现代大学英语听力2Unit8.docx
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现代大学英语听力2Unit8
Task1
NewsItem1
TheUnitedStatescentralbank,theFederalReserve,hasraisedinterestratesforthethirdtimethisyear.TheFederalReserveraisedtheovernightbanklendingrateby0.25percent(onefourthofonepercent)to5.5percent.Itraisedthediscountratealsoby0.25percentto5percent.TheFederalReservesaidithadnoplanstoraiseinterestratesagainanytimesoon.Itsaidtheincreasetodayshouldreducethedangerofinflation.
NewsItem2
TheCommerceDepartmentsaystheAmericaneconomyhasshrunkforthefirsttimeineightyears.ThetotalvalueofgoodsandservicesproducedintheUnitedStatesfellbyfourtenthofonepercent(0.4percent)intheperiodofJulythroughSeptember.Arecessioniscommonlydefinedasatleastsixmonthswheretheeconomyshrinks.
NewsItem3
AfallintheNewYorkmarkethadbeenwidelypredictedfollowingFriday'sbetterthanexpectedUSemploymentfigures.USbondsfromwhichthegovernmentfundslong-termborrowingfellnearlytwopointsonthenewsthatmorejobshadbeencreatedinMarchthanhadbeenexpected.TheDowJonesIndexwasclosedonFridayfortheEasterholiday,sotodaywasthefirstchanceforthesharemarkettoreact.
NewsItem4
AndwegostraighttoWallStreetwheresharepricesclosedhigher.TheDowJonesIndustrialAveragewasupnearly1percentor89pointsat10,205.Sharesmadeupforsomeofthelossestheyincurredinthepastweek,thankstowhatwasinterpretedas"signstheUSinflationisundercontrol".
Task2
NewsItem1
Chinahaslaunchedamannedspaceflight,becomingthethirdcountrytodoso40yearsaftertheSovietUnionandtheUnitedStates.AsingleastronautwasonboardtheShenzhouVCraft,whichtookofffromtheGobiDesert.It'sexpectedtogoroundtheearth14timesduringa24-hourperiodbeforelandinginInnerMongolia.PresidentHuJintaowatchedthelaunch,asignoftheimportanceChinaattachestoitsspaceprogramme.FrancisMarguezreportsfromBeijing.
Halfanhourafterthespacecraftblastedoff,China'sstatetelevisionshowedfootageofthelaunch,therocketclimbingslowlyintotheclearbluesky.AndmanyChinesewillfeeltheircountryhastakenaproudsteptowardsmodernity.
NewsItem2
China'sfirstmaninspacehasreturnedtoEarth.ReportssayChineseofficialsdeclaredthespaceflightasuccess.AstronautYangLiweiisalsoreportedtobeingoodhealth.OnTuesday,Chinabecameonlythethirdnationtosendapersonintoorbit.AstronautYangandhisspacecraftlandedinChina'sInnerMongoliaearlyThursday.Hehadorbitedtheearth14timesinabout20hours.TheUnitedStatesandRussiapraisedChinaforthelaunch.RussiaandtheUnitedStateswerethefirsttwonationstosendpeopleintospace.
Task3
Negotiatorshaveagreedtothewordingofaproposedinternationaltreatyontobaccocontrol.Delegatesfrommorethan170countriesapprovedthefinalwordingearlierthismonthinSwitzerland.Thiscameafterfouryearsofnegotiations.TheproposedtreatyiscalledtheFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControl.ItwillbepresentedinMayattheyearlymeetingoftheWorldHealthOrganization,aUNagency.ThefinalversionapprovedtherewillalsorequireindividualapprovalbyWHOmembers.Once40nationshaveapprovedit,thetreatywillgointoeffectinthosecountries.
MemberstatescannotmakeanyamendmentsoncetheWHOapprovesafinalversionofthetreaty.Theymusteitheracceptorrejecttheagreementasitiswritten.TheproposedFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControlispartoftheeffortstoreducedeathsanddiseasesfromsmoking.
TheWHOestimatesthatalmostfivemillionpeopledieeachyearfromlungcancerandothertobacco-relateddiseases.Thatnumbercouldrisetotenmillionayearby2020.Developingnationsarethebiggestgrowthareasfortobacco-relateddiseases.Thesenationsarecallingforthestrongestlawspossibletocontroltobacco.Thetreatywouldbanadvertisingandothermarketingcampaignsfortobaccoproducts,wheredoingsowouldnotviolateacountry'sconstitution.Italsocallsforhightobaccotaxes.Itwouldevenrequirecompaniestomakepublicallthesubstancestheyusetomakecigarettes.
Inaddition,tobaccocompanieswouldhavetoplacehealthwarningsonatleastthirtypercentoftheirproducts.Thesewarningscouldnotincludeinformationthatmightleadpeopletobelievethatsomecigarettesarelessharmfulthanothers.Inaddition,governmentswouldhavetosupporttreatmentprogramstohelppeoplestopsmoking.And,therewouldhavetobeeducationcampaignstogetpeoplenottostart.Theproposedtreatyalsocallsformeasurestoprotectnon-smokersfromsecondhandsmoke,thatis,smokefromotherpeople'stobacco.
Task4
Thankyou.AndthankyouforaskingmetoshareinyourweeklyaddresstotheAmericanpeople.
BritainandAmericahavesomuchincommon:
language,values,beliefinfamilyandcommunity,inarealsenseofnationalpride.Wesharemanyproblems,too.Andithasbeenclearfromourdiscussionsthatweareagreed,ingeneralterms,aboutsomeofthesolutions.
Youtookthetoughdecisionsneededforlong-termeconomicstability.Wearedoingso.Youhavefocusedoneducation,welfarereform,anewapproachtocrime.Soarewe.Together,wearebreakingdownboundariesofleftandrightandcreatinganewpoliticsoftheradicalcentre.
Task5
Eachyear,theNobelCommitteeinOslo,NorwayannouncesthewinnersofitsfamousNobelPrizes.MostwinnersoftheNobelPeacePrizehavebeenmen.Onlytenpercenthavebeenwomensincetheprizewasfirstpresentedin1901.
NowtheUnitedNationsDevelopmentFundforWomenandthehumanrightsgroupInternationalAlerthavepresentedanewawardtohonorwomenpeacemakers.ItiscalledtheMillenniumPeacePrizeforWomen.Officialswillpresenttheawardeverythreeyears.Theawardrecognizeswomen'sactionsinbuildingpeace,protectingwomen'shumanrightsandsupportingcommunitylifeduringandafterwar.
Expertssaywomenareusuallynotasinvolvedinthepeaceprocessasmenare.However,theirworktoreestablishnormalcommunitylifeafterpeacehasbeenreachedisveryimportant.Becauseofthis,InternationalAlertsayswomenalsoneedtoberecognizedasleadersinpeacebuilding.
Earlierthismonth,sixwomenandorganizationsreceivedtheMillenniumPeacePrizeforWomen.OneofthewinnersistheColombiangroup"RutaPacificadelasMujeres",orWomen'sRoadtoPeace.ThisgrouphasorganizedprotestsagainsttheviolencebetweenrebelgroupsandtheColombiangovernment.
Thegroup"LeitanaNehanWomen'sDevelopmentAgency"alsowonthepeaceprize.IthelpedinthepeaceprocessbetweenthemilitaryandrebelforcesinPapuaNewGuinea.Anotherwinneristhegroup"WomeninBlack".Itisaninternationalorganizationthatorganizesprotestsagainstviolence,aggressionandwar.
FloraBrovinaalsoreceivedthepeaceprize.Sheorganizedthe"LeagueofAlbanianWomenofKosovo".DoctorBrovinahastaughtemergencymedicalskillstopeopleinKosovo.
AsmaJahangirandHinaJilaniarealsopeaceprizewinners.Theyworkedtosupporthumanrightsandwomen'srightsinPakistan.Andtheleaderofthewomen'smovementinRwandaalsowontheMillenniumPeacePrize,afterherdeath.VenerandaNzambazamariyahelpedrebuildRwandaafterthemasskillingsin1994.Shediedinaplanecrashlastyear.
Task6
NewsItem1
Brazil'snewHealthMinisterHoseinSelarhassackedtwoseniorhealthofficialsinRiodeJaneiroamidgrowingconcernabouttheepidemicofdenguefever.Morethan80,000peopleinsoutheastBrazilhavecaughtthemosquito-borndiseasewhichcausessevereheadaches,feverandvomiting.Insomecases,itcanbefatal.OurBrazilcorrespondentStevenSwitchreportsthatPresidentFernandoHenriqueCardosoregardstheissueofhealthcareashisgovernment'sbiggestpoliticalweakness.
NewsItem2
Inagriculturenews.TheEuropeanUnionhasbannedallimportsofanimalproductsfromtheNetherlands.ThebanwasorderedaftertheDutchgovernmentconfirmedfourcasesoffoot-and-mouthdiseasethere.Dutchofficialshavehadallinfectedanimalsdestroyed.Untilnow,onlyBritainandFrancehavebeenaffectedbytheanimaldisease.Also,intheAmericanStateofVermont,officialsseizedsomesheepsuspectedofhavingmadcowdisease.Morethan230sheepweretakenfromafarm.Theanimalswillbedestroyedandtestedforthedisease.
Task7
Announcer:
...inGarderers'QuestionTimeat2o'clock.AndnowovertoGordonChartwellinthenewsroom.
Newsreader:
Hereisthenews,readbyGordonChartwell.Thecruiseliner,PrincessofWales,whichranagroundlastnightofftheislandofSt.CatherineintheCaribbean,isreportedtobesinking.Here'sareportfromourcorrespondentinJamaica,GrahamSmith.
GrahamSmith:
AweakradiosignalwasreceivedhereinKingstonafewhoursagofromtheradiooperatoronthe28,000-tonluxurycruiseship,thePrincessofWales.Accordingtothismessage,theshipistakinginwaterandisstartingtosink.AllthepassengershavebeenorderedintothelifeboatsandtoldtomakeforthenearbyislandofSt.Catherine,thecoastofwhichissome20milesfromthesceneoftheaccident.Innormalcircumstancesthiswouldbeaneasy3-hourtrip,butwithHurricaneZeldaapproachingfastandblowingawayfromtheisland,it'sfearedthatsomeboatsmaynotmakeitintimetothesafetyoftheisland.Onceontheisland,itwouldbepossibleforpassengersandcrewtoshelterfromthewindandawaitrescue.TheRoyalNavyfrigateSteadfastisheadingforSt.Catherineatfullspeedbutitmaytakeherupto24hourstogetthere.Sothingslookprettygrimforthe700passengersand420crewatthemom