BBC新闻练习英语听力docx.docx

BBC新闻练习英语听力docx.docx

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BBC新闻练习英语听力docx

BBC新闻练习

1

TheBBChaslearnedthattheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrown,hasdecidedthattheBritish.generalelectionwilltakeplaceonMay6th・Mr.BrownwillgotoBuckinghamPalacetomorrowTuesdayztoaskQueenElizabethtodissolveparliament，andthenmakeaformalannouncementoftheelectiondate.Thatwillstarttheofficialelectioncampaign,

which,aBBCcorrespondentsays,willbedominatedbyissuesoftaxationandspendinginthewakeoftheglobalrecession.

2

LessthansixmonthsbeforeageneraIelectioninBritain,thegoverningLabourPartyisembroiledagainininternalstrife.TwoformercabinetministershavecalledforsecretballotofmemberstodecidewhetherthePrimeMinisterGordonBrownshouldcontinueaspartyleaderMr.BrownhascalledageneralelectionbyJunethisyear.OurpoliticalcorrespondentRobWatsonreports.

ThetwoformercabinetministersGeoffHoonandPatriciaHewitthadstunnedeveryoneatWestminsterwiththeirlast-minuteeffortstochallengeGordonBrowrTsleadership.

ButDowningStreetandLabourPartyofficialshavemovedquicklytoquashanyrevolts.Mostimportantly,currentcabinetministershavecomeoutandbackedtheprimeminister;orbitingsomecaseswithlittleapparententhusiasm・Sothelatestchallengelookslikelytobeshortlift.

AlthoughmanywithintheLabourPartydoubtMr.BrowrYsleadershipqualities,theyalsoseemtothinkitwouldonlymakethingsworsetogetridofhimbeforethegeneralelection.

3

TheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrownisofferingtoscalebackBritairYsnucleardeterreneeifaninternationalagreementisreachedtocuttheworld'snucleararsenals.Mr.BrownisexpectedtotellaspecialsessionoftheUnitedNationsSecurityCouncilonThursdaythathellbewillingtogiveuponeoffourroyalnavysubmarinesthatcarryTridentnuclearmissiles.

Officialsareinsistingthatcostisn'tafactorhere・Here'sourdefeneecorrespondentNickChilds.GordonBrownissayinghe'llbereadytothrowpartofthetridentforceintotheportinthecontextofamuchbiggerglobaldisarmamentdeal.Hesaidsoingeneraltermsbefore・Thisofferthoughismoreconcrete.Thereisagrowingsensethattoavoidwhatsomefearcouldbeasuddencascadeofnewnuclearstates,theestablishednuclearpowersneedtodomoreintermsofdisarmamenttokeeptheproliferationregimeintact.ThePrimeMinisterwillhopehismovewillbeseenasanimportantgesture・Butthekeytotheprocesswillbetheactionsofthebigplayers,

theUnitedStatesandRussia.

4

TheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrownisexpectedtoconfirmthatheissendinghundredsmoretroopstoAfghanistan,bringingthetotalnumberofBritishtroopstheretoabout9,500.

BritainhasthesecondlargestNATOcontingentinAfghanistanaftertheUnitedStates.OurdefensecorrespondentCarolineWyattreports.InhisstatementonAfghanistan,it'sbelievedMr.Brownwillsayhe'sagreedinprincipletosendaround500extraBritishtroopstoHelmand.ThemilitaryadvicesaysthatextraforcesareneededtohelpmaintainprogressanddominatethegroundmoreeffectivelytokeeptheTalibanoutofkeyareas・However;therewillbecaveats・ThePrimeMinisterwillwantassurancesfrommilitarychiefsthattheextratroopswillbeproperlyequipped.Buthe'llalsoexpectBritain'sNATOpartnerstofollowsuitbyofferingmoreforcesthemselves・NATOdefenseministersarelikelytodiscusstrooplevelsonameetingformallyinBratislavanextweek.

5

StockmarketsinEuropeandtheUnitedStateshavefallensharplyinresponsetofurthersignsthatthedebtcrisisinGreeceisintensifyingandcouldspreadtoothercountries.SharepricesinNewYork,London,FrankfurtandParis你fellbymorethan2%afteramajorinternationalcreditratingagencyStandard&Poor'sdowngradedGreekdebttoalevelknowninformallyasjunk.NilsBlythehasmore.Standard&Poor'sdowngradeditsassessmentofGreekbondstotheso-calledjunkstatusbecauseofthegrowingdangerthatthebondholderswillnotbepaidbackinfull.Manybiginvestmentfundshaverulesthatforbidthemfromholdingjunkbonds,saysthemoveislikelytotriggerafurtherroundofselling.Sharemarketshavetakenfright,fearingthatifGreecedoesdefaultonitsdebts,itwouldhitmanyEuropeanbankswhichholdGreekbondsandcouldtriggerawiderfinancialcrisis.AlreadypressureismountingonPortugalwhichhasalsoseenitscreditratingdowngradedtoday,althoughitremainsabovejunkstatus.

6

TheInternationalMonetaryFundhastoldgovernmentsacrosstheworldthatfurtheractionisneededtohelpreturntheglobalfinancialsystemtostability.Inafreshestimateofthescaleoftheproblem,theIMFsaysgloballossesontoxicassetscouldtotalfourtrilliondollars.AndrewWalkerreports.Thisreportdoesidentifywhatitcallssomeearlysignsofstabilizationinfinancialsystems,buttherearenotmanyofthem・AndtheIMFsaysfurtheractionwillbeneededifthey'retobesustained.hasbeenpiecemealandreactive,dealingwiththeproblemassetsheldbyfinancialinstitutionsandhowtohandlebanksthatneedextracapitalForthatproblemthereportsaysemporarygovernmentownershipmaysometimebenecessary.

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OfficialsinGermanysaythetotalfinancialaidpackageforGreececouldbemorethandouble,the60billiondollarsthatispreviouslyexpected.TheheadoftheInternationalMonetaryFundDominiqueStrauss-KahnisinBerlintryingtopersuadeGermanytoagreetothefinancialrescueplan.HesaidthedealneededtobeimplementedquicklyasthesituationwasgettingworseeverydayandcouldaffectotherEuropeancountries,buttheGermanChancellorAngolaMerkelsaid

BerlinneededtobesearchingthatGreecewasseriousaboutspendingcuts.

TheheadoftheInternationalMonetaryFundsaysGreecehasnothingtofearfromtheorganization.AtanewsconferenceinWashington,DominiqueStrauss-KahnsaidtheIMFwastryingtoprovideGreecewiththeadviceandresourcesnecessarytohelpwithitsdebtproblem.

AndrewWalkerreportsfromWashington.Mr.Strauss-KahnwasrespondingtoaGreekjournalist

whosaidtheGreekpublicaredemonizingtheIMFthattheyfearthingswillbeworsewithIMFinvolvementTheagencyhasareputationforrequiringborrowingcountriestomakedeepcutsinpopulargovernmentspendingprograms.Mr.Strauss-KahnsaidtheGreekpeopleshouldthinkoftheIMFasacooperativeorganizationwherethecountriesoftheworldworktogethertohelpthoseintroublebyprovidingresourcesandadviceonbehalfoftheinternationalcommunity.

9

Financeministersoftheworldsleadingindustrializedanddevelop!

ngcountries,theG20rhaveagreedtocontinuesupportingtheglobaleconomicrecovery.InastatementreleasedaftertheirmeetinginScotiand,theministerssaidconditionshadimproved,buteconomicandfinancialrecoverywasunevenandunemploymentaworry.AndrewWalkerreports.Thecommuniqueavoidscomplacency.Althougheconomicandfinancialconditionshaveimproved,theydecidedtheystillneedtokeepuptheinitiativesintendedtorestoregrowth.Themeetingwas,however,ratherovershadowedbyastatementfromtheBritishPrimeMinisterGordonBrown,suggestingataxonfinancialtransactionsasoneofanumberofoptionsformakingbankspayforthecrisis.Hiscallshavebeenreceivedpolitelybythefinanceministersbutseveralmaderemarkswhichsuggestthatotherwaysoftacklingtheproblemarerathermorelikelytobeadopted・

10

TheEuropeanUnionhasinitialedanagreementtoendoneoftheworldsIongest-runningtradedisputesoverbananas.TheEUZtheworld'sbiggestimporterofbananasfistocutthedutyitimposesonLatinAmericanproducersofthefruit,whilebananasgrowsinformerEuropeancolonieswillgraduallylosethepreferentialtermsthey'veenjoyed.AndrewWalkerreports.

ThedealsignedinGenevacommitstheEuropeanUniontograduallyloweringthetariffsitimposesonbananasimportedmainlyfromLatinAmerica.Thecutwillbeoverathirdby2O17.Thatwillreducethecompetitiveadvantageofagroupofcountries,mainlyformercoloniesofEUstatesinAfricaandCaribbean,whichenjoyedtariff-freeaccess.TheEUplanstoprovidethosecountrieswithsomecompensation,inashapeofnearly300,000dollarsinadditionalaid.

11

TheIong-awaitedtake-offoftheSolarImpulsewasgreetedwithdelightbythosewhohavespentthelastsevenyearsworkingonit.Thesolar-poweredplanehasthewing-spanofajumbojet,butweighslessthanafamilycar.Itdoesrftuseasingledropofaviationfuel,insteaditsgiantwingsarecoveredwithsolarcells・TheprojectisthebrainchildofSwissadventurerBertrandPiccard-heseestheSolarImpulseasasignofthingstocome.

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It'stheworld'sfastestgrowingeconomyandshowsnosignofslowingdown,sostrikingdealswithChinesebusinessesisnowthetoppriorityforeveryBritishcompanythatwantstostayaheadinglobaltrade・NowschoolsintheUnitedKingdomwanttogivetheirstudentsaheadstartbyteachingthemMandarin-andtheyaremakingitcompulsory.BrightonCollegeisafeepayingprivateschoolonthesouthcoastofBritainandalreadyteachesLatin,SpanishandFrenchtoits1,200pupils.Studentscanchoosebetweentheselanguages,butfromtheautumn,whichisthebeginningofthenewacademicyearinBritishschools,everystudentmuststudyMandarinwhethertheylikeitornot.

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ThecastandcrewofBritishmovieswillnoIongerbehailedastheunderdogsatawardsceremonies・Attherecent81stOscarsceremony,Britishactorsandmovieswonnolessthan11awards・ThelistofOscarwinnersisusuallydominatedbyAmerican