BBC News with Michael Powles
President Obama says Nato members have agreed to set up a new anti-missile defence system in Europe, possibly involving Russia. Speaking at a Nato summit in Portugal, he said the alliance wassubject tomany of the same threats as the Russians. Russia has been critical of the plans in the past, but it'll take part in further discussions on Saturday to see if it can be included. From Lisbon, here is our diplomatic correspondent Jonathan Marcus.
The decision to go ahead with an expanded missile defence system to cover all Nato countries is a response to the spread of ballistic missilescapable ofreaching alliance territory. In Washington's view, the primary threat comes from Iran. But Turkey, which may host acrucialradar station, insisted that it would not back the plan if there was anyexplicitmention of Iran. This is only a pointer to some of the problems that may lie ahead - issues of command and control, data exchange and the cost of a truly comprehensive system.
Rescue workersexposed totoxic dust from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the September 11th attacks nine years ago have approved a settlement with the city of New York. They'll collectively receive over $625m incompensation. From New York, Bethany Bell reports.
More than 10,000 people sued - the firefighters, police and construction workers who spent months clearing up the rubble after the 9/11 attacks. They say that ash and soot at the site got into their lungs and made them ill. Now more than 95% of them have accepted the settlement. The Mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, welcomed the settlement, saying it was a "fair and just resolution".
One of the biggest banks in Ireland says there's been a major decline in the size of its deposits, adding to the deep crisis in the banking sector. Allied Irish Banks said its deposits had fallen by $18bn - that's 17% since January. Huge losses in the banking sector have forced the Irish government to negotiate with the European Union and the International Monetary Fund on a rescue package. Our economics correspondent Andrew Walker reports.
Negotiations on an international rescue are focusing on fixing Ireland's banks and also on the deficit in the government's finances. Those discussions are continuing amid reports they are likely to end with loans of tens of billions of dollars. Any deal will also include further measures to curb the government's borrowing needs. One area that will becontentiousis Ireland's low tax rate on company profits. It's seen by some European governments as an unfair inducement to business to move to Ireland.
The head of the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has confirmed there'll be nobody to collect this yearon behalf ofthe winner, the jailed Chinese human rights campaigner Liu Xiaobo. Thorbjoern Jagland told the BBC the award would be kept until Mr Liu could collect it himself. It's the first time since 1936 that the award won't behanded overto either the winner or a close relative. Mr Liu's wife is under house arrest.
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The head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti hasspoken out againstwhat he called criminal andirresponsibleacts of violence in the country, which he said hadcondemned many Haitians to certain death from cholera. Edmond Mulet was commenting after angry demonstrations this week in parts of Haiti. He suggested that many roads, airports and bridges were still blocked,impedingefforts to treat those affected.
Tests are being carried out at a mine in New Zealand where 29 workers remain trapped to see if it's safe to try to rescue them. There's been no communication with the miners since an underground explosion, and there are concerns about the threat of poisonous gases. Police say a power cut iscompromisingthe ventilation system in the Pike River Coal Pit in a remote part of the country's South Island.
Two ancient statues stolen from Italian museums in the 1980s have been returned to Rome. One of them, a marble female torso, was only recovered after an Italian policeman on holiday in the United States spotted it in a gallery window. Duncan Kennedy sent this report from Rome.
It was during a stroll down Madison Avenue in New York that Michele Speranza made his discovery.He said he had remembered it from photos in the police data bank. Mr Speranza took his own photo and looked it up when he returned to Italy. Dating from the 1st century, it had been stolen from a museum south of Rome in 1988. At a news conference, police alsorevealed that a second stolen item, a small bronze statue of Zeus, was spotted in a Sotheby's catalogue and traced to its owner.
The European Union has ordered Italy to repay nearly $1m of EU funds that were spent on staging an Elton John concert last year. The pop star was booked as the headline act at a festival in Naples using money meant for regional development. The European Commission says that was inappropriate.
BBC News
1.crucial adj.决定性的, 紧要关头的, 至关重要的;关键性的
例句:It's a crucial decision.
这是一个极其重要的决定。
2.explicit adj.详述的, 明确的, 明晰的, 陈述或文章 清楚明白的, 易于理解的
例句:It's an explicit statement.
这句话说得很明确。
3.compensation n.补偿(或赔偿)物;(尤指)赔偿金,补偿金;赔偿
例句:He paid a sum of money as a compensation for the loss in the fire.
他付了一笔钱作为这次火灾损失的补偿。
4.contentious adj.容易引起争论的,好争论的
例句:Abortion is a highly contentious issue.
堕胎是一个非常有争议的课题。
5.inducement n.引诱, 劝诱;刺激, 鼓励
例句:He hasn’t much inducement to study English.
他不太想学英语。
6.irresponsible adj.不负责任的
例句:The mischief arose from irresponsible gossip.
这种不幸的事是因无聊的闲话而引起的。
7.condemn v.迫使…陷于不幸的境地,迫使…接受困境(或不愉快的状况)
例句:They were condemned to spend a fortnight of idleness at that lonely island.
他们被迫在那个孤岛上待了两个星期。
8.impede vt.阻碍, 妨碍, 阻止
例句:He was impeded in his work.
他的工作受阻。
9.compromise vt.连累, 危害, 损害
例句:Such conduct will compromise your reputation.
这些举动将会损害你的名誉。
10.reveal v.揭示,揭露;
例句:I should be glad to give you any help if you reveal your thoughts to me.
如果你把你的想法透露给我,我愿意尽全力帮助你。
1.Speaking at a Nato summit in Portugal, he said the alliance was subject to many of the same threats as the Russians.
be subject to常遭受...
例句:Peasants used to be subject to the local landowner.
农民过去受地主的压迫。
2.The decision to go ahead with an expanded missile defence system to cover all Nato countries is a response to the spread of ballistic missiles capable of reaching alliance territory.
be capable of能够…,可以…,做得出…
例句:It should be capable of detecting exoplanets smaller than the Earth.
这架望远镜能够侦测到体积比地球还小的系外行星。
3.Rescue workers exposed to toxic dust from the rubble of the World Trade Center following the September 11th attacks nine years ago have approved a settlement with the city of New York.
expose to暴露于
例句:Don't expose it to the sun.
谨防日晒。
Don't expose undeveloped film to light.
不要把未冲洗的胶卷暴露在光照下。
4.The head of the committee that awards the Nobel Peace Prize has confirmed there'll be nobody to collect this year on behalf of the winner, the jailed Chinese human rights campaigner Liu Xiaobo.
on behalf of代表…
例句:At the airport he read an address of welcome on behalf of the association.
在机场上他代表该协会致了欢迎词。
I'm writing on behalf of my mother to express her thanks for your gift.
我代表我母亲写信, 对你的礼物表示感谢。
5.It's the first time since 1936 that the award won't be handed over to either the winner or a close relative.
hand over交出; 交付; 交给
例句:You must hand over your passport before you leave.
离境前必须交回护照。
6.The head of the United Nations Stabilization Mission in Haiti has spoken out against what he called criminal and irresponsible acts of violence in the country, which he said had condemned many Haitians to certain death from cholera.
speak out against公然反对,大胆抗议
例句:I am going to speak out against the committee's decision.
我打算直言反对委员会的决定。
1.It was during a stroll down Madison Avenue in New York that Michele Speranza made his discovery.
it 引导的强调句型,通常形式为:It be 被强调部分 that/who 句子其他成分。这种强调句由普通陈述句转换而来,用来强调句子的主语、宾语或状语。例如:
It was Tom's mother that / who bought Tom a bicycle on his birthday.
是汤姆的妈妈在汤姆生日那天给他买了辆自行车。
It was yesterday that I met him. 我是昨天见到他的。
在此类强调句中需要注意的是:
1)不管被强调部分是单数还是复数,其前一律用it is / was 而不能用 they are /were
It is the teachers who teach me very well. 这就是教我教得很好的老师。
2)被强调部分指人时,被强调部分可用that /who来指代;被强调部分指物时,被强调部分后只能用that 指代
It is this house that has a beautiful garden. 就是这个房子有一个美丽的花园。
3)强调部分指时间和地点时,被强调部分只能用that 指代,而不能用when, where 等指代
It was yesterday that I entered the school. 我是昨天进的学校。