(The UN Secretary General) Ban Ki-moon has urged the world tostep upits support for flood-ravaged Pakistan. Mr Ban said he would never forget the suffering and destruction he’d seen and announced the UN would give an extra $10 million from its emergency fund. He was speaking after seeing for himself some of the worst-hit areas. Our correspondent Lyse Doucet traveled with Mr Ban and the Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari.
Ban Ki-moon and President Zardari flew by helicopter over four districts of Punjab, the province known as this country’sbread basket. Now from the air it looks like a land ofsprawlinglakes. Valuable crops like sugar cane and wheat are under water. Mud houses aresubmerged, millions have fled. The UN says not even half the survivors are now being reached with aid. Ban Ki-moon called on the world’s donors to do much more. Unprecedented floods, he said, demand unprecedented assistance.
The new commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, has said hereserves the right toadvise againstPresident Obama’s commitment to start withdrawing troops next year. Speaking on the American NBC programme “Meet the Press”, General Petraeus said progress had only begun a few months ago and only in “small pockets”. He said he would make recommendations to the president based on the security needs at the time.
“The president has been very clear, Vice President Biden has been very clear as well more recently that this is a date when a process begins that is conditions based. And as the conditions permit, we transition tasks to our Afghan counterparts and to security forces, and in various governmental institutions, and thatenables a quote ‘responsibledrawdown’.”
Israeli troops have begundemolishing a high concrete wall that was erected eight years ago to protect a Jewish settlement on the outskirts of East Jerusalem at Gilo. An Israeli military spokesman said the two-metre-high wall was no longer needed. Warren Bull reports.
After the second Palestinian uprising started in 2000, the Jewish neighbourhood at Gilo came under fire from Palestinians in the nearby village of Beit Jala. The attacksprompted the Israeli authorities to build a concrete barrier along several streets of Gilo. The settlement had beenannexed by Israel in the 1967 War, and Israel regards it as a neighbourhood of Jerusalem.The wall itself can’t be seen as aprecursorto the much larger security barrier that Israel has been building in the West Bank to stop suicide attacks.Now Israel’s military says the wall at Gilo can bedismantled, because it says the security situation has improved there.
The Roman Catholic shrine of Lourdes in southern France has reopened after a temporary evacuation following ahoaxbomb alert. French police said they'd received a call warning that four bombs would go off at the shrine, but a search of the site did not reveal any devices.
This is the World News from the BBC.
The authorities in Bahrain say they’ve arrested three more Shiite activists on security related charges following the earlier detention of a leader of the mainly Shiite Haq Movement for Civil Liberties and Democracy, Abdul Jalil al-Singace.He was arrested on his return from London where he’d been giving a lecture on human rights in Bahrain.
The charity Save the Children says severe flooding is causing further devastation in Niger, where nearly 300,000 children are at risk from a massive food crisis.The country is struggling tocope withthe worst flooding of the River Niger in 80 years. Richard Hamilton reports.
It’s thought the food crisis in Niger caused by last season’s drought was already the worst in the world this centuryin terms ofthe number of people affected. And now the country’s been devastated by flooding. Half the populationis reliant onfood aids. Zinder in the south is one of the regions suffering most from the current food crisis. Around 28,000 people have been affected by the floods, and more than 37,000 animals havedrowned.
The Anglo-Dutch oil multinational Shell has said acts ofsabotageare increasing in Nigeria. In a statement, the company said it had suffered at least three separate incidents of sabotage on its pipelines in the Niger Delta this month. Shell added that it had placed containment booms into the surrounding waterways to stop the flow of oil. Thieves known as bunkerers often try to cut into the pipes to extract oil and sell it on. Militants in the Delta have also carried out repeated attacks against oil installations.
Two South African political parties have agreed to merge to challenge President Jacob Zuma’s African National Congress. The leader of the official opposition, Helen Zille, welcomed the leader of the Independent Democrats, Patricia de Lille, into her party, the Democratic Alliance. All members of the Independent Democrats have been asked to join the Democratic Alliance over the next four years.
That’s the latest BBC News.
联合国秘书长潘基文敦促国际社会增加对巴基斯坦洪水围困地区的支持。潘基文表示,他永远不会忘记亲眼目睹的这次洪水造成的痛苦和破坏,他宣布联合国将从紧急基金中再次拨付1000万美元,增加对巴基斯坦的援助。他亲自查看了受灾最严重的一些地区之后发表了这番讲话。我们的记者Lyse Doucet陪同潘基文和巴基斯坦总统扎尔达里一起前往。
潘基文和扎尔达里总统乘坐直升机在空中查看了产粮区旁遮普省的四个地区。从空中看下去,就好象是一片布满了不规则的湖泊的土地。甘蔗和小麦等有价值的作物全部被水浸泡。土坯房也被浸泡在水中,数百万人逃难。联合国表示,只有不到一半的灾民获得救援。潘基文呼吁国际捐赠者采取更多行动。他说,前所未有的洪水要求我们提供前所未有的援助。
阿富汗外国力量新任指挥官彼得雷乌斯(David Petraeus)将军表示,他保留劝告奥巴马总统不要履行明年开始撤军的承诺的权利。在美国NBC电视台“会见媒体”节目发表讲话时,彼得雷乌斯将军表示,几个月之前才刚刚开始取得进展,而且进展幅度非常小。他表示,他将以当时的安全需要为依据向奥巴马总统提供建议。
“奥巴马总统非常清楚,拜登副总统也非常清楚,最近是整个进程开始的日期,当地形势应该以此为依据。在形势允许的情况下,我们会将任务移交给阿富汗同仁和安全力量以及不同的政府机构,这要求我们‘负责任地减少军队’”。
以色列军队开始拆除一座高高的水泥墙。这座水泥墙于八年前设立,是为了防止犹太人在东耶路撒冷外围的吉洛建设定居点。以色列军方一名发言人表示,现在已经不再需要这座两米高的水泥墙了。Warren Bull报道。
2000年巴勒斯坦第二次起义过后,吉洛的犹太人社区开始受到附近Beit Jala村庄的巴勒斯坦人的袭击。这些袭击迫使以色列当局围绕吉洛几条街道建起水泥屏障。该定居点在1967年的战争中被以色列合并,以色列认为这里是耶路撒冷的一个社区。这座水泥墙本身并不能被视为以色列正在西岸建筑的防止自杀式袭击的安全屏障的先驱。现在,以色列军方表示,吉洛的这座墙已经可以拆除,因为那里的安全形势已经得到改善。
在经历了炸弹预警骗局而临时疏散之后,法国南部卢尔德天主教堂重新开放。法国警方表示,他们受到报警称四枚炸弹将在该教堂爆炸,但是对现场进行搜索之后,警方未发现任何易爆装备。
这里是BBC世界新闻。
巴林岛当局表示,他们因与安全相关的指控逮捕了更多什叶派积极分子,在此前逮捕了主要的什叶派民权自由和民主运动领袖Abdul Jalil al-Singace。他之前在伦敦举办了关于巴林岛人权问题的讲座,返回之后立即被捕。
慈善机构“拯救儿童”组织表示,严重的洪水导致尼日尔更严重的灾难,接近300,000名儿童面临大规模粮食危机的危险。尼日尔正在艰难应对尼罗河80年来最严重的洪水灾难。Richard Hamilton报道。
据称,如果按照受灾人口计算,由于上季的干旱造成的尼日尔粮食危机已经是本世纪全世界最严重的危机。现在,整个国家已经被洪水破坏,一半的人口依赖粮食援助。南部的津德尔是受目前的粮食危机影响最严重的地区。大约28,000人受洪灾影响,超过37,000头动物溺亡。
英国荷兰联营的跨国石油公司壳牌石油表示,尼日利亚的破坏行为有所增加。在一份声明中,该公司表示,本月,公司的运输管道在尼罗河三角洲遭遇了至少三次独立的破坏行为。壳牌石油补充说,他们已经在周围水域设立了控制栅栏,防止石油泄漏。盗贼经常将管道切断,收集石油来出售。尼罗河三角洲地区的好战分子经常对石油设施进行反复破坏。
南非两个政党同意进行合并,挑战总统祖马的南非国民大会党。官方反对派领袖Helen Zille欢迎独立民主党领袖Patricia de Lille加入她的民主联盟。独立民主党被要求在未来的四年加入民主联盟。
以上就是最新的BBC新闻。
1.sprawling adj.蔓生的;不规则地伸展的
例句:out beyond the sprawling suburbs
杂乱无序的郊区外
2.submerge vt.vi.(使)潜入水中, 淹没
例句:The submarine can submerge very quickly.
潜艇能非常迅速地潜入水中。
The river overflowed and submerged the farmland.
河水泛滥, 淹没了农田。
3.reserve vt.保留[储备]某物
例句:We'll reserve the ticket for you till tomorrow noon.
票为您保留到明天中午。
具有或保持(某种权利)
例句:The management reserves the right to refuse admission.
资方有权拒绝接纳。
4.enable vt.使能够; 提供做…的权利[措施]; 使有机会
例句:A majority vote enabled the passage of the resolution.
多数人投赞成票使议案得以通过。
5.drawdown n.(抽水后)水位降低,水位降低量
6.demolish vt.摧毁; 推翻; 拆毁(尤指大建筑物)
例句:Terry Street was demolished a few years ago.
泰瑞街已在数年前拆掉。
7.prompt vt.促使, 推动, 引起
例句:The sight of the ships prompted thoughts of his distant home.
看到船使他想起遥远的家乡。
8.annex vt.并吞, 兼并, 霸占(领土、小国等)
例句:Britain annexed this small island in 1955.
英国于1955年吞并了这个小岛。
9.precursor n.先驱,先锋,前身;先行者;先兆,前兆
例句:Error is often the precursor of what is correct,but conceit is the prelude to a fall.
错误往往是正确的先导,骄傲是跌跤的前奏。
10.dismantle vt.拆开, 拆卸
例句:This toy machine gun dismantles easily.
这种玩具机关枪很容易拆卸。
11.drown vt.vi.(使)淹没, (使)溺死
例句:How many men drowned when the boat capsized?
船翻时有多少人淹死了?
12.sabotage n.(为防止敌方利用或为表示抗议而进行的)阴谋破坏,蓄意破坏
例句:The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.
那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。
13.hoax n.恶作剧;戏弄
例句:They were the victims of a cruel hoax.
他们是一个残忍恶作剧的受害者。
1.(The UN Secretary General) Ban Ki-moon has urged the world to step up its support for flood-ravaged Pakistan.
step up(使)增加, (使)加快速度
例句:The girl stepped up to school.
女孩子加快步伐去上学。
He has stepped up into the management of the firm.
他已升入公司的管理部门。
2.Ban Ki-moon and President Zardari flew by helicopter over four districts of Punjab, the province known as this country’s bread basket.
bread basket产粮区, 谷物产区
3.The new commander of foreign forces in Afghanistan, General David Petraeus, has said he reserves the right to advise against President Obama’s commitment to start withdrawing troops next year.
advise against劝告不要…
例句:Father advised me against the danger.
爸爸劝我提防危险。
Her mother advised her against marrying in haste.
她母亲劝她不要匆匆结婚。
4.The country is struggling to cope with the worst flooding of the River Niger in 80 years.
cope with对付…
例句:I cannot cope with that boy; he is stubborn.
我对付不了那个孩子, 他很固执。
Do not imagine that you can cope with all the problems.
别以为你能处理所有这些问题。
5.It’s thought the food crisis in Niger caused by last season’s drought was already the worst in the world this century in terms of the number of people affected.
in terms of就…而言, 从…方面说来
例句:He referred to your work in terms of high praise.
他对你的工作大加赞扬。
He thought of everything in terms of money.
他是从钱的角度来看每一件事。
6.And now the country’s been devastated by flooding. Half the population is reliant on food aids.
be reliant on信赖,依靠
例句:Our country should not be so reliant on the oil it produces.
我国不应如此依赖自产的石油。
1.The wall itself can’t be seen as a precursor to the much larger security barrier that Israel has been building in the West Bank to stop suicide attacks.
much修饰比较级
可修饰比较级的词
1)a bit, a little, rather, much, far, by far, many, a lot, lots, a great deal, any, still, even等
2)还可以用表示倍数的词或度量名词作修饰语。
3)以上词(除by far)外,必须置于比较级形容词或副词的前面。
2.The authorities in Bahrain say they’ve arrested three more Shiite activists on security related charges following the earlier detention of a leader of the mainly Shiite Haq Movement for Civil Liberties and Democracy, Abdul Jalil al-Singace.
这句话的主语和谓语是:The authorities in Bahrain say,后面是宾语从句。宾语从句的主干是:they’ve arrested three more Shiite activists on security。following the earlier detention of是现在分词作时间状语。
3.The charity Save the Children says severe flooding is causing further devastation in Niger, where nearly 300,000 children are at risk from a massive food crisis.
where引导定语从句,修饰的是Niger。