and failing that, sell guns.
The strategic partnership agreement signed in New Delhi significantly strengthens ties between New Delhi and Moscow in a variety of areas, including security cooperation, diplomatic activity at the United Nations and trade and finance. Officials close to the talks say discussions are ongoing about a package of arms deals, which include T-90 tanks, Sukhoi fighter bombers and the acquisition of a Russian aircraft carrier for the Indian Navy. India buys more than 70 percent of its military hardware from Russia, and this year New Delhi increased its defense budget by an estimated three billion dollars. While arms deals will dominate the discussions, Indian officials also say they want to increase commercial trade with Russia. India's Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee says trade between the two countries is too low, considering their long-standing ties. Towards that end, Russia and India have agreed to an accord that will allow India, the world's largest importer and cutter of diamonds, to buy more diamonds from Russia, the world's largest producer. Indian officials are also eager to acquire — and Russia has reportedly agreed to supply — advanced nuclear technology to be used in the production of nuclear power for commercial purposes. India currently has 12 nuclear reactors and plans to build 16 more to lessen its dependence on imported oil.
Task 7
【答案】
high; downturn; investment; reforms; terrorism; slowdown; percent; 8; similar; cars; houses; tours; internal; money; market; barriers; domestic
【原文】
China's government says its economy will continue growing briskly this year, even though much of the rest of the world is in an economic downturn. Chinese officials say they will boost internal demand, encourage investment, and push reforms to help sustain growth. In a meeting with reporters, China's top economic planner says the world's \"complicated and volatile\" economic problems could make growth more difficult for China. He says the war on terrorism and a slowdown in trade make it harder for China's manufacturers to export their goods.
Speaking through a translator, Mr. Zeng says China's economy grew at about percent last year and will grow at a similar pace this year. \"Facing this situation, I think, some friends may ask, 'When the world economic situation is not very good, can China still maintain the last year's growth' And I think, my answer is that we can continue to do so in the new year.\" China's growth rate slowed for much of the last year, but Mr. Zeng says he is \"full of confidence\" that China can continue the economic growth that has transformed much of the country.
He says internal demand was up about 10 percent last year and urban incomes grew more
than 8 percent. Mr. Zeng also says foreign trade and foreign capital utilized both hit record highs for China. Mr. Zeng says this year China will encourage consumers to buy cars, build houses, go to school and take tours to boost internal demand. He says the government will further stimulate the economy by issuing bonds to raise money to bring paved roads, electricity and other services to poverty-stricken areas in China's West. Many economists have noted in the past that government spending has been responsible for most of China's growth in the past few years.
Mr. Zeng says China's new membership in the World Trade Organization will afford exporters new access to other markets, and clear away tariff and other obstacles to China's market. He says the result will be an increase in foreign and domestic investment in China, which will help growth, Twenty years of economic reform and opening up to the outside world have more than doubled the size of China's economy and greatly increased the incomes of urban residents. Scholars say continued economic growth is important because it is a key to social stability in China by absorbing some of the country's millions of unemployed workers.
Task 8
【答案】 A. Year 1831 1945 1968 Events Charles Darwin set out from Plymouth for a 5-year surveying expedition of the Southern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Foreign Ministers from the former Allied nations agreed to divide Korea into two separate occupation zones and govern the nation for 5 years. The first manned mission to the moon/Apollo 8 returned safely to the earth after a 6-day journey. B. 1) invaluable; evolution; The Origin of the Species 2) biological evolution; natural selection 3) split; Soviet forces; Americans 4) manned spacecraft; orbit 【原文】
Well, today is Wednesday, December 27, and on this day in history in 1831, British naturalist Charles Darwin set out from Plymouth, England, for a 5-year surveying expedition of the southern Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Visiting such diverse places as Brazil, the Galapagos Islands and New Zealand, Darwin acquired an intimate knowledge of the flora, fauna, wildlife and geology of many lands. The information proved invaluable in the development of his theory of evolution first put forth in his book The Origin of the Species. Darwin's theory of natural selection argues the species are the result of a gradual biological evolution of living organisms through natural selection.
On this day in 1945, in the aftermath of WWⅡ, foreign ministers from the former Allied Nations of the United States, the Soviet Union, and Great Britain agreed to divide Korea into two separate occupation zones and govern the nation for five years. The country was split along the 38th Parallel with Soviet forces occupying the northern zone and Americans stationed to the South. During WWⅡ, the Allies promised independence to Korea, and in 1948, self-rule was granted with the establishment of two separate regimes in North and South Korea.
On this day in 1968, the first manned mission to the moon returned safely to earth after a historic 6-day journey. Apollo 8, with astronauts Frank Borman, James Lovell, Jr., and William
Anders aboard, became the first manned spacecraft ever to enter an orbit around the moon.
Task 9
【答案】
1) He was a suspect in connection with the \"I Love You\" computer virus that has damaged millions of computers worldwide.
2) They seized the telephone, computer magazines and wiring. 3) No.
4) A Swedish teenager who was a computer whiz.
【原文】
The Philippine authorities have arrested a suspect in connection with the \"I Love You\" computer virus that's damaged millions of computers worldwide. Reomo Remonus was led away in handcuffs Monday following a raid in his Manila home. Criminal investigators seized the telephone, computer magazines and wiring from the residence. Police say his live-in girlfriend has agreed to mm herself in by Tuesday. The two suspects have not been charged with any crimes. In Stockholm, Swedish authorities said Mr. Remonus was caught after a tip from a Swedish teenager, who is a computer whiz.
Task 10
【答案】 A. 1) d) 2) a) 3) c) 4) b) B. 1) c 2) b 3) d 4) a C.
1) fallen; criticise; sensitive; confidence 2) probe; question
3) independent; so; forward; principal; broadcaster; envied; cherished D.
1) After the Kelly affair, the chairman and director general of the BBC resigned. The British government has the right to appoint the new leaders for the BBC. Moreover, although the BBC is funded by the payments from people who have TVs, The government is beginning a charter review of the system. Thus some people fear the BBC could try to please the government because it relies on the renewal of the charter for its funding.
2) Alex Salmond questions the government's role in appointing senior executives for the BBC. He doubts whether the government can be impartial on this matter when the chairman and director general of the BBC resigned after the affair. Tony Blair says the BBC should be independent and impartial by questioning and probing the government in every proper way. Tessa Jowell insists that the BBC be constitutionally independent and continue to be so. For her,
what is the most important is that the BBC, as the major public service broadcaster, continues moving forward after the affair. 【原文】
The BBC now finds two seats empty at its most senior managerial level — those of its chairman and its director general. Even though the resignations resulted from a conflict between the government and the corporation — it is now the government which will appoint a new BBC chairman. And it is that new chairman who will help appoint a new BBC director general. The Scottish National politician, Alex Salmond, is among those who question the government's role in filling the posts.
\"Who on earth under the current circumstances is going to trust the Prime Minister to appoint a chairman of the board of governors, who'll then appoint the next director general Are we really to believe with the two top men at the BBC fallen because basically they'd dared to criticise the government on a sensitive issue, then this is going to be an appointment that's going to inspire public confidence\"
The BBC is funded by a fee paid by each household in the UK that has a television. The government is just beginning a review of that system — as it does once every ten years. The charter review, as it's called. Some fear the BBC could go too far in trying to please the government following the Kelly affair, because it relies upon the renewal of the charter for its funding.
Following its battle with the BBC, the government knows it must avoid any perception that it's interfering with the corporation. In accepting the corporation's apology on Thursday, the Prime Minister, Tony Blair, made reference to the broadcaster's impartiality. He said the BBC should probe and question the government in every proper way. His Culture Minister, Tessa Jowell, who is overseeing the review of the BBC's charter, says it's impossible for the government to threaten the corporation's independence.
\"The BBC is constitutionally independent and will continue to be so, and what is important now is that, in the wake of Gavin Davies's and Greg Dyke's resignations — honourable resignations — that the BBC moves forward and does so because it is the principal, most important, public service broadcaster in the country. It is envied around the world and it is cherished by the people of this country.\"
Task 11
【原文】
Newspapers are one of the main sources from which we learn what is going on--in world politics, science, local government, the arts, fashion, food, education and sports. The papers we choose show our interests and usually the politics which we believe in. There are nine national daily newspapers in Britain, of which five are tabloids and four are quality papers. Do these newspapers realty serve the people they are written for Many people question the objectivity of newspapers. How objective are they We might be better able to judge if we understand how a newspaper is produced. Reporters, of course, are the source from which the facts must come, but there are many other people who are involved in and influence newspapers.
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