VOA材料

VOA News Item 1. 政治：战后多年韩国与美国检查指挥权移交The U.S. and South Korean militaries say they would fight a second Korean War, if it became necessary, side-by-side and seamlessly.For decades, their alliance has deterred a repeat of the North Korean attack of June 25th, 1950. Seoul has always agreed that U.S. forces would have command of South Korea's military if war re-ignites. But that is to change in April 2012, when Seoul assumes wartime operational control of its own forces, a step referred to as OPCON Transfer.VOA News Item 2. 社会：美国婴儿母乳喂养A new survey finds that three-quarters of U.S. newborns are breastfed beginning at birth. But the number of breastfeeding infants falls off rapidly during the first year of life.Seventy-five percent of babies started life breastfeeding, according to this latest Breastfeeding Report Card. That represents a slow but steady increase in recent years in the percentage of American infants who are breastfed.The new survey is for babies born in 2007, the most recent year available.The breastfeeding study comes from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A public health adviser at the agency, Carol MacGowan, says it's not enough for a new mom to want to breastfeed her baby."There's still a lot of practices that need to take place in the hospital to support the mother's decision to breastfeed." "So she may have decided to breastfeed, but if there's no support in place that helps her to continue that, then she may not even start."Hospital practices that encourage breastfeeding include putting the newborn skin-to-skin with the mother right after birth, and not offering infant formula or pacifiers.Although three out of four babies started life on their mother's milk, by the time they're six months old, just 43 percent were still breastfeeding. And by 12 months, only one baby in five was getting any breast milk.U.S. officials recommend babies be breastfed for the first year of life. The World Health Organization says breastfeeding should last two years.MacGowan says there are a number of reasons why American women don't continue breastfeeding. "Some of it is the community support; thus, we address the number of lactation professionals out there to help the women. A big barrier to women is working and breastfeeding. It's a perceived barrier in some cases. It's a real barrier in others."But despite the barriers, the underlying message is that breast milk is the right food for babies. Many studies have shown that infants who are fed breast milk are healthier." The benefits are multiple. Everything from prevention of certain infectious and chronic diseases ---respiratory, for example, being one, decreasing the severity of asthma, if they're prone to asthma---and chronic disease such as diabetes and obesity."Mothers benefit too. Breastfeeding lowers the risk of some cancers, naturally promotes spacing between pregnancies, and it costs less, too.VOA News Item 3. 政治：联合国大会致力于减少贫穷、饥饿和疾病The U.N. General Assembly's annual debate gets under way on September 23. Leaders andrepresentatives from all 192 member states are expected to address the gathering. In a long-established tradition, Brazil's president will open the debate, followed by the U.S. president as the leader of the host nation.This year's debate will be preceded by a three-day summit on the Millennium Development Goals. Some 140 presidents and prime ministers are expected to attend.The goals are meant to reduce extreme poverty, hunger and disease by 2015. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has warned that with the target date just five years off, many countries are in danger of not meeting the goals, especially in Sub-Saharan Africa. But he said recently that with the right strategies countries can close those gaps.VOA News Item 4. 经济：印度货币有了新标志The search for a symbol for the Indian rupee began more than a year ago, when the government decided that the currency needed an identifiable symbol.After going through 3000 entries submitted in a national competition, a panel of bankers, officials and artists chose the new symbol. It is a mix of the Roman letter "R" and its Hindi equivalent in the ancient Devanagari script.Information minister Ambika Soni said the decision to have a symbol for the rupee is significant.VOA News Item 5. 政治：巴以第二轮直接和谈结束Secretary of State Clinton met with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the Palestinian Authority's headquarters in Ramallah. There was no statement and no details of what, if any, progress might have been made after two days of negotiations between Israelis and Palestinians. President Abbas sounded positive in his remarks as he began his meeting with Mrs. Clinton.He says everyone knows that there is no alternative other than negotiating for peace.The Palestinian leader thanked the Obama administration for its commitment to mediating a peace deal. Clinton said the United States will press ahead with its efforts to bring about an agreement. “The United States and all of us led by President Obama are very committed and determined to work toward a peace agreement through direct negotiations that leads to an independent, sovereign, viable, Palestinian state that realizes the aspirations of the Palestinian people.”The talks began Tuesday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm el Sheikh. It was the second round of direct negotiations after a 20-month hiatus.Secretary Clinton then traveled to Amman in neighboring Jordan for a meeting and lunch with King Abdullah, before heading back to Washington.There are questions of whether the negotiations could last beyond the end of the month. The Palestinians have threatened to quit talks if Israel does not extend a self-imposed partial moratorium on construction inside Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank. The temporary freeze expires on September 26, and Israel has given no hint that it will extend it.The Palestinians say the presence of more than 100 Israeli settlements impede the establishment of a viable, contiguous Palestinian state.Militants in the Gaza Strip, which is not under the control of President Abbas' Palestinian Authority, oppose the negotiations with the Jewish State. They stepped up their attacks this week, firing anumber of rockets into southern Israel. Israel responded by launching air attacks inside the Gaza Strip.VOA News Item 6. 健康：感冒疫苗可降低心脏病风险Getting a flu shot can help prevent influenza. But now, a large study in Britain indicates that older adults who get an annual flu vaccination are less likely to suffer a heart attack.The study involved more than 78,000 people, age 40 and older.Researcher Niroshan Siriwardena of Britain’s University of Lincoln who led the study."Our research suggests that flu shots are associated with a reduction in relative risk of heart attack in adults by about 19 percent."The reduction was even higher - 21 percent - for people who got their vaccination early in the flu season.The results were mathematically adjusted to reflect the fact that people who are at higher risk for heart attack in the first place are more likely to get a flu shot.Although Siriwardena is careful to point out that his study is one of associations, not necessarily cause-and-effect, he does offer one possible link between the seemingly unrelated conditions of influenza and heart attack.VOA News Item 7. 政治：广播电台致力于赋权予巴勒斯坦女性Halla Bazzar, an attractive woman in her 20s, begins her afternoon show. For this young professional, the job is more than just running a show. It is about giving women living in conflict a key to success. "We talk about issues that would inspire women in the future."Giving women hope for the future is one of the goals of the station, Nisaa FM, which started broadcasting this month from the West Bank town of Ramallah.Founder and manager Maysoun Odeh tells VOA the station wants to entertain, but also empower women. "We broadcast success stories of women regionally, internationally, or locally in which they can take example from, and they know that they can do something and they can achieve something regardless of the situation."The day-to-day situation for many Palestinian women living under occupation involves supporting their children while their husbands are in prison, finding housing after their homes are demolished, and navigating their way through Israeli checkpoints.Wafa Abdel Rahman, a woman's activist with the West Bank group Filastiniyat, says Palestinian women also face cultural issues."We suffer, as the rest of the women in the Arab world suffer, political Islam - the interpretation of Islam, which actually, is putting more burden on the women." "It portrays women as if they are the key to the honor of the family. If you are a good Muslim or not depends on how is your woman. Is she covered? Is she following all the instructions, etcetera. This is really hard on women."Abdel Rahman welcomes the new station. "We need a radio that brings out all those issues." "But also to take it a step further and think how we can - not only women but also men - how we can together change the status of women and make it better."The station, whose name "Nisaa" means "woman" in Arabic began operations this month with the help of Smiling Children, a Switzerland-based humanitarian foundation.VOA News Item 8. 政治：波兰期望关闭决胜投票Sunday, Polish voters are choosing their new president from between two candidates. One is the Speaker of Parliament and Acting President Bronislaw Komorowski, from the governing center-right Civic Platform party. The other is Jaroslaw Kaczynski from the far-right Law and Justice party. Neither candidate was able to win an outright majority in the first round of voting June 20th.Kaczynski is running in the place of his twin brother, the late President Lech Kaczynski, who was killed in April along with his wife Maria and 94 others in a plane crash near Smolensk, Russia. The crash moved the presidential election forward nearly four months.Before the first round of voting, opinion polls had placed Komorowksi firmly in the lead. But the results were closer than predicted, with only a five percent difference between the two men. Grzegorz Makowski of the Warsaw-based Institute of Public Affairs explains this surge of support for Kaczynski, saying he thinks the plane crash at Smolensk mobilized more conservative voters. If the crash had not happened, he says, Komorowski would almost certainly have won in the first round."I am almost 99 percent sure that if it didn't happen, probably Lech Kaczynski would lose these elections in the first round," "I think it had a really strong impact on those who were passive. Maybe not on those who were against Kaczynski and they dislike him, it didn't change their opinions. But it made those who were passive, and those who were potentially supporters of Kaczynski, active. Because of Smolensk, I thinkthey started thinking that maybe we should be more conservative."Kaczynski has run an effective advertising campaign, and may well have gained ground over the last two weeks.At the moment, Komorowski's Civic Platform party controls parliament. Makowski says Kaczynski has played on his status as opposition leader by arguing that it could be dangerous for the Civic Platform (Platforma Obywatelska) to control both the Parliament and the Presidency."This is a very populist argument, but it works. People in Poland have very emotional attitudes to politics, and when he is saying something like that people think, oh, we will have something like a totalitarian regime if the president is also from Platforma. "Makowski adds that the summer holiday season may also affect the vote, since wealthier Poles tend to support Komorowski and many will be leaving for vacation over the weekend.At this point, most analysts agree that the race is too close to call. Final results are expected to be announced on Monday.VOA News Item 9. 政治：据报道俄罗斯科学家在与美间谍交换中被释放A lawyer for an imprisoned Russian nuclear expert, Igor Sutyagin, says her client was released Thursday from a jail in Moscow and flown to Vienna. Other reports say he will be transferred later into British custody.His family says his release is part of an exchange for suspected Russian agents detained last month in the United States in a high-profile case. Neither U.S. nor Russian officials have confirmed the reports.Sergei Markov, a deputy in the Russian State Duma from the ruling United Russia party, said he has heard the rumors of an exchange. He tells VOA that if such a thing occurs, it represents a kind of confession from both the United States and Russia."I think most important is that by exchange, both sides recognize that those arrested people - they are spies."Sutyagin was serving a 15-year prison sentence, after being convicted of sending classified information to a British firm that Russian authorities said was a front for U.S. intelligence.He and his family have repeatedly denied his guilt. His case has been championed by human rights groups who say he was unfairly persecuted by the government. But Markov says the United States has already confirmed he was a spy."It was a very big shock for some of the Russian human rights activists who protected Sutyagin for many years, repeating many times that he is, you know, a scientist who is being arrested by the KGB, by Putin, Putin is oppressing science and so forth."Meantime, the ten members of the alleged Russian spy ring operating in the United States are charged with conspiring to act as unregistered foreign agents. They are accused of seeking to infiltrate U.S. policy-making circles and to gather information on U.S. political affairs. Nine of them are also charged with money laundering.An eleventh suspected was detained briefly in Cyprus, but went missing after being released on bail.VOA News Item 10. 政治：报道称2010年海盗袭击数量下降The coast of Somalia remains a major piracy hotspot, the location of more than half this year's pirate attacks. But International Maritime Bureau Director Pottengal Mukundan says the target area is widening."The fact is that the Somali pirates are ranging further out than they have ever done before. We are talking of going 1,000 nautical miles away from the coast in order to attack ships, board them, hijack them and then bring them back into Somalia until a ransom is paid for their release."The International Maritime Bureau recorded 196 piracy incidents in the first six months of the year - about 20 percent less than the same period last year.In the Gulf of Aden there were 86 pirate attacks in the first half of 2009 and 33 so far this year. Mukundan says foreign navies, which have operated in the Gulf of Aden since 2009, have been instrumental in reigning in piracy in the area. But he says piracy is more difficult to manage in the Indian Ocean."It is a huge, huge expanse of sea, very difficult for the navies to effectively monitor it and deal with it in the way it has been successfully dealt in the Gulf of Aden."He says he thinks by the end of 2010 the number of piracy attacks may match or even exceed the 2009 total."At the moment we are seeing a lull because of the southwest monsoons in the Indian Ocean, where these small pirate skiffs cannot operate, but the southwest monsoons will subside by the end of August and then we expect the pirates to be back there trying to seize the ships."According to the International Maritime Bureau report, the first half of the year has seen one crewmember killed, 597 crewmembers taken hostage, and 16 injured.。

美国劳动之歌Most of the world observes Labor Day on May 1. Butthe United States has its workers holiday on the firstMonday in September. Steve Ember and BarbaraKlein have a few songs from the history of theAmerican labor movement.Labor songs are traditionally stories of struggle and pride, of timeless demands for respect and the hopefor a better life.Sometimes they represent old songs with new words. One example is "We Shall Not Be Moved."It uses the music and many of the same words of an old religious song.Here is folksinger Pete Seeger with "We Shall Not Be Moved."Many classic American labor songs came from workers in the coal mines of the South. Mineowners bitterly opposed unions. In some cases, there was open war between labor activistsand coal mine operators.Once, in Harlan County, Kentucky, company police searched for union leaders. They went to oneman's home but could not find him there. So they wai ted outsi de for several days.The coal miner's wife, Florence Reece, remained inside with her children. She wrote this song, "Which Side Are Y ou On?"Again, here is Pete Seeger.Probably the most famous labor songwriter in America was Joe Hill. He was born in Sweden andcame to the United States in the early 1900s. H e worked as an unskilled lab orer.Joe Hill joined the Industrial Workers of the World, known as the Wobblies. More than any otherunion, they used music in their campaigns, urgi ng members to "si ng and fi ght."One of Joe Hill's best-known songs is "Casey Jones." It uses the music from a song about atrain engineer. In the old song, Casey Jones is a hero. He bravely keeps his train running in verydifficult conditions.In Joe Hill's version, Casey Jones is no hero. His train is unsafe. Y et he stays on the job afterother workers have called a strike against the railroad company.Pete Seeger and the Song Swappers sing "Casey Jones (The Union Scab)."Another American labor song is called "Bread and Roses." That term was connected with thewomen's labor movement.The song was based on a poem called "Bread and Roses" by James Oppenheim. The poem waspublished in The American Magazine in December of 1911.The following month there was a famous strike by textile workers in Lawrence, Massachusetts.They won higher pay and better working conditions. Oppenheim's poem gainedmore attention.At that time, conditions in factories were already a national issue. In 1911, a fire at a clothingfactory in New Y ork had taken the lives of 146 people. The victims were mostly immigrantwomen.Here is Pat Humphries with "Bread and Roses."Union activists know that labor songs can unite and help people feel strong. This can be trueeven when the music has nothing to do with unions."De Colores" is a popular Spanish folksong. It talks about fields in the spring, little birds,rainbows and the great loves of many colors.This song is popular with supporters of the United Farm Workers union. We listen as BaldemarV elasquez leads the band Aguila Negra in "De Colores."For many years, folksinger Joe Glazer was a union activist with a guitar. He was also a laborhistorian. Labor's Troubadour was the name of a book he about his life. He believed in organized labor and preserving the musical history of the American labor movement. JoeGlazer died in 2006 at the age of 88.Here is Joe Glazer with "Solidarity Forever," written by Ralph Chaplin.From VOA Learning English, this is the Agriculture Report.这里是美国之音慢速英语农业报道。

第⼀节（共5⼩题）听下⾯5段对话。

每段对话后有⼀个⼩题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。

听完每段对话后，你都有10秒钟的时间来回答有关⼩题和阅读下⼀⼩题。

每段对话仅读⼀遍。

1.Where is Fred now?A.At the restaurant.B.In the class.C.At home.2.What do the two speakers think of the opera?A.Both of them like it.B.Only the woman likes it.C.Only the man likes it.3.What about the woman’s father?A.He is very old now.B.He is in poor health.C.He is upset at home.4.Why was the boy afraid that his father would scold him?A.He had broken his father’s glass.B.He hadn’t passed the examination.C.He had broken his father’s glasses.5.What are the speakers talking about?A.A record.B.Some singers.C.A live concert.第⼆节（共15⼩题）听下⾯5段对话或独⽩。

每段对话或独⽩后有⼏个⼩题，从题中所给的A、B、C三个选项中选出选项，并标在试卷的相应位置。

听每段对话或独⽩前，你将有时间阅读各个⼩题，每⼩题5秒钟；听完后，各⼩题将给出5秒钟的作答时间。

每段对话或独⽩读两遍。

听第6段材料，回答第6⾄8题。

6. What is the woman thinking about?A.Getting more money.B.Doing better in her job.C.Changing her job.7. How does the woman like her present job?A.It is difficult.B.It is interesting.C.It is highly paid.8.When does the woman have to decide?A.Today.B.Tomorrow.C.The day after tomorrow.听第7段材料，回答第9⾄11题。

篇简短的v o a新闻文本 Document serial number【UU89WT-UU98YT-UU8CB-UUUT-UUT108】1VOA新闻听力100篇News Item 1This week, the chairman of America’s nuclear agency said there is little chance that harmful radiation from Japan could reach the United States. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko also said America has a strong program in place to deal with earthquake threats. No new nuclear power centers have been built in the United States since nineteen seventy-nine. That was when America’s worst nuclear accident happened at the Three Mile Island center in Pennsylvania. The accident began to turn public opinion against nuclear energy.News Item 2Most restaurants in the United States offer their customers a glass of tap water at no charge with their meal, but this week many restaurants are asking diners to pay a dollar, or more,for a glass of water. Placards on their tables explain thatthis small amount helps bring clean water to children around the world. It’s called the UNICEF Tap Project.News Item 3Japan has confirmed radiation contamination of someagricultural products near a nuclear power plant crippled by last week’s earthquake and tsunami that is still spewing radiation. Yukio Edano, the chief Cabinet secretary, says high levels of radiation have been detected in milk in Fukushima prefecture and spinach from Ibaraki prefecture have been found to be contaminated. He tells reporters there is no immediate health risk and the government is considering regulating shipments of farm products from the affected area. At the Fukushima-1 nuclear power plant efforts continue to try to cool overheating reactor cores and water in tanks containing spent fuel rods.News Item 4Some of America’s brightest students came to Washington for the 2011 Intel Science Talent Search, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious science competition. The awards ceremony was the culmination of an intense week during which the 40finalists were queried by judges and the public. They met with scientists, politicians and even President Barack Obama, who welcomed them to the White House. These high achievers were whittled down from nearly 2,000 contestants’ nationwide, representing excellence across many disciplines.News Item 5The billionaire s’ club is growing. Forbes magazine’s annual list shows there are now 1,210 billionaires around the world—that is 199 more than last year. Although the world’s top three earners are unchanged from last year, the newcomers in the list of the world’s richest did not come from the U.S. or Western Europe, but from Russia and the Asia Pacific region. Magazine chairman Steve Forbes says of the 200 new billionaires this year, the majority are from the BRIC countries—Brazil, Russia, India and China.News Item 6Defense attorneys for former Liberian president Charles Taylor say testimony from prosecution witnesses is tainted by cash payments from a special fund provided by the United States. Mr. Taylor’s war crimes trial is drawing to a close after more than three years. Defense attorney Terry Munyard says money “lavished” on prosecution witnesses has polluted “the pure waters of justice.” He told the court that those payments went far beyond the simple reimbursement of expenses and were usedin such a way “as to taint the testimony of some of the prosecution witnesses.”News Item 7Many world leaders are expressing shock and sympathy following the devastating earthquake and tsunami in Japan, and areoffering to assist the country as it struggles to recover from the disaster. . President Barack Obama pledged assistance for what he called a potentially catastrophic disaster in Japan. Mr. Obama called Japan one of America’s strongest allies and said the U.S. is offering whatever assistance is needed. . Defense Secretary Robert Gates said a preliminary assessment indicates that American troops, ships and military facilities were not seriously damaged by the quake or tsunami.News Item 8Women are joining together all over the world to mark the 100th anniversary of International Women’s Day on March 8. Women poured through London’s streets on Tuesday singing loudly for women’s rights. The banners they carried trained a spotlighton the range of issues still at hand: health, education, and politics to name a few.News Item 9Food prices continue to rise, threatening to push more and more people into poverty and hunger. A new report from the UN foodagency says one of the best ways to boost agricultural productivity worldwide would be to remove the barriers women farmers face that their male counterparts do not. Studies show when women have financial resources, they are more likely than men to spend them on food, health and educating their children. Women farmers tend to be less productive than men, but there are good reasons for that, says Agnes Quisumbing, an economist with the International Food Policy Research Institute.News Item 10Ronald Reagan’s Hometown Celebrates His 100th Birthday. Though he gained prominence as an actor in Hollywood and later as President of the United States, the people of Dixon, Illinois, remember Ronald Reagan as a hometown hero who saved the lives of 77 people while working as a lifeguard. The town is honoring Reagan’s 100th bir thday this year, with a year-long celebration. The 40th President’s hometown was never very far from his heart.News Item 11The National Football League wrapped up the 2010 season with the biggest football game of the year: Super Bowl XLV—played in a huge stadium in Arlington, Texas. But without the small,Midwestern town of Ada, Ohio—population 5,400—the game would not have been the same. Ada is where the Wilson Sporting Goods company makes footballs. Wilson has been the official football maker of the National Football League since 1941, and many of the 130 employees at its factory in Ada have spent most oftheir lives there—many working for 25 to 45 years.News Item 12Scientists say a common headache medicine dramatically reduces the risk of developing P arkinson’s disease, a physically-disabling brain disorder that mostly strikes elderly adults. In a six-year study of just over 136,000 nurses and health professionals, researchers at Harvard University School of Public Health in Massachusetts found that people who take ibuprofen（布洛芬镇痛药）regularly for headache or other pain reduced their risk of developing Parkinson’s disease by nearly 40 percent. Taking one or two pills of ibuprofen two or more times per week was considered regular use. Other non-prescription pain relievers, including aspirin and acetaminophen, did not show a similar protective benefit.News Item 13Insurgents opposed to Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi continue to hold two strategic towns along the road to eastern Libya, after unsuccessful attempts by pro-Gadhafi forces to retake them. Libyan warplanes launched new air strikes Thursday against the key eastern oil port of Brega, but the son of embattled leader Moammar Gadhafi says the bombs were only intended to“frighten” rebels warplanes s truck at the rebel-held oilport of Brega on Thursday, a day after anti-government fighters turned back an assault by forces loyal to the country’slongtime leader Moammar Gadhafi.News Item 14A new study of more than million people in six Asian countries finds that, like Westerners, Asians are more likely to die if they are overweight or obese. However, some of the highestdeath rates were seen in people who were severely underweight. Many previous studies have found that the risk of deathincreases as body-mass index increases. Body-mass index, or BMI, is a measure of body fat based on height and weight. Thetrouble is, those studies mostly analyzed Europeans and other Westerners. So scientists couldn’t be sure if the results applied to other groups.News Item 15Agriculture is one of the most important economic activities in Africa. In addition to providing employment, agriculture has the potential to transform African societies through the increased export of produce to Western markets. Many agree that transformation will not take place without increased investment in agriculture, including public or private loans to small farmers. Statistics show that Africa has about 12% of the world’s arable land but 80% of it is not in use.News Item 16In July 2012, the world’s largest AIDS conference comes to Washington, D.C. It’s the first time the gathering will be held in the United States since 1990 and preparations are already underway. Despite the massive U.S. financial, medical and scientific contributions to the fight against HIV/AIDS, a major issue blocked the conference from being held here. That was a law that prohibited HIV infected people from traveling to the United States. It was passed in 1987 in the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Efforts to lift the ban began during President George W. Bush’s second administration. It wasfinally repealed in January 2010 under President Obama.News Item 17As Discovery begins its 39th and final mission into Earth’s orbit Thursday, America’s 30-year space shuttle program comes one step closer to its scheduled end this April. Discovery has been a regular visitor to Earth’s orbit since its maidenflight in 1984. It is the oldest and longest-serving vehicle in the U.S. space agency’s shuttle fleet. Discovery’s finalflight follows several delays due to technical problems and repairs to its external fuel tank, but NASA’s mission launch director Mike Leinbach says the shuttle is still spaceready. News Item 18Not long ago, most professional musicians lived in a world far removed from the nitty-gritty of business management, distribution and promotion. But today, social media, laptop production techniques and fragmented musical tastes havelargely replaced the old relationship between musicians, their audiences and the marketplace, making entrepreneurial savvy more important than ever. A leading U.S. conservatory now teaches students how to create successful careers in this brave new world.News Item 19Egypt’s most famous tourism sites, including the great pyramids and the antiquities museum in Cairo, have reopened after being closed during the popular uprising and political tumult. Egypt’s key industry— tourism—returns after weeks of protests and celebrations, while other countries in the region deal with unrest. The sound of hooves as horses pull jostling carts of people within the Giza pyramids’ complex is the sound of money to the men who make their livings from tourism—a dominant industry in Egypt.News Item 20Demonstrations against long-serving governments continue toroil the Middle East and North Africa Friday from Libya eastward to Bahrain. In Libya, more protests as well as funerals for those killed in recent unrest were held after midday prayers, and witnesses said demonstrators gathered in the port city Benghazi, a bastion of resentment against the government. Human Rights Watch said Friday that 24 people have been killed in recent violence in Libya, many of them in Benghazi. Graphic videos posted on the Internet have shown shootings described as being inflicted by armed forces against protesters.News Item 21The National Park Service says the largest slave village in the Washington region is buried on the grounds. Archeologist Joy Beasley walks across the land now known as Best Farm. But approximately 200 years ago, it was a 300-hectare plantation called L’Hermitage, owned by the Vincendieres, French farmers from Haiti. Their stone home and outbuildings still stand. The National Park Service archeologist says her team discovered evidence of six other homes on the property where slaves were kept. The Vincendieres owned 90 slaves.News Item 22Cameroon’s new mineral research center will begin operations this year. South Korean mining researchers are making trips to Cameroon to determine the overall cost of the facility, to be located in the capital, Yaounde. They say the center will cost several millions of dollars and will ultimately be offered to the Cameroon government as a gift. The Korean investors say the facility will also have geological engineers to help in the design and construction of mines—and economic geologists to determine the commercial feasibility of projects. They willdecide whether there are enough minerals to justify the cost of a mining venture.News Item 23A major study by the World Health Organization shows that most people with high cholesterol levels around the world are not getting the treatment they need, to avoid such serious diseases as heart attacks and strokes. And the authors of the study—the largest ever undertaken—say the problem is especially serious in the developing world. The study was done on 147 million people, and found an increasing incidence of high levels of cholesterol the world over. Even more worrying, the researchers say, is that many of those patients are going untreated.News Item 24A huge crowd has gathered in central Cairo calling for President Hosni Mubarak to step down. The opposition has called for one million people to protest. Crowds headed on foot for Cairo’s Tahrir S quare throughout the day Tuesday. They included women with babies in strollers. Their confidence is boosted after the army, in an official statement, described the demonstrations as legitimate and promised it would not fire ondemonstrators. Army helicopters dropped leaflets calling on demonstrators to keep the protests peaceful.News Item 25The popular revolts roiling Egypt and other Arab countries are being driven by young people clamoring to oust autocratic governments they have known all their lives. The hardscrabble Tunis neighborhood of Ettadhamen provides a representative look at the hardships, and aspirations, of some of the young people behind Tunisia’s so-called Jasmine Revolution.6News Item 26A new study has tracked how low self-control can predict poor health, money troubles and even a criminal record in theiradult years. The study began with 1,000 children in New Zealand. Researchers followed them for decades. They observed the levelof self-control the youngsters displayed. Parents, teachers, even the kids themselves, scored the youngsters on measureslike “acting before thinking” and“persistence in reaching goals.” The children of the study are now adults in their thirties. Terrie Moffitt of Duke University found that kidswith self-control issues tended to grow up to become adults with a far more troubling set of issues to deal with.News Item 27President Barack Obama delivers his second State of the Union Address to the nation on Tuesday, before a joint session ofthe . Congress. President Barack Obama will face a dramatically altered balance of power in the House of Representatives when he addresses Congress and the nation Tuesday in his State of the Union address. Republicans are now in the majority in the House, and they have already approved a repeal of Mr. Obama’s landmark reform of the U.S. health care system. The move was symbolic, since the bill will die in the . Senate, where Democrats and Independents still hold a majority.News Item 28New research suggests a relatively simple blood test might make it possible to predict who is at a higher risk for developing dementia. The most common form of dementia is Alzheimer’s Disease, and currently, it can only be definitively diagnosedin an autopsy, by examining the brain. Beta-amyloid is aprotein that shows up the brains of Alzheimer’s victims. It’salso present in spinal fluid and, in very small quantities, in the blood.News Item 29Health Services in eastern and central Kenya are getting a big boost through a new $100 million dollar program. The U.S. development agency, USAID, has awarded the funds to an international non-profit organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University. For the past four years, Jhpiego has led a nearly $34 million program in eastern Kenya called APHIA II. APHIA stands for AIDS, Population and Health Integrated Assistance. The goal is to “empower front-line health workers” with effective, low cost solutions to delivering quality health care.News Item 30Over the past 20 years, the United Nations says the Asia-Pacific population has been growing, but at a slower rate compared to the rest of the world. Asian fertility fell by 39 percent in a 20-year period from the late 1960s while remaining above the population-replacement level of children per woman. By 1990,nearly two-thirds of Asian countries had experienced declines of at least 25 percent.News Item 31President Barack Obama will go to Tucson, Arizona, Wednesday to speak at a memorial service for those killed in Saturday’s shootings. The president will try to help the nation deal with the rampage, which left six people dead and a U.S. congresswoman critically wounded. President Obama and his wife Michelle will cross the country to attend Wednesday night’s memorial service at the University of Arizona.The presidentwill speak there, in an effort to help Americans cope with the tragedy.News Item 32New medical research into a possible cure for Parkinson’s disease is focusing on finding biomarkers in patients so that doctors can start treatment early before tremors and other symptoms start. Actor Michael J. Fox’s recent commitment of$40 million toward finding a cure for Parkinson’s is helpingto fund the new research. The current clinical diagnosis of Parkinson’s is based on visible tremors and stiffness o f limbs. But researchers say a more comprehensive diagnosis is needed. News Item 33. President Barack Obama used his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday to outline the benefits of a tax cut package he signed into law in December. He says the tax cut compromise reached with Republicans will help grow the U.S. economy. Mr. Obama encouraged business owners to take advantage of a new incentive included in the legislation that allows any business to write off the full cost of most of their capital investments for one year.News Item 34A U.S. congress woman is in critical condition and six people are dead after a gunman opened fire in an Arizona parking lot where Representative Gabrielle Giffords was meeting with constituents. The dead include a federal judge. More than a dozen people were wounded, including Giffords. A federal probe has been launched amid a national outpouring of sorrow and outrage.News Item 35Three-dimensional cell phones and batteries that last much longer are just two of the technologies that could become commonplace in the next few years. For the fifth year, IBM has looked at the horizons of research, picked five technologiesand announced them as tomorrow’s innovations. “Individual technologies take different times to matri culate,” says John Cohn, IBM’s Chief Scientist. “But the thing that’s common about them is that we think in 2015, all these predictions will actually be something that we take for granted.”News Item 36The killing of the governor of Pakistan’s most populous province has highlighted the ongoing clash in Pakistani society between secularism and religious radicalism. Some of that radicalism is fueled by resentment against privileged and often secular-minded elite who govern the country.8News Item 37I n India’s main tea-growing region, scientists say tea production is being impacted by climate change. India produces nearly one third of the world’s tea. The rolling Himalayan hills in India’s northeastern state, Assam, are carpeted with lush tea bushes wh ose leaves produce some of the world’sfinest teas. But there are concerns that rising temperatures may be affecting the tea plantations, resulting in decliningproductivity of the brew to which millions of people across the world wake up.News Item 38African leaders are in Abidjan for more talks with Ivory Coast’s rival presidents. The country’s political crisis has sent thousands of refugees into Liberia. Leaders met with defiant Ivory Coast President Laurent Gbagbo Monday, offering him an amnesty deal on condition he cedes power to rival Alassane Ouattara.News Item 39More signs that the U.S. economy is moving in the right direction: The . Labor Department says new claims for unemployment benefits declined last week, dropping below400,000 for the first time since July 2008. Other data also shows that businesses expanded in the month of December while home sales grew modestly in November. Despite the encouraging numbers, investors remain cautious as 2010 comes to a close. New estimates show the snowstorm that lashed parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic last week cost retailers about a billion dollars in lost sales.News Item 40The Holy Land enjoyed a flood of visitors last year, which benefited Israelis and Palestinians alike. It was a record year for tourism in Israel thanks to a lull in violence. There were million visitors in 2010, percent more than the previous record two years ago. Mark Feldman, who heads the Israelitravel agency Zion Tours, says tourism is booming. Most of the visitors were Jews and Evangelical Christians. Some 625,000 Americans came, more than any other country.News Item 41Voters in Ivory Coast have official results from only a small number of polling stations outside the country. About 10,000 ballots in an election of more than four million registered voters shows former Prime Minister Alassane Ouattara leading President Laurent Gbagbo by about 60 percent to 40 percent. As the wait for domestic results continues, President Gbagbo’s party is already calling on the electoral commission to annul returns from three northern districts. Both the Gbagbo and Ouattara campaigns say some of their supporters were prevented from entering polling stations Sunday.News Item 42Diplomatic cables released by the website Wikileaks indicate the U.S. is concerned about the security of Pakistani nuclear material. They also indicate questions about Pakistan’s commitment to fighting9insurgents along the country’s border with Afghanistan. The New York Times and the Guardian newspapers reported details of the cables today. A French news agency quoted a Pakistani Foreign Office spokesman as saying the fears are misplaced. Meanwhile, Interpol has placed Wikileaks’ founder Julian Assange on its most wanted list after Sweden issued an arrest warrant for him as part of a rape investigation.News Item 43. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe needs to boost its role in Afghanistan and foster greater economic development throughout the region. Clinton spoke today at the OSCE Summit in Kazakhstan. “Our goal here in Astana should be to move forward on democracy, human rights, economic growth and strengthening our security community. In other words, let’s embrace the vision of Helsinki and apply it faithfully in this newcentury.” The OSCE is celebrating the 35th anniversary of the Helsinki Accords, which gave birth to the OSCE structure. Clinton said insecurity anywhere in Central Asia is a challenge for all members and that protracted conflicts remain dangerously unresolved.News Item 44Russia’s prime minister says his country will have to build up its own nuclear weapons capability if the United States fails to ratify the new strategic arms reduction treaty signedearlier this year. Vladimir Putin told CNN’s Larry King program in an interview to be aired later today that the new treaty is in the United States’ best interest and it would be, in his words, dumb for U.S. legislators to ignore that. President Barack Obama and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev signed the new START in April. The agreement would cut nuclear stockpiles in the U.S. and Russia by about 30 percent.News Item 45Thai police say they arrested two Pakistani men and one Thai woman this week on forgery charges, as they attempted to flee to neighboring Laos. The three were arrested in cooperation with Spanish authorities, who on Thursday arrested sixPakistanis and one Nigerian in raids in Barcelona. Spanish authorities believe the group supplied fake passports used by Muslim militants who bombed Madrid commuter trains in 2004. They also suspect the group supplied fake passports to al-Qaeda-linked Lashkar-e-Taiba, the Pakistan-based group accused of the 2008 Mumbai attacks that killed 166 people.News Item 46The U.S. unemployment rate rose in November while the economy added far fewer jobs than expected. Today’s closely-watched report from the Labor Department says the unemployment rate rose % to %. The economy had a net gain of 39,000 jobs far fewer than the 150,000 most experts had predicted.News Item 47Iranian media reports say officials are calling for the removal of a Star of David painted on the roof of the headquarters of the country’s national airline after the Jewish symbol was revealed in a satellite image. Reports say Internet media company Google took the image of the building which was reportedly built by Israeli engineers who worked in Iran before the 1979 Islamic Revolution.News Item 48President Obama is calling a new free-trade deal between the U.S. and South Korea a landmark agreement. Mr. Obama accepted the deal Friday after a three-year stalemate and said it will deepen the two nations’ alliance, and he urged the . Congress to ratify it. President said the agreement will increase U.S. exports by up to $11 billion a year and support at least 70,000 jobs. As part of the deal, South Korea has agreed to let the U.S. keep a % tariff on Korean-built cars for five more years rather than end it immediately.News Item 49The World Food Program is teaming up with the World Meteorological Organization and other agencies to help subsistence farmers increase their crop yields. The WFP says 2010 has been a year with many climate related emergencies which have created a havoc with the agricultural produce of many developing countries.News Item 50Some of the most dramatic, climate-related emergencies include flooding in Pakistan, Haiti, Burma and Burkina Faso. World Food Program spokeswoman Emilia Casella says the number of people affected is expected to reach about 375 million a year by 2015.“We are estimating that by 2020, some countries having their agricultural yields halved by weather&climate emergencies-drought or flood.” Casella says a detailed food insecurity analysis could pinpoint areas that are most at risk. She says WFP is working with the Food and Agriculture Organization to help small subsistence farmers increase their food yields.News Item 51International firefighting teams are battling day three of what officials are calling the worst fire in Israel’s history. Police said Saturday the huge wildfires continued to burn out of control near the northern port of Haifa. The firefighting aircraft are coming in from Russia and have been dropping water on the blaze with additional help from the U.S., France and Britain. Middle East neighbors Jordan and Egypt sent equipment. So far, 41 people, at least, have been killed and thousands have been forced to evacuate from the area.News Item 52A Russian rocket carrying three navigation satellites has crashed into the Pacific Ocean after failing to reach orbit. Russian news agencies said the rocket and the satellites wentdown about 1,500 kilometers northwest of Honolulu, Hawaii after veering off course.News Item 53British lawmakers plan to vote on a bill today that would increase university tuition charges. If approved, the college tuition in Britain would jump from just under 5,000 dollars to about 14,000 dollars per year. That proposal has sparked student protests. British authorities say the increase in tuition is necessary to bring a large deficit under control. News Item 54Delegates at the end of a two-week UN climate conference heldin Cancun, Mexico have approved a modest plan to combat global warming. More than 190 nations approved the agreement Saturday, which includes a multi-billion-dollar fund to administer assistance to poor nations. Bolivia was the only country to object the deal, saying the agreement does not go far enough to curb climate change.News Item 55Police in Sweden say a car explosion in what appeared to be a suicide attack killed one person and wounded two others in central Stockholm on Saturday. Police say the first blast。

voa慢速英语短篇-回复题目：巴以冲突的历史与现状引言：中东巴勒斯坦和以色列地区的巴以冲突已经持续了几十年。

这场冲突涉及到许多复杂的政治、宗教和地缘政治因素。

本文将以中东巴以冲突为主题，深入探讨该冲突的起因、历史发展和现状，并尝试提供一些可能的解决方案。

起因：巴以冲突的起因与19世纪末和20世纪初的犹太人移民潮有关。

当时，随着犹太人回到他们在古代握有的以色列地区，阿拉伯人对此持反对态度。

同时，英国当局承诺同时满足阿拉伯人和犹太人的要求，这使得矛盾更加加深。

历史发展：20世纪上半叶，随着犹太人移民潮的增加，以巴地区爆发了一系列冲突。

1920年代，创建了巴以冲突的基础-巴勒斯坦问题。

1947年，联合国通过了一项将巴勒斯坦地区分割成犹太人和阿拉伯人国家的计划。

随后，以色列于1948年宣布独立，这引发了阿拉伯国家对其的入侵。

经过一年的战争，以色列取得了胜利，并夺取了比联合国方案规定的土地更多的领土。

此后，巴勒斯坦人民开始流亡到周边国家，进一步加剧了冲突。

现状：目前，巴以冲突仍然处于僵局状态。

巴勒斯坦人民渴望建立一个独立的国家，但以色列政府对领土认同问题表现强硬。

巴以冲突涉及到领土争端、安全问题、难民问题以及耶路撒冷问题等多个方面。

解决方案：寻求巴以冲突的解决方案是一个复杂而困难的任务。

然而，有一些潜在的解决方案可以考虑。

首先，国际社会应发挥更大的作用，推动巴以双方进行对话和谈判。

第二，以色列政府应考虑遵守联合国有关领土扩张和修建定居点的决议。

第三，建设一个共存的模式，以促进两个国家间的和平与稳定。

结论：巴以冲突是一个历史悠久、复杂且充满争议的问题。

解决这个问题需要国际社会的支持和巴勒斯坦和以色列双方的共同努力。

通过对话和谈判，以尊重彼此利益的方式，寻求巴以冲突的解决方案成为实现持久和平的首要目标。

只有这样，巴以地区的人民才能够实现繁荣和团结，建立多民族共存的社会。

VOA第一篇原文：Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his counterparts from the Association ofSoutheast Nations sealed the agreement（签署协议）in Bangkok Thursday. They met on the sidelines（出席）of the annual ASEAN Economic Minister Meeting. The agreement creates one of Asia’s biggest trading areas and integrate s（使结合成为整体）India’s fast growing economy with 10 of its neighbors. Trade between India and ASEAN amounts to（总计）40 billion dollars each year. Under the pact（根据协议）, India and ASEAN will eliminate（取消）tariffs（关税）on various goods by 2016.翻译：印度商务部长夏尔马和来自东南亚国家联盟的同事星期四在曼谷签署了协议。

他们在一年一度的东盟经济部长会议上会面。

这项协议创造了亚洲最大的贸易区之一，实现印度与周围10个邻国的经济共同增长发展。

印度和东盟每年的贸易额达400亿美元。

根据协定，印度和东盟将取消2016的货物关税。

第二篇原文：Britain’s p olitical life has been dominated（控制）for the past three decades by twoparties-the Conservatives, now led by David Cameron, and Labor headed by current Prime Minister Gordon Brown. But the third party, the Liberal Democrats, are turning this election into a three-horse race. Their campaign was given a major boost（推进）by Britain’s first ever televised（由电视播放的）debate last week; Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg emerged（出现，浮现;暴露;摆脱）as the clear winner. Viewer poll s（民意调查）taken after this second debate, which focused on foreign policy, showed there was no runaway（逃走的，逃亡的;私奔的;失去控制的;物价飞涨的）victor. The last time Britain had a hung parliament（无任何党派占明显多数的议会）was in 1974. A final televised debate is to take place next Thursday, followed by the election on May 6.翻译：过去三年来，英国的政治生活一直由两党主导，保守党现在由D·卡麦龙领导，工党由现任总理Gordon Brown领导。

Top News Stories of Two-Thousand-Four 01-01I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.This week we tell about some of the biggest news stories of two thousand four. We start in Asia, with what is being described as one of the worst natural disasters ever.Last Sunday, huge waves moved across the Indian Ocean and flooded coastal areas across southern and southeast Asia to East Africa. The waves were caused by one of the most powerful earthquakes ever recorded, measuring nine on the Richter Scale.The countries hardest hit were Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Thailand. More than one hundred thousand people are reported dead. Millions of people have been left homeless.Two thousand four was also filled with news about the war in Iraq and daily reports of violence in the country. Militants increased their attacks against American soldiers, Iraqi police officers and civilians working with the United States. American-led forces battled militants in the cities of Fallujah and Najaf. In May, news organizations around the world reported about the mistreatment of Iraqis by American soldiers at Abu Ghraib prison.More than one thousand American soldiers have been killed in Iraq since the war began almost two years ago. And the number of Iraqis killed is reportedly many times higher.Terrorism was a top story in other parts of the world. In March, suspected Islamic militants exploded bombs on crowded passenger trains in Madrid, Spain. About two hundred people were killed. Days later, Spanish voters defeated the country's conservative government, which had supported the American-led war in Iraq.In September, armed Chechen militants seized more than one thousand children, parents and teachers in a school in Beslan, Russia. The seizure ended in gunfire and explosions after days of negotiations. More than three hundred people were killed, most of them children.The African nation of Sudan was in the news because of a major humanitarian crisis in the Darfur area. Reports said government-supported Arab militants killed more than seventy thousand people in a two-yearcampaign of violence against black tribal farmers. More than one million people have been displaced from their homes.Two thousand four was also a year of historic political elections. In Afghanistan, voters elected Hamid Karzai in the country's first presidential election. Voters in the United States re-elected George W. Bush after a hard fought presidential campaign against the Democratic Party candidate, John Kerry.And a political crisis eased in Ukraine after the Supreme Court cancelled the election victory of Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovych. The court decided there had been widespread cheating and ordered a new presidential election. Opposition candidate Viktor Yushchenko won that election on Sunday and has promised democratic changes in Ukraine.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Cynthia Kirk. This is Steve Ember.Aid for Tsunami Victims 01--02I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.Kofi Annan says helping survivors of the earthquake and killer waves in the Indian Ocean last week is a race against time. The United Nations secretary-general says countries that have offered aid must hurry and provide it. The offers add up to around four thousand million dollars. United Nations officials say one-fourth of that is needed during the next six months. The concern about offers of international aid is based on history. For example, the earthquake in Bam, Iran, in December of two thousand three killed more than twenty-six thousand people. Countries and groups offered hundreds of millions of dollars worth of assistance. The United Nations says it has confirmed only about seventeen million dollars in aid received so far. Governments and organizations that offered help dispute that, however.On Thursday Mister Annan met with world leaders in Jakarta, Indonesia to discuss aid for victims of the tsunami. The leaders discussed and welcomed the idea of suspending some debt owed by affected nations. But the leaders did not say they would do so. Some said that making direct payments to survivors would be more helpful.The top U.N. aid official, Jan Egeland, has said the number of dead will be "much bigger" than one hundred fifty thousand. The World Health Organization says about a half-million people are injured. Millions more are homeless. TheW.H.O. has called for clean water along with food and medicines needed to help prevent the spread of disease.Australia has offered eight hundred ten million dollars in aid. The European Union says it will provide four hundred sixty-six million dollars in aid. Germany, Japan and the United States follow in their amounts offered. American military forces are also providing services.Representatives of twenty-six countries and international organizations attended the meeting in Jakarta. Officials say they will cooperate to develop a tsunami warning system for the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.A small group of countries including the United States began to direct aid efforts after the events of December twenty-sixth. Now American officials say the group is being suspended so the United Nations can start to take control. The earthquake measured nine on the Richter scale. The quake and resulting waves proved most deadly on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. More than one hundred thousand people are reported dead there.On Friday, American Secretary of State Colin Powell expressed shock at the destruction caused by the earthquake and waves. The same day, Kofi Annan flew by helicopter over western Sumatra and visited Meulaboh. About four thousand bodies were discovered in that town Friday. Mister Annan said he had never seen such destruction as he saw on Sumatra. In his words, "Where are the people?"In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Middle East Peace Prospects 01--03I'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.A Palestinian attack on Israelis at a border crossing has added to the pressures Mahmoud Abbas will face in his new job. The attack came two days before the swearing-in ceremony for the next president of the Palestinian Authority.A truck bomb exploded Thursday at the Karni crossing between Israel and Gaza. Then gunmen killed six Israeli civilians and seriously wounded five others. Three groups took responsibility: Hamas, the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades and the Popular Resistance Committees.Later, Israeli helicopters raided a target in Gaza linked to militants. Goods enter Gaza through the Karni crossing. After the militant attack, Israel closed all border crossings with Gaza.On Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered that all communication with the Palestinian Authority be cut. He said communications would stop until the new Palestinian President controls militants and halts attacks. The announcement came hours before Mahmoud Abbas was to be sworn-in.Yasser Arafat was Palestinian Authority president until his death in November. Israel and the United States had refused to negotiate with him as attacks against Israel continued.The peace plan known as the road map calls for Israel and the Palestinians to take steps toward an independent Palestine. The plan is meant to end more than four years of most recent violence.World leaders say the election Sunday of Mister Abbas offers new possibilities for peace. He received sixty-two percent of the vote. He defeated independent candidate Mustafa Barghouti and five others.The Israeli Prime Minister congratulated Mister Abbas. Both sides expressed support for a meeting, but did not set a date. President Bush said he would welcome the new Palestinian leader to Washington if he wants to come. Israeli lawmakers this week narrowly approved a new government. Most cabinet members support the plan by Israel to withdraw from Gaza and part of the West Bank this year.Mister Abbas has said attacks against Israel make life harder for Palestinians. He also says he would not use force against militants, but would try to negotiate a truce.A Hamas official told the Associated Press that Egypt has renewed a proposal for a one-year suspension of attacks. Hamas boycotted the presidential election, but may join legislative elections in July.After the Karni attack, Reuters news agency reported that several thousand marchers celebrated in the Jabalya refugee camp in Gaza.But the head of a Palestinian research group says the majority of people, especially in Gaza, support Mister Abbas. Mahdi Abdel Hadi says the people are tired of violence. In his words, "They are looking for this small window of fresh air and warm sun to come through the Palestinian election."In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Iraqi Elections 01--04This is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.On Sunday, for the first time in almost fifty years, Iraq will hold parliamentary elections with more than one party competing. Some Iraqis have already been voting in other countries.Around fourteen million names are on voter lists in Iraq. Voters face threats of violence from groups like the one that calls itself al-Qaida in Iraq. On Friday, Iraqi officials announced the arrests of three top aides to its Jordanian-born leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.Iraqi soldiers and police will guard voting centers. United States officials say American troops will be prepared to assist.The election is to choose two hundred seventy-five members for what is called a Transitional National Assembly.One of the duties of this temporary assembly will be to name a three-member presidency council. Another duty is to write a constitution. If Iraqis approve the constitution in October, then they will elect a new government at the end of the year.On Sunday, Iraqis will vote from a single national ballot. They will choose lists of candidates representing parties or coalitions. Seats will be divided in the National Assembly based on the share of votes that a list receives. A goal is to have women in at least one-fourth of the seats.Many political groups are competing. Commentators say the United Iraqi Alliance appears to have the strongest support. A Shiite Muslim leader, Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, heads the candidate list.The alliance wants Iraq to be an Islamic state with a federal government. The alliance has the support of the highest religious leader in Iraq, Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani. Its candidate list is mainly Shiite. Iraq is about sixty percent Shiite. But the list also contains other religious and ethnic groups including Iraqi Kurds and ethnic Turkmens.Another group of candidates that may do well in the voting is called the Iraqi List. Its candidates are Shiite and Sunni. Iyad Allawi, now the temporary prime minister of Iraq, heads this list.About twenty percent of Iraqis are Sunni. Some Sunnis have called for a boycott of the voting. Their Iraqi Islamic Party withdrew its candidate list from the election. Members said the security situation was too threatening.President Bush has urged Iraqis to vote. So has the president of Afghanistan, Hamid Karzai. On Friday he urged Iraqis to follow the example of the Afghan people. Mister Karzai called the election a necessary risk to bring order to Iraq.And, in Washington, Condoleezza Rice was sworn in Friday as secretary of state. She was national security adviser to the president. Miz Rice replaces Colin Powell who resigned.At her confirmation hearings, some Democratic senators condemned her handling of the war in Iraq. They said she used bad judgment and misled the public about the reasons for going to war. On Wednesday the Senate voted eighty-five to thirteen to confirm Miz Rice as secretary of state.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Bush Discusses Middle East Policy in 01--05State of the Union SpeechThis is Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.American Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will meet with Israeli and Palestinian leaders before those leaders hold talks next week. Her trip is part of the Middle East peace efforts that President Bush discussed this week in his State of the Union speech.Miz Rice is to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon in Jerusalem on Sunday. She visits Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank on Monday.Then, on Tuesday, Mister Abbas and Mister Sharon are to meet in Sharm-el-Sheikh, Egypt. It will be the first time Israeli and Palestinian leaders have met in more than four years. Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak is holding the talks. King Abdullah of Jordan also is expected to take part.President Bush announced that he will ask Congress for three hundred fifty million dollars for the Palestinians. He said the money would go for political, security and other reforms. In his words: "The goal of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace is within reach – and America will help them achieve that goal."In his speech Wednesday night in Congress, Mister Bush also called for greater freedoms in other parts of the Middle East. He said reform is already taking hold from Morocco to Jordan to Bahrain.He called on Saudi Arabia to give its people more power to decide their future. And he spoke of Egypt, another American ally, which he called "a great and proud nation." He said, "Egypt, which showed the way toward peace in the Middle East, can now show the way toward democracy in the Middle East."In much stronger language, Mister Bush said that Syria still permits its territory and parts of Lebanon to be used by terrorists. And he said Iran remains the world's main state supporter of terrorism. He said Iran is seeking nuclear weapons while denying its people freedom. The president had a message for Iranians. "As you stand for your own liberty," he said, "American stands with you."In London Friday, reporters asked Secretary Rice if the United States might ever attack Iran. In her words: "The question is simply not on the agenda at this point." She said diplomatic steps remain. Miz Rice is on her first trip as top American diplomat. London was the first stop among European capitals.In his State of the Union speech, the president praised the Iraqi people for voting in elections. He said terrorists are trying to destroy the hope that Iraqis expressed. Millions of people voted Sunday for a new Transitional National Assembly.Leaders of the opposition Democrats in Congress criticized Mister Bush for not saying when American troops will leave Iraq.The president introduced an Iraqi human rights activist whose father was killed by the Saddam Hussein government. Safia Taleb al-Souhail shared an emotional hug with another guest, Janet Norwood, the mother of a United States Marine killed in battle in Iraq.In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Israeli-Palestinian Truce; 01--06Historic Elections in Saudi ArabiaI'm Steve Ember with In the News in VOA Special English.Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon met in Egypt this week and declared a cease-fire. The meeting Tuesday was the first in more than four years between leaders of the two sides. The current violence between Palestinians and Israelis began in September of two thousand.Both men spoke of increased chances for peace. But violence resurfaced on Thursday. Members of Hamas fired shells and rockets at Jewish settlements in Gaza, although no one was hurt.Mister Abbas had deployed a large security force in the area to prevent attacks on Israelis. After the shelling, he dismissed three top security officials. Israel praised the action. But cabinet members said Israel would have to act if the Palestinians cannot control the situation.Hamas said it was not trying to break the cease-fire. It said the attack was in answer to the killing of a Palestinian in Gaza on Wednesday.Israel has been urging Mister Abbas to disarm militant groups. On Friday he went to Gaza to demand that they observe the truce announced in Sharm el-Sheikh. Earlier he sent a representative to meet with Hezbollah officials in Lebanon, where that group is based. Palestinian and Israeli officials have both accused Hezbollah of plotting to wreck the cease-fire.In return for Palestinian promises to control violence, Israel said it would free hundreds of Palestinian prisoners within weeks. Israeli also promised to withdraw troops from five West Bank towns.President Bush recently said he would ask Congress for three hundred fifty million dollars for the Palestinians. The money would be used to help them develop an independent state.Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice met separately with Mister Sharon and Mister Abbas this week. Secretary Rice said the United States would give the Palestinians forty million dollars immediately.In other news this week in the Middle East, Saudi Arabia held its first openelections. Candidates competed for half the seats on local councils in the Riyadh area. The national government will choose the other half.Close to two thousand men competed for one hundred twenty-seven seats. Women could not be candidates. They also could not vote. The government said it did not have enough time to set up separate voting stations for them.Still, many voters said the local elections marked the beginning of democratic reforms. The ruling family is under pressure to give Saudis more political power.About one hundred fifty thousand men in and around the capital signed up to vote. Up to six hundred thousand could have registered.Unofficial results were announced Friday. News agencies said Islamist candidates supported by clergy appeared to have won in Riyadh.Elections are set for March and April in other parts of the kingdom.In the News in VOA Special English was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Syria, Lebanon and the Killing of Rafik Hariri 01--07I'm Doug Johnson with In the News in VOA Special English.President Bush says the United States supports the international investigation that will take place to identify the killers of Rafik Hariri. The former prime minister of Lebanon died Monday in a powerful bomb explosion along a street in Beirut. At least fourteen other people were also killed.Recently Mister Hariri had opposed the large part that Syria takes in Lebanese politics. He called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops. Syria has at least fourteen thousand troops in Lebanon. Syria borders Lebanon on the north and east.Mister Hariri, a Sunni, was a very wealthy builder. He resigned as prime minister last October. He did so after Syria extended the term of the Lebanese president. But Mister Hariri had been expected to run in elections planned this May.His family and the Lebanese political opposition link Syria to the car bombing. Syria denies any involvement. President Bashar al-Assad condemned the murders.Lebanese President Emil Lahoud, a Christian allied with Syria, promised a full investigation. His government says it has asked for help from Swiss and other foreign experts.On Wednesday, an estimated two hundred thousand people attended the funeral for Mister Hariri. His family told President Lahoud and cabinet members not to attend. Protesters shouted "Syria out!" The Beirut newspaper An-Nahar called the funeral "a huge vote for unity and sovereignty."On Friday Lebanese opposition leaders called for a peaceful "uprising for independence." And Lebanon's tourism minister resigned. He said the government was unable to solve what he called the "dangerous situation in the country."On Thursday, President Bush said Syria must honor a United Nations Security Council resolution passed last year. Resolution fifteen-fifty-nine calls for foreign troops to leave Lebanon. Mister Bush described Syria as "out of step" with progress in the Middle East. Syria is not "moving with the democratic movement," in his words.The United States recalled its ambassador to Syria, Margaret Scobey, after the killing of Mister Hariri.His murder comes after years of relative calm in Lebanon. Civil war between Christians and Muslims began in nineteen seventy-five. An Arab force led by Syrian troops intervened in nineteen seventy-six in an effort to end the war. Later, Israel occupied southern Lebanon, staying until two thousand. The civil war was complex and lasted fifteen years.Syria and Lebanon reached a cooperation agreement in nineteen ninety-one. Since the war, the Lebanese have kept a political balance by dividing leadership positions among different religious groups.Rafik Hariri was popular for his efforts to rebuild Lebanon after the war. There are worries that violence could return now that he is gone.In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Doug Johnson.Bush Trip to Europe 01-08I'm Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.President Bush was in Europe this week for the first time since his re-election in November.On Thursday he met with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. They discussed Russian democracy and the fight against terrorism. The two leaders also said Iran and North Korea should not have nuclear weapons. On Friday Mister Putin told reporters that he is satisfied with the meeting.Bratislava was the last city visited by Mister Bush on his five-day trip to Europe. In addition to Slovakia, he visited Belgium and Germany.President Bush said he placed importance on a free press and observance of the rule of law during his talks with Mister Putin. Mister Putin rejected any suggestions that Russia is restricting democracy. In his words, "There can be no return to what we had before." The Russian leader also says he and Mister Bush are "very close" on a number of issues such as Iraq, Iran and North Korea.They called for speeding up negotiations for Russian entry into the World Trade Organization. They also said they would work together on international ways to improve the safekeeping of nuclear material.An agreement calls for Russia and the United States to share information about improving nuclear security. They are to jointly develop emergency plans to fight nuclear and radiological attacks. And they are to work together to develop a replacement for highly enriched uranium fuel used in research reactors. The goal is to prevent the uranium from being used to make nuclear weapons.On Wednesday, Mister Bush met in Mainz, Germany, with Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder. The German leader had strongly opposed the war in Iraq. But Mister Schroeder says Iraq's future is what is important now.Mister Bush called Europe "America's closest ally." And, he said, "in order for us to have good relations with Europe we have to have good relations with Germany."The two leaders agreed to cooperate on environmental issues, even though the United States is not part of the Kyoto treaty. The United States and Germany are to increase efforts to develop cleaner energy technologies. The aim is to reduce pollution and the industrial gases blamed for atmospheric warming, without limiting economic growth.Several thousand demonstrators marched in Mainz to protest the visit by Mister Bush. There were also protests earlier in Brussels, the headquarters of the European Union and NATO. There, the president met with European Union leaders. And the North Atlantic Treaty Organization announced that all twenty-six of its members would help train Iraqi security forces. But several nations, including Germany, say they only want to do training outside Iraq.In The News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.I.R.A. Ties Put Pressure on Sinn Fein in 01-09Northern Ireland Peace EffortsThis is Steve Ember with In the News, in VOA Special English.This year is the one hundredth anniversary of Sinn Fein, the main political party for Roman Catholics in Northern Ireland. But these days there is little to celebrate.Sinn Fein serves as the political organization of the Irish Republican Army. And the I.R.A. is being widely condemned over recent cases of robbery and murder. The Irish Republican Army began in nineteen nineteen. This week the American diplomat for Northern Ireland said it is time to "go out of business."On Thursday, the British House of Commons voted to take away the right of parliamentary pay for Sinn Fein members. The party holds four seats in the British Parliament. The European Parliament is considering similar action.Next Thursday is Saint Patrick's Day, an Irish celebration. Gerry Adams, the leader of Sinn Fein, was not invited this year to join President Bush for the traditional observance at the White House. The heads of other political parties in Northern Ireland were not invited either. But White House officials have invited the five sisters of a truck driver killed in January by the I.R.A.In the Gaelic language, Sinn Fein means "we ourselves" or "ourselves alone." The group started in nineteen oh five as a loose coalition of labor organizations. At that time, Britain ruled all of Ireland. Sinn Fein supporters wanted at least some independence from the British.Today the territory is separated into the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland. Most Irish citizens are Roman Catholic. But Northern Ireland is a British province, and the population is mostly Protestant.Years of violence between Protestants and Catholics in Northern Ireland began in nineteen sixty-nine. Bombings were common. In nineteenninety-seven, the Irish Republican Army declared a ceasefire. Peace talks led to a power-sharing agreement in April of the following year, on the Christian observance of Good Friday.But political troubles continued. In October of two thousand two, British Prime Minister Tony Blair suspended the administration of Roman Catholics and Protestants. Sinn Fein wants a place in any renewed government. But political observers say its efforts are hurt by evidence against the Irish Republican Army.In December, robbers stole up to fifty million dollars from a Belfast bank. Hostages were taken. Investigators found the I.R.A. responsible, which the group denies. The I.R.A. was ordered to pay a large fine.Then, in January of this year, I.R.A. members killed a Roman Catholic truck driver. His name was Robert McCartney. It happened after a dispute at a drinking place in Belfast.In reaction, the I.R.A. expelled some of its members. It also offered to shoot the men who killed Robert McCartney. But his family wants the killers to face justice. In the words of a family member, "Only in a court will the truth come out."In the News, in VOA Special English, was written by Jerilyn Watson. I'm Steve Ember.Wolfowitz and the World Bank 01-10I'm Steve Ember with IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.President Bush this week nominated Paul Wolfowitz to become president ofthe World Bank. The current head of the bank, James Wolfensohn, has held that position for ten years. His second term ends May thirty-first.Mister Wolfensohn announced in January that he would not seek a third term as leader of the development bank. It provides loans, policy advice and other assistance to help countries reduce poverty.Paul Wolfowitz has served in both the State Department and the Defense Department. For the last four years he has been deputy defense secretary under Donald Rumsfeld. Mister Wolfowitz was a major planner of the invasion of Iraq two years ago. He is often called the "architect" of the war.Some aid groups and others criticized the choice of an official so closely linked to the Iraq war to lead the World Bank. European reaction was mixed. Japan welcomed the nomination.Mister Wolfowitz recently traveled to South Asia to see the damage from the earthquake and tsunami waves in December. He helped plan American military assistance to the area.His nomination must be approved by the twenty-four directors of the World Bank. They represent one hundred eighty-four member countries. Traditionally, an American leads the World Bank while a European heads the International Monetary Fund.Paul Wolfowitz has taught at Yale and Johns Hopkins universities. During the late nineteen eighties, he served as ambassador to Indonesia. He won praise as a diplomat.Later, Mister Wolfowitz served as undersecretary of defense for policy under the first President Bush. As such, he developed policy during the Persian Gulf War after Iraq invaded Kuwait in nineteen ninety.In two thousand one he was a leading supporter of military strikes against al Qaida and the Taliban in Afghanistan. That was after the September eleventh terrorist attacks on the United States.Each year, the World Bank provides thousands of millions of dollars to developing countries. Education and health programs often receive money. But critics of the World Bank say programs for the poor are often cut as a result of financial reforms required to get loans. They say rich countries get richer, while poor countries struggle to repay.。

VOA慢速英语听力材料的提高需要靠学习者离自己自觉地长期坚持听英语听力，给耳朵创造一个良好的英语环境。

In a landmark address in Riyadh to Arab and many other Muslim leaders, President Donald Trump called for a coalition of nations who share the aim of stamping out the plague of extremism and providing the next generation in the Middle East with a hopeful future.Starving terrorists of their territory, their funding, and the false allure of their craven ideology, President Trump said, will be the basis for the terrorists' defeat: “But no discussion of stamping out this threat would be plete without mentioning the government that gives terrorists all three -- safe harbor, financial backing, and the social standing needed for recruitment. It is a regime that is responsible for so much instability in that region.I am speaking, of course, of Iran.”President Trump noted that from “Lebanon to Iraq to Yemen, Iran funds, arms and trains terrorists, militias, and other extremist groups that spread destruction and chaos across the region. For de cades,” he said, “Iran has fueled the fires of sectarian conflict and terror:”“Among Iran's most tragic and destabilizing interventions have been in Syria. Bolstered by Iran, Assad has mitted unspeakable crimes. And the United States hastaken firm action in response to the use of banned chemical weapons by the Assad regime – launching 59 missiles at the Syrian air base from where that murderous attack originated.”Mr. Trump urged responsible nations to work together to end the humanitarian crisis in Syria, eradicate ISIS, and restore stability to the region.He also pointed out that in addition to the havoc the Iranian regime has helped wreak throughout the region, “the Iranian regime's longest suffering victims are its own people:”“Iran has a rich history and culture, but the people of Iran have endured hardship and despair under their leaders' reckless pursuit of conflict and terror.”President Trump urged “all nations of conscience” to work together “to isolate Iran, deny it funding for terrorism, and pray for the day when the Iranian people have the just and righteous government they deserve.”VOA内容相关链接：模板,内容仅供参考。

第七章英语广播报道考试文章2. Foods and HealthThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.Experts say the food people eat greatly affects their health. They say that some foods are especially good for preventing disease.Many foods contain substances that protect against tissue damage. One of these is tomatoes. The substance lycopene is released when tomatoes are cooked. Lycopene helps reduce the risk of developing cancer in the digestive system, which processes food.The dark green vegetable spinach contains folic acid that prevents problems in developing fetuses. It also lowers blood levels of homocysteine. High homocysteine levels have been linked to heart attacks and strokes. Another vegetable, broccoli, can help protect against cancers of the breast, colon and stomach.Oats help lower blood pressure and protect against heart disease. They also may improve the levels of sugar in the blood. This reduces the chance of developing the disease, diabetes.Fish that contain omega three fatty acids help prevent blockages in the arteries. Omega three also lowers bad cholesterol and may protect brain cells from diseases like Alzheimer's. Fish that provide a lot of omega three acids are salmon, herring, mackerel and bluefish（鲑鱼、鲱鱼、鲐鱼、竹荚）.Garlic may help protect the heart by reducing cholesterol and making the blood less sticky. Health experts also suggest cooking with olive oil because it also has been shown to help prevent cancer and heart disease.Studies show that drinking green tea may help prevent cancer of the liver and stomach. Green tea also slows the growth of bacteria in the mouth. Blueberries have been shown to help protect against heart disease and cancer. They can also help prevent some infections by preventing the bacteria from attacking the bladder.Experts say the skins of red grapes contain substances that increase the good kind of cholesterol in the blood. To get this protection, you can drink red wine... but not more than a few glasses a week. Drinking too much alcohol can be dangerous!Eating too much chocolate can increase weight. But recent studies have shown that substances in chocolate can help prevent heart attacks and cancer. They have also shown that chocolate is not as bad for the teeth as had been thought. The experts say the best chocolate to eat is the dark kind because it contains the most healthful substances.This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.3. Study of Cousins Who MarryThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.Sometimes people who are first cousins get married. Two people are first cousins if their mothers are sisters, or their fathers are brothers, or one's mother and the other's father are brother and sister. American researchers now say it is not as dangerous as had been thought for first cousins to have children.A new study says that first cousins are only a little more likely than others to have a child with aserious physical or mental problem, or a genetic disease. It says the chance that a child of unrelated parents will be born with a serious problem is between three and four percent.The risk for first cousins is increased by between two and three percent, to as much as seven percent. One researcher says this means about ninety-three percent of the children of first cousins are normal.The small increase in risk exists because people in the same family may carry the same genes that cause disease. Scientists say at least five-thousand diseases are caused by these genes. If both parents have a harmful gene, it is more likely that the gene will be passed on to their child. People who are not related share fewer genes, so their chance of passing such a sickness on to their children is lower.A committee from the National Society of Genetic Counselors reported the results of their investigation in "The Journal of Genetic Counseling." The group examined six major studies done between Nineteen-Sixty-Five and Two-Thousand involving thousands of births. The group began the investigation after learning that some genetic counselors gave wrong information to people who wanted to know if first cousins could safely have children.The group said in its report that no genetic tests are needed before first cousins have a child. Their report also noted that Americans fear such marriages more than people in other parts of the world. Marriages between first cousins are illegal in at least twenty-four American states. However, no countries in Europe have such laws. And marriages between cousins are desirable in many parts of the Middle East, Africa and Asia. The researchers say their study shows that such laws in the United States should be changed.This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Nancy Steinbach.4. WalkingThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.Researchers agree that intense physical exercise is not the only way to gain better health. Studies show that walking several times a week can lower the risk of many diseases. They include heart disease, stroke, diabetes, bone loss, arthritis and depression. Walking also can help you lose weight.Fast walking is good for the heart. It lowers the blood pressure. It raises the amount of good cholesterol in the blood. Researchers say walking can reduce the risk of suffering a heart attack by as much as fifty percent.Studies have shown that walking for thirty minutes a day can delay and possibly prevent the development of Type Two Diabetes. It can prevent diabetes among people who are overweight and at risk for the disease.Walking strengthens the muscles and builds up the bones to which they are attached. Studies show that women who walked and took calcium decreased their risk of developing osteoporosis or thinning of the bones. Walking also helps ease the pain of arthritis in areas where bones are joined by strengthening the muscles around the bones.Walking several times a week is a good way to control your weight and even lose body fat. Studies show it also helps ease depression, feelings of extreme sadness.Experts say walking is one of the safest ways to exercise. There is a low risk of injuries. So it is good for people who are starting an exercise program for the first time and for older people.A walking program is easy to start. You should wear loose clothes and good shoes. Shoes designed for walking are best.You should stretch the muscles in your arms, legs, and back before and after you walk. Stretching is an important part of any exercise program. It helps prevent injury and muscle pain.How fast should you walk? You should be breathing hard while you are walking. Yet, you should be able to talk. Let your arms move back and forward at your sides while you walk.There are no rules to starting a walking program. You may walk short distances. Or you may walk up hills to strengthen your leg muscles. Health experts say you can gain the most from a walking program if you walk about five kilometers an hour for thirty minutes a day. You should do this about five times a week.This VOA Special English Health Report was written by Lawan Davis.5. Tobacco and CancerThis is the VOA Special English Health Report.A recent report by the International Agency for Research on Cancer says the dangers of tobacco smoke are greater than had been thought.The International Agency for Research on Cancer is part of the World Health Organization. It is based in Lyon, France. The agency researches the causes of cancer. It identifies the number of people who develop cancer around the world. And it develops programs aimed at finding ways to prevent the disease. The new report is part of a series written by independent international experts on the dangers of different chemicals.A committee of twenty-nine experts from twelve countries developed the report. These scientists examined more than fifty medical studies concerning tobacco smoking. The group says that tobacco use is the largest cause of preventable cancers around the world. Experts say that more than one-thousand-million people around the world smoke tobacco.The report says that one-half of all people who smoke cigarettes will die from diseases caused by smoking tobacco. These include cancers of the lung, stomach, liver, kidney and blood. The report also says tobacco use causes an even greater number of deaths from lung diseases, heart disease and stroke.The report says other kinds of tobacco use also increase the chances of developing cancers of the lung, head and neck. These include smoking cigars, pipes and bidis （产自印度，具有甘草、酸橙、芒果和巧克力味道，体积比普通香烟小。

高中英语第一部分 VOA慢速英语《美国万花筒》第7课英语翻议讲解：1.thoughtful a.深思的, 体贴的例句：A sober and steady type, he is meticulous and thoughtful in handling matters. 这个人很沉稳，处理问题细密周到。

2.exhibit v.展现, 陈列, 展览例句：These painters have a silimar painting style. We need some paintings of different styles to exhibit. 这几位画家的画风有些类同，我们需要找些画风迥异的作品做展览。

3.donate v.捐赠例句：Provided we meet our profit targets, we will donate one million dollars to charity. 如果我们的盈利达到了预定目标，我们将为慈善事业捐献100万美元。

4.endanger vt.危及例句：Home delivery of baby may endanger the mother's life. 不在医院分娩可能危及母亲的生命安全。

1.If you move closer to the sculptures, you realize they are made up of thousands of carefully stacked small plastic bottles for storing medicines.made up of由……组成例句：The team is made up almost entirely of Zimbabwean. 队里几乎全部都是津巴布韦人。

2.People buy the tickets in hopes of winning large amounts of money.in hopes of怀着...的希望, 希望能...例句：We are sending out samples in hopes of gaining comments. 我们正在寄送样品,征求批评意见。

voa慢速短文2到3分钟以下是一段大约两到三分钟的 VOA 慢速短文：Title: The Benefits of ReadingReading is a wonderful activity that offers numerous benefits for both personal and intellectual growth. It is a window to knowledge, imagination, and new perspectives. Here are some of the key benefits of reading:Firstly, reading expands our vocabulary and improves our language skills. As we encounter new words and expressions in the books we read, we gradually incorporate them into our own vocabulary. This, in turn, enhances our ability to communicate effectively and express our thoughts and ideas more precisely.Secondly, reading is a great way to exercise our cognitive abilities. It engages our minds, stimulates critical thinking, and enhances our comprehension skills. By immersing ourselves in different narratives and exploring various viewpoints, we develop the ability to analyze information, make inferences, and think critically about the world around us.Moreover, reading has a profound impact on our emotional well-being. It allows us to escape into different worlds, experience diverse emotions, and develop empathy towards others. Fictional stories can touch our hearts, inspire us, and provide a therapeutic escape from the stresses of daily life. Reading can also灵感和启发我们，激励我们追求个人成长和自我提升。

AMERICAN STORIES - A Story for Halloween: 'The Boy on Graves-End Road'PAT BODNAR: Now, the VOA Special English program AMERICAN STORIES.I'm Pat Bodnar. October thirty-first is Halloween. In the spirit of this ancient holiday, we present a story written by Special English reporter and producer Caty Weaver. It's called "The Boy on Graves-End Road.NARRATOR: Kelly Ryan was making dinner. Her ten-year-old son Benjamin was watching television in the living room. Or at least she thought he was.KELLY: "Benny-boy, do you want black beans or red beans?"BEN: "Red beans, Mama."Kelly: "Don't do that, Ben. You scared me half to death! You're going to get it now ... "NARRATOR: Ben had come up quietly right behind her.(SOUND)KELLY: "I'll get back to you, stinker!"NARRATOR: Kelly goes to the phone, but as soon as she lays her hand on it, the ringing stops.KELLY: "How strange. Oh, the beans!"NARRATOR: Kelly turns her attention back to cooking. As soon as she does, the phone rings again.KELLY: "Honey, can you get that?"BEN: "Hello? Oh, hi. Yes, I remember. Sure, it sounds fun. Let me ask my mom. Can you hold? She might wanna talk to your mom. Oh, um, OK. See you tomorrow."KELLY: "Ben, your rice and beans are on the table. Let's eat."(SOUND)KELLY: "So, what was that call about?"BEN: "That was Wallace Gray. You know him, from class. He wants to play tomorrow. Can I go home with him after school? Please, Mom? I get bored around here waiting for you after work."KELLY: "But, Ben, I don't even know his parents. Maybe I should talk to them."BEN: "You can't, Mom. He was with his babysitter. He said his parents wouldn't be home until late tonight and they would leave before he went to school in the morning. Please Mom, Wallace lives right over on Graves-End Road. It's afive-minute walk from here. PLEASE,?"KELLY: "Well, OK. What's so great about this guy, anyway? You've got a ton of friends to play with."BEN: "I know. But Wallace is just different. He's got a lot of imagination."NARRATOR: The school week passes, and Ben starts to go home almost every day with Wallace. Kelly notices a change in her son. He seems tired and withdrawn. His eyes do not seem to really look at her. They seem ... lifeless. On Friday night she decides they need to have a talk.KELLY: "Sweetie, what's going on with you? You seem so tired and far away. Is something wrong? Did you and your new friend have a fight?"BEN:"No, Mom. We've been having a great time. There's nothing wrong with us. Why don't you like Wallace? You don't even know him, but you don't trust him."KELLY: "Benjamin, what are you talking about? I don't dislike Wallace. You're right, I don't know him. You just don't seem like yourself. You've been very quiet the past few nights."BEN: "I'm sorry, Mom. I guess I'm just tired. I have a great time with Wallace. We play games like cops and robbers, but they seem so real that half of the time I feel like I'm in another world. It's hard to explain. It's like, it's like ... "KELLY: "I think the word you're looking for is intense."BEN: "Yeah, that's it -- it's intense."KELLY: "Well, tell me about today. What kind of game did you play?"(SOUND)BEN: "We were train robbers. Or Wallace was. I was a station manager. Wallace was running through a long train, from car to car. He had stolen a lot of money and gold from the passengers. I was chasing right behind him, moving as fast as I could. Finally he jumps out of the train into the station to make his escape. But I block his path. He grabs a woman on the station platform. She screams 'No, no!' But he yells 'Let me through, or she dies.' So I let him go."KELLY: "What happened then?"BEN: "Well, that's what was weird and, like you said, intense. Wallace threw the lady onto the tracks. And laughed. He said that's what evil characters do in games. They always do the worst."NARRATOR: Later, after Ben went to bed, Kelly turned on the eleven o'clock news. She was only half-listening as she prepared a list of things to do the next day, on Halloween.KELLY: "Let's see, grocery shopping, Halloween decorating, dog to the groomer, hardware store, clean up the garden ...(SOUND)NEWS ANNOUNCER: "... the victim, who has not been identified, was killed instantly. Reports say it appears she was pushed off the station platform into the path of the oncoming train. It happened during rush hour today. Some witnesses reported seeing two boys running and playing near the woman. But police say they did not see any images like that on security cameras at the station. In other news, there was more trouble today as workers protested outside the Hammond ... "KELLY: "No! It can't be. The station is an hour away. They couldn't have gotten there. How could they? It's just a coincidence."NARRATOR: The wind blew low and lonely that night. Kelly slept little. She dreamed she was waiting for Ben at a train station. Then, she saw him on the other side, running with another little boy.It must be Wallace she thought. The little boy went in and out of view. Then, all of a sudden, he stopped and looked across the tracks -- directly at her.He had no face.NARRATOR: Saturday morning was bright and sunny, a cool October day. Kelly made Ben eggs and toast and watched him eat happily.KELLY: "You know, Benny-boy, a woman DID get hurt at the train station yesterday. She actually got hit by a train. Isn't that strange?"NARRATOR: She looked at Ben.BEN: "What do you mean, Mom?"KELLY: "Well, you and Wallace were playing that game yesterday. About being at a train station. You said he threw a woman off the platform, and she was killed by a train."NARRATOR: Kelly felt like a fool even saying the words. She was speaking to a ten-year-old who had been playing an imaginary game with anotherten-year-old. What was she thinking?BEN: "I said we played that yesterday? I did? Hmmm. No, we played that a few days ago, I think. It was just a really good game, really intense. Yesterday we played pirates. I got to be Captain Frank on the pirate ship, the Argh."Wallace was Davey, the first mate. But he tried to rebel and take over the ship so I made him walk the plank. Davey walked off into the sea and drowned. Wallace told me I had to order him to walk the plank. He said that's what evil pirates do."KELLY: "I guess he's right. I don't know any pirates, but I do hear they're pretty evil!"BEN: "So can I play with Wallace today when you are doing your errands? Please, Mom? I don't want to go shopping and putting up Halloween decorations."KELLY: "Oh, whatever. I guess so. I'll pick you up at Wallace's house at about five-thirty, so you can get ready for trick or treating. Where does he live again?BEN: "Graves-End Road. I don't know the street number but there are only two houses on each side. His is the second one on the left."KELLY: "OK. I can find that easy enough. Do you still want me to pick up a ghost costume for you?"BEN: "Yep. Oh, and guess what, Mom: Wallace says he's a ghost, too! I suppose we'll haunt the neighborhood together."NARRATOR: Everywhere Kelly went that day was crowded. She spent an hour and a half just at the market. When she got home, decorating the house for Halloween was difficult.But finally she had it all up the way she wanted.KELLY: "Oh, gosh, five already. I don't even have Ben's costume."NARRATOR: She jumped into her car and drove to Wilson Boulevard. The party store was just a few blocks away.Kelly finally found a space for her car. The store was crowded with excited kids and hurried parents. But Kelly soon found the ghost costume that Ben wanted. She bought it and walked out of the store.EILEEN: "Hey, Kelly! Long time no see. How's Benjamin doing?"KELLY: "Eileen! Wow, it's great to see you. How's Matt? We've been so busy since the school year started, we haven't seen anyone!"EILEEN: "Matt's good. Well, he broke his arm last month so no sports for him. It is driving him crazy, but at least he's got a lot of time for school now!"EILEEN: "Anyway, Matt was wondering why Benny-boy never comes by anymore. We saw him running around the neighborhood after school last week. It looks like he's having fun, but he's always alone. We don't need to set up a play date. Ben should know that. You just tell him to come by anytime -- "KELLY: "Wait, wait a minute. Alone? What do mean alone? He started playing with a new friend, Wallace somebody, after school, like everyday this past week. Ben hasn't been alone. Wallace Gray, that's it. Do you know him? Does Matt?"EILEEN: "Oh, Kell. Kelly, I'm sure he's a fine kid. I don't know him but don't worry, Ben's got great taste in friends, we know that! I'm sure he wasn't really alone, he was probably just playing hide and seek or something. I didn't mean to worry you. I guess everybody's on edge because of what happened to the Godwin boy this morning."NARRATOR: Kelly suddenly felt cold and scared. What Godwin boy? And what happened to him? She was not sure she wanted to know, but she had to ask.EILEEN: "Frank Godwin's youngest boy, Davey, the five-year-old. You know Frank, we call him Captain. He used to be a ship captain. Well, this morning the rescue squad found Davey in Blackhart Lake. They also found a little toy boatthat his dad made for him. Davey and his dad named it the Argh. Davey must have been trying to sail it. It's so sad."KELLY: "Wait, he's dead?EILEEN: "Yes. Davey drowned."KELLY: "Where's Blackhart Lake?"EILEEN: "It's right off Graves-End Road, right behind that little cemetery. That's why they call it Graves-End. Kelly, where are you going?"Kelly: "I've got to get Benjamin."(MUSIC)NARRATOR: Kelly raced down Main Street. She had no idea who Wallace Gray was or how he was involved in any of this. But she did not trust him and she knew her child was in danger.Finally she was at Graves-End Road.BEN: "Only two houses on each side."NARRATOR: She remembered what Ben had told her.EILEEN: "Right behind that little cemetery."NARRATOR: And what Eileen had told her. Kelly got out of the car and walked down the street. She looked around.BEN: "It's the second one on the left."NARRATOR: She could see the lake. Some fog was coming up as the sky darkened on this Halloween night. But there was no second house. Instead, what lay before her was grass and large white stones. The cemetery. Kelly walked through the gate into the yard of graves.Kelly: "Ben?"NARRATOR: No answer. She kept walking.KELLY: "Ben? Answer me. I know you're here."NARRATOR: Again no answer. But the wind blew and some leaves began to dance around a headstone. Kelly walked slowly toward the grave. Suddenly the sky blackened -- so dark, she could not see anything. She felt a force pushing at her. It tried to push her away from the grave. But she knew she had to stay.KELLY: "Benjamin Owen Orr, this is your mother. Come out this second!"NARRATOR: No one answered, except for the sound of the blowing wind. The darkness lifted. Silvery moonlight shone down directly onto the old gravestone in front of her. But Kelly already knew whose name she would see.KELLY: "'Wallace Gray. October thirty-first, nineteen hundred, to October thirty-first, nineteen hundred and ten. Some are best when laid to rest.'"NARRATOR: Kelly took a deep breath. Then ...KELLY: "Wallace Gray this play date is OVER! Give me back my son. Wallace, you are in TIME-OUT."NARRATOR: Suddenly, the ground shoots upward like a small volcano. Soil, sticks and worms fly over Kelly's head and rain down again -- followed by her son, who lands beside her.BEN: (COUGHING, CHOKING)KELLY: "Ben! Ben!"BEN: (COUGHING, CHOKING) "Mom, Mom! Are you there? I can't see. All this dirt in my eyes."KELLY: "Ben, I'm here, I'm here baby, right here. Oh, sweet Benny-boy. Can you breathe? Are you really ok? What happened? How long were you in there?"BEN: "I don't know, Mom. But I didn't like it. I didn't like where Wallace lives. I want to go home."KELLY: "Oh, me too, Sweetie. C'mon, Ben, put your arm around me. C'mon.(SOUNDS)BEN: "And Mom, one more thing ... "KELLY: "What is it, Ben?"BEN "I don't want to be a ghost for Halloween."(MUSIC)PAT BODNAR: Our story "The Boy on Graves-End Road" was written and produced by Caty Weaver. The voices were Andrew Bracken, Faith Lapidus, Katherine Cole, Shirley Griffith and Jim Tedder. I'm Pat Bodnar.Join us again next week for another American story in VOA Coming to Terms With Academic Titles at US CollegesThis is the VOA Special English Education Report.Not everyone who teaches in a college or university is a professor. Many are instructors or lecturers. In fact, not even all professors are full professors. Many of them are assistant or associate professors or adjunct professors.So what do all of these different academic titles mean at American colleges and universities? Get ready for a short lecture, especially if you are thinking of a career in higher education.Professors usually need a doctoral degree. But sometimes a school will offer positions to people who have not yet received their doctorate.This person would be called an instructor until the degree has been completed. After that, the instructor could become an assistant professor. Assistant professors do not have tenure.Tenure means a permanent appointment. This goal of greater job security is harder to reach these days. Fewer teaching positions offer the chance for tenure.Teachers and researchers who are hired into positions that do offer it are said to be "on the tenure track." Assistant professor is the first job on this path.Assistant professors generally have five to seven years to gain tenure. During this time, other faculty members study the person's work. If tenure is denied, then the assistant professor usually has a year to find another job.Candidates for tenure may feel great pressure to get research published. "Publish or perish" is the traditional saying.An assistant professor who receives tenure becomes an associate professor. An associate professor may later be appointed a full professor.Assistant, associate and full professors perform many duties. They teach classes. They advise students. And they carry out research. They also serve on committees and take part in other activities.Other faculty members are not expected to do all these jobs. They are not on a tenure track. Instead, they might be in adjunct or visiting positions.A visiting professor has a job at one school but works at another for a period of time. An adjunct professor is also a limited or part-time position, to do research or teach classes. Adjunct professors have a doctorate.Another position is that of lecturer. Lecturers teach classes, but they may or may not have a doctorate.And that's the VOA Special English Education Report, written by Nancy Steinbach. You and read and listen to our reports, and get information on how to study in the United States, at . I'm Barbara Klein.EDUCATION REPORT - Early Classes = Sleepy Teens(Duh!)This is the VOA Special English Education Report.Surveys of American teenagers find that about half of them do not get enough sleep on school nights. They get an average of sixty to ninety minutes less than experts say they need.One reason for this deficit is biology. Experts say teens are biologically programmed to go to sleep later and wake up later than other age groups. Yet many schools start classes as early as seven in the morning.As a result, many students go to class feeling like sixteen-year-old Danny. He plays two sports, lacrosse(曲棍球) and football. He is an active teen -- except in the morning.DANNY: "Getting up in the morning is pretty terrible. I'm just very out of it and tired. And then going to school I'm out of it, and through first and second period I can barely stay awake."Michael Breus is a clinical psychologist with a specialty in sleep disorders.MICHAEL BREUS: "These aren't a bunch of lazy kids -- although, you know, teenagers can of course be lazy. These are children whose biological rhythms, more times than not, are off."Teens, he says, need to sleep eight to nine hours or even nine to ten hours a night. He says sleepy teens can experience a form of depression that couldhave big effects on their general well-being. It can affect not just their ability in the classroom but also on the sports field and on the road.Michael Breus says any tired driver is dangerous, but especially a teenager with a lack of experience.So what can schools do about sleepy students? The psychologist says one thing they can do is start classes later in the morning. He points to studies showing that students can improve by a full letter grade in their first- and second-period classes.Eric Peterson is the head of St. George's School in the northeastern state of Rhode Island. He wanted to see if a thirty-minute delay would make a difference. It did.He says visits to the health center by tired students decreased by half. Late arrivals to first period fell by a third. And students reported that they were less sleepy during the day.Eric Peterson knows that changing start times is easier at a small, private boarding school like his. But he is hopeful that other schools will find a way.ERIC PETERSON: "In the end, schools ought to do what's the right thing for their students, first and foremost."Patricia Moss, an assistant dean at St. George's School, says students were not the only ones reporting better results.PATRICIA MOSS: "I can say that, anecdotally, virtually all the teachers noticed immediately much more alertness in class, definitely more positive mood. Kids were happier to be there at eight-thirty than they were at eight."And that's the VOA Special English Education Report. You can read, listen and comment on our programs at . We're also on Facebook and Twitter at VOA Learning English. I'm Bob Doughty.___Reporting by Julie Taboh, adapted by Lawan DavisSpecial English.WORDS AND THEIR STORIES - Words and Their Stories: Nicknames forChicagoBroadcast date: 1-10-2010 / Written by Carl SandburgFrom /voanews/specialenglish/Now, the VOA Special English program, WORDS AND THEIR STORIES.A nickname is a shortened version of a person's name. A nickname also can describe a person, place or thing. Many American cities have interesting nicknames. These can help establish an identity, spread pride among citizens and build unity. (MUSIC: "Chicago")Chicago, Illinois was once the second largest city in the United States. So, one of its nicknames is The Second City. Over the years, the population of Chicago has decreased. Today it is the third largest American city.However, another nickname for Chicago is still true today. It is The Windy City. Chicago sits next to Lake Michigan, one of North America's Great Lakes. Language expert Barry Popick says on his website that Chicago was called a "windy city" because of the wind that blows off of Lake Michigan. In the eighteen sixties and seventies, Chicago was advertised as an ideal place to visit in the summer because of this cool wind.But anyone who has ever lived in Chicago knows how cold that wind can be in winter. The wind travels down the streets between tall buildings in the center of the city.Barry Popick says other cities in the central United States called Chicago a "windy city." This meant that people in Chicago liked to brag or talk about how great their city was. They were full of wind or full of hot air. He says newspapers in Cincinnati, Ohio used this expression in the eighteen seventies.Chicago was an important agricultural, industrial and transportation center for the country.In nineteen sixteen, the city gained two more nicknames from a poem called "Chicago," written by Carl Sandburg. Here is the first part of the poem:Hog Butcher for the World,Tool Maker, Stacker of Wheat,Player with Railroads and the Nation's Freight Handler;Stormy, husky, brawling,City of the Big Shoulders.Chicago was called Hog Butcher for the World because of its huge meat-processing industry. And, it was called The City of the Big Shoulders or City of Broad Shoulders because of its importance to the nation.There are several songs about Chicago. "My Kind of Town" was made popular by Frank Sinatra in nineteen sixty-four.(MUSIC)This program was written by Shelley Gollust. I'm Faith Lapidus.Qs: How many nicknames does Chicago have?The Second city, windy city, hog butcher and the city of the big shoulder. Contrary to popular belief, Sam Walton (the founder of Wal-Mart) was not from Arkansas. He was actually born in Kingfisher, Oklahoma on March 29, 1918. He was raised in Missouri where he worked in his father's store while attending school. This was his first retailing experience and he really enjoyed it. After graduating from the University of Missouri in 1940, he began his own career as a retail merchant when he opened the first of several franchises of the Ben Franklin five-and-dime franchises in Arkansas.This would lead to bigger and better things and he soon opened his first Wal-Mart store in 1962 in Rogers, Arkansas. Wal-Mart specialized in name-brands at low prices and Sam Walton was surprised at the success. Soon a chain of Wal-Mart stores sprang up across rural America.Walton's management style was popular with employees and he founded some of the basic concepts of management that are still in use today. After taking the company public in 1970, Walton introduced his "profit sharing plan". The profit sharing plan was a plan for Wal-Mart employees to improve their income dependent on the profitability of the store. Sam Walton believed that "individuals don't win, teams do". Employees at Wal-Mart stores were offered stock options and store discounts. These benefits are commonplace today, but Walton was among the first to implement them. Walton believed that a happy employee meant happy customers and more sales. Walton believed that by giving employees a part of the company and making their success dependent on the company's success, they would care about the company.By the 1980s, Wal-Mart had sales of over one billion dollars and over three hundred stores across North America. Wal-Mart's unique decentralized distribution system, also Walton's idea, created the edge needed to further spur growth in the 1980s amidst growing complaints that the "superstore" was squelching smaller, traditional Mom and Pop stores. By 1991, Wal-Mart was the largest U.S. retailer with 1,700 stores. Walton remained active in managing the company, as president and CEO until 1988 and chairman until his death. He was awarded the Medal of Freedom shortly before his death.Walton died in 1992, being the world's second richest man, behind Bill Gates. He passed his company down to his three sons, daughter and wife. Wal-Mart Stores Incorporated (locatedin Bentonville, Arkansas) is also in charge of "Sams Club". Wal-Mart stores now operate in Mexico, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, South Korea, China and Puerto Rico. Sam Walton's visions were indeed successful.Will Computers Replace Human Beings?We are in the computer age today. The computers are working all kinds of wonders now. They are very useful in automatic control and data processing. At the same time, computers are finding their way into the home. They seem to be so clever and can solve such complicated problems that some people think sooner or later they will replace us.But I do not think that there is such a possibility. My reason is very simple: computers are machines, not humans. And our tasks are far too various and complicated for any one single kind of machine to perform.Probably the greatest difference between man and computer is that the former can do things of his own while the latter can do nothing without being programmed. In my opinion, computers will remain nothing but an extension of our human brains, no matter how clever and complicated they may become.Դ: /exam/22608.shtml。

VOA慢速英语短篇Voice of America (VOA) Slow English 是一个为英语学习者提供的节目，它通过简短的故事和新闻，帮助学习者提高英语水平。

下面是一个典型的VOA Slow English 短篇，供您参考：Title: The Gift of Giving.Once upon a time, there was a young boy named Tim who lived in a small village. Tim's family was very poor, and he often went hungry. One day, Tim heard about a charity organization that provided food and clothes to people in need.Tim decided to visit the organization and ask for help. When he arrived, he met a kind woman named Mrs. Smith. She welcomed Tim warmly and asked him about his situation. Tim told her about his family's poverty and how difficult it was to find food and clothes.Mrs. Smith felt sorry for Tim and decided to help him. She gave him a bag of food and some clothes. Tim was so grateful and thanked Mrs. Smith. As he left the organization, he felt a sense of joy and happiness.Days went by, and Tim felt better. He had enough food to eat, and he could wear warm clothes. But he also felt guilty because he knew that there were other people in his village who were also in need of help.One day, Tim decided to do something to help others. He gathered some food and clothes from his family and friends and brought them to the charity organization. Mrs. Smith was so touched by Tim's kindness and generosity. She thanked him and accepted the gifts.Tim felt happy knowing that he had made a difference in someone else's life. He realized that the gift of giving was more important than receiving. From that day on, Tim continued to help others in his village, and his kindness and generosity became famous throughout the community.这个故事告诉我们，给予比接收更重要的道理。

上半年英语四级听力VOA复习材料(一篇)上半年英语四级听力VOA复习材料1Small Crowds at Texas Oil Technology Conference德州石油技术会议参会人数减少Low oil prices have reduced oil exploration and development activity around the world.低油低迷影了全球油气勘探活动和石油产业的发展活力。

Tens of thousands of workers have lost jobs with oil panies and in the oil service industry in recent months.石油公司和__油气勘探生产的服务产业在近几个月裁掉了数万人。

So it was no surprise that attendance was down at the recent Offshore Technology Conference in Houston, Texas.因此德克萨斯休斯顿海洋石油技术展会参会人数锐减也在意料之中。

The conference has been a meeting place for oil and gas industry representatives for the past 47 years. In other years, large crowds attended the event.在过去的47年中，石油和天然气行业__聚集于此召开会议。

那些年参会人数规模庞大。

A number of oil services panies were represented at the conference this month. That is because these businesses know that oil prices will one day rise and their services will be needed.这个月许多服务公司参展。

The United States is marking the 14th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks. U.S. officials and many other Americans attended observances Friday to remember those killed and their loved ones.Nearly 3,000 people died on September 11, 2001 when hijackers used four passenger airplanes to carry out suicide attacks in the United States. In addition to the victims, the 19 hijackers also were killed. Al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his group claimed responsibility for the attacks. U.S. forces killed him in a surprise raid on his hiding place in Pakistan four years ago.Friday morning, President Barack Obama, his wife and White House workers observed a public moment of silence in Washington. They gathered on the White House grounds at 8:46. That was the exact time when a hijacked airplane struck the World Trade Center.US Marks 14th Anniversary of 9/11 AttacksIn New York, families of the victims gathered for a ringing of bells and reading of the names of those killed in the terrorist attacks. Moments of silence were held at 8:46 and 9:03 in the morning, when a second hijacked plane also hit the World Trade Center.Near Washington, U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter and other officials attended an observance at the Pentagon, the home of the Defense Department. They joined in remembering those killed when a hijacked airplane hit the Pentagon, killing 184 people.Earlier Friday, a large American flag was hung down the side of the Pentagon, where the passenger jet hit.There also was a moment of silence at 10:03 a.m. That was the time when a fourth hijacked plane crashed in western Pennsylvania. All 44 people on the plane were killed. Many Americans believe the hijackers had planne d to attack a target in the nation’s capital.The fourth plane came down in a field in the rural community of Shanksville. Today, a new visitors center there tells the story of the 9/11 attacks. The Flight 93 National Memorial was set up to recognize the passengers and crewmembers who attacked the hijackers.Stephen Clark is with the U.S. National Park Service. It operates the visitors center and surrounding grounds.“It just amazes me that this aircraft was but 18 minutes away from hitting Washington, D.C.”The field was quiet on Friday, very different from the situation 14 years ago.Gordon Felt’s brother Edward was one of the passengers on United Airlines Flight 93 on September 11, 2001.“It is surreal at times. Early on, it became very evident to us very quickly that our loved ones, the events surrounding their deaths, had historical significance to our country.”The last 35 minutes of Edward Felt’s life, and others on the plane, are explained at the new visitors center. Relatives hope visitors to the memorial will understand the full effect of the actions of their loved ones.“They’ll get a sense of who those 40 heroes were, as well as what their collective actions did to help save the Capitol building that morning.”I’m George Grow.This repor t was based on information from VOA’s News Division. George Grow adapted this story for Learning English. Mario Ritter was the editor.From:/englishlistening/voaenglish/voaspecialenglish/2015-09-12/401739.html surreal – adj. very strange or unusualsignificance – adj. importance; being worthy of attentioncollective – adj. shared or done by a group of people1. remember vt.记着; 纪念例句：For example, it can easily remember such things as:例如，它可以轻易地记住下面这些信息。

This is IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English.这里是美国之音慢速英语新闻报道。

This week, the eight candidates seeking the Republican Party's presidential nomination debated national security and foreign policy issues. CNN and two conservative research groups, the American Enterprise Institute and the Heritage Foundation, organized the debate in Washington.本周，寻求共和党总统候选人提名的8名候选人就国家安全和外交政策进行了辩论。

CNN和两家保守派研究组织美国企业研究所和美国传统基金会组织了这次辩论。

One issue was American aid to Pakistan. Texas Governor Rick Perry said he would cut that aid unless the Pakistani government made changes.议题之一是美国对巴基斯坦的援助。

德州州长里克·佩里（Rick Perry）声称，除非巴基斯坦政府做出改变，否则他将削减援助。

RICK PERRY: "The bottom line is that they have showed us time after time that they can't be trusted and until Pakistan clearly shows that they have America's best interest in mind, I would not send them one penny."佩里：“根本原因在于，他们一次次向我们展示他们的不可靠。

VOA 新闻100 篇VOA News Item 1 经济：印度及东南亚国家签署了自由贸易协定Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma and his counterparts from the Association of Southeast Asian Nations sealed the agreement in Bangkok Thursday. They met on the sidelines of the annual ASEAN Economic Ministers Meeting. The agreement creates one of Asia‟s biggest trading areas and integrates India‟s fast growing economy with 10 of its neighbors. Trade between India and ASEAN amounts to $40 billion each year. Under the pact, India and ASEAN will eliminate tariffs on various goods by 2016.VOA News Item 2 政治：英国政党领袖进行电视辩论第二轮角逐Britain‟s political life has been dominated for the past three decades by two parties — the Conservatives, now led by David Cameron, and Labor headed by current Prime Minister Gordon Brown.But a third party, the Liberal Democrats, are turning this election into a three-horse race.Their campaign was given a major boost by Britain‟s first ever televised debate last week;Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg emerged as the clear winner.Viewer polls taken after this second debate, which focused on foreign policy, showed therewas no runaway victor.The last time Britain had a hung parliament was in 1974. A final televised debate is to takeplace next Thursday, followed by the election on May 6.VOA News Item 3 政治：参议院就索托马约尔就任最高法院大法官进行了讨论On the second day of debate all signs continued to point toward an easy confirmation win for Sotomayor, the 55-year-old federal court judge nominated by President Barack Obama earlier this year.Although most of the 40 Senate Republicans are likely to vote against her, the decision Wednesday of Missouri Senator Kit Bond added to the number of Republicans who have committed to voting for her.Senator Bond, who is one of several Republicans retiring from the Senate next year, saidwhile he respects and agrees with the legal reasoning others in his party used to oppose Sotomayor,lawmakers have an obligation to show deference to a president‟s choice of a nominee.VOA News Item 4 政治：南部非洲的部长们准备报告区域危机Foreign ministers of the Southern African Development Community met in Maputo toprepare a report on the region‟s political crises. It is to be presented to African leaders at their upcoming summit in Ethiopia.SADC‟s Political and Dipl omatic Committee has been mediating three major crises in the region.SADC officials said the ministers are pleased the various parties to the unity government in1Zimbabwe resumed negotiations on implementing their power-sharing agreement. They said they believed Zimbabwe was on the right path.The officials said the ministers also believe that progress is being made toward easing the conflict in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo and that reconciliation efforts between the government and various rebel groups were on the right track.But the officials said they were less optimistic about the political crisis in Madagascar. It erupted in March after Andry Rajoelina, backed by the military, seized power following the ouster of then-President Marc Ravalomanana.SADC and the African Union do not recognize the Rajoelina government and havesuspended Madagascar from their organizations.VOA News Item 5 政治：以色列国防部长遭到恐吓Security has been tightened around Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak after he received dozens of death threats. Security sources say the threats were made by Jewish militants who oppose the government‟s partial freeze on settlement constru ction in the West Bank. The freeze was imposed in November under pressure from the United States, which sees the settlements as an obstacle to peace.The death threats are being taken seriously. In 1995, Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabinwas assassinated by an Orthodox Jew opposed to his policy of trading land for peace with the Palestinians.VOA News Item 6 政治：泰国军警围捕红衫军领袖行动失败Government officials say they will investigate just how three leaders of the anti-government protests managed to escape when police tried to surround their hotel Friday.One of the leaders climbed down three floors using a rope, and was rushed away bysupporters thronging the building.Officials earlier Friday said the government is preparing to arrest people linked to clasheswith security forces last Saturday that left 24 soldiers and protesters dead.The government says armed men infiltrated protester ranks and fired on troops trying to disperse a rally.The anti-government movement, led by the United Democratic Front against Dictatorship or UDD, demands that the Government call fresh elections. UDD supporters have held protests in Bangkok for more than a month.Thailand is facing its most severe political crisis in almost 20 years. Some parties in the governing coalition want to set a clear time frame for elections to ease tensions. But the government says it will only call elections once the political situation has cooled.VOA News Item 7 政治：吉尔吉斯斯坦政变威胁美军基地未来Kyrgyzstan‟s five-day-old provisional government is vowing to use the country‟s military to launch a special operation to neutralize President Kurmanbek Bakiyev if he does not resign. Interim Kyrgyz leader Roza Otunbayeva says her government is willing to negotiate his departure from the country and wants to resolve the standoff without any more harm to innocent2civilians.The president was effectively ousted after last Wednesday‟s clashes between governmentforces and protesters. Authorities say about 80 people have died and more than 1,600 were wounded.VOA News Item 8 政治：内塔尼亚胡称以色列只能依靠自己On the eve of Israel‟s 62nd Independence Day, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the nation must not rely on the help of foreigners.Commentators say it is a clear reference to Israeli ties with the United States, which have plummeted over Jewish construction in disputed in East Jerusalem. The U.S. backs Palestinian demands that East Jerusalem should be the capital of a future Palestinian state.But Israel sees all of Jerusalem as its eternal capital, and Mr. Netanyahu, who heads aright-wing government, has rejected U.S. demands to stop building there. As a result, the Palestinians have refused to return to U.S.-sponsored peace talks, and the diplomatic process has been deadlocked for 15 months.Defense Minister Ehud Barak took a softer approach. Barak said Israel would not make any compromises when it comes to the security of the state. But he said it would show courage in the struggle for peace with the Palestinians based on the two-state solution.VOA News Item 9 经济：非洲农民种植有机作物供应欧洲市场Nearly 5,000 farmers in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone are exporting organically-grown produce to Europe, after gaining organic and fair-trade certificationwith help from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).The program focuses on all stages of production from planting and harvesting to packaging and promotion, increasing the profitability of farmers who previously struggled to afford costly chemical fertilizers.30 small-scale pineapple farmers in Ghana saw sales grow from 26 tons to more than 115 tons after gaining their organic certification.Pascal Liu is an economist with the FAO‟s trade and markets division. Liu says the United Nations expects demand for organic foods will grow by between five and 15 percent during the next five years. And African farmers are well positioned to benefit from more people eating healthier food.VOA News Item 10 经济：债务危机扩展到希腊以外The heads of the International Monetary Fund and the European Central Bank were in Berlin Wednesday for talks with Chancellor Angela Merkel and other senior officials. The aim: to get agreement on a bailout package for Greece.Greece has been in negotiations with EU member countries and the IMF to secure a bailout —money that would allow it to pay debts coming due in time to avoid having to default.In return Greece is under pressure to restructure its economy and implement austerity measures.Disgruntled public-sector workers went on strike in Greece Wednesday to protest against the 3cutbacks. A daylong general strike has been called for next week.Opinion polls show the majority of Greeks are against an IMF-EU bailout, seeing it asforeign interference.Worries about the Greek economy‟s potential meltdown have sent jitters through world markets. And help is imperative because the Greek crisis could spread.A joint EU-IMF package for Greece is put at $60 billion, but some European officials said Wednesday the full cost could be much higher, reaching about $160 billion over three years.VOA News Item 11 经济：奥巴马致华尔街：别抵制金融改革Aiming his appeal directly at the financial industry and skeptics within it, and at Republican critics in Congress, the president warned of the danger of a repeat of economic collapse.Calling the financial crisis the outcome of a failure of responsibility from Wall Street to Washington, he said the time has come to seize the moment to make fundamental changes in the rules of the financial road.With many, but not all, of the most prominent executives of Wall Street firms present, the president outlined key aspects of legislation the U.S. Senate will debate in coming days.These include steps to impose new oversight and controls on hedge funds and complex financial instruments known as derivatives, and protections for consumers of financial products. Of particular importance would be a system to ensure that troubled financial companies could be dismantled in an orderly way without posing the kind of systemic risk they did in 2008. Calling the Senate bill and one the House of Representatives approved last year a significant improvement over flawed rules now in place, he said changes would be advantageous for the industry and the country.VOA News Item 12 经济：亚洲航空遭受冰岛火山喷发影响The International Air Transport Association says global carriers are losing an estimated $200 million a day in revenue as a result of airline groundings related to the Iceland volcano. Albert Tjoeng, a Singapore-based spokesman for the association, says that is just part of the problem. Travelers waiting around here are missing out on income because they cannot return to work. The flight cancellations are expected to have additional repercussions for smaller Southeast Asia countries, where travel and tourism is a major share of the economy.VOA News Item 13 经济：WFP对尼日尔粮食援助加倍The World Food Program is now expecting to feed more than 1.5 million people in nextmonth‟s general food distribution, along with specialized therapeutic feeding for 500,000 children under the age of six.That is because poor rains last year have brought forward the time when people no longerhave enough to eat.WFP is trying to raise $182 million to scale up its operations in Niger.The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization is also stepping in to aid cattle herders in Niger and Chad. Livestock pastures are dry, so herders are selling their animals at lower prices to buy food for their families.4Eight FAO projects in Niger worth more than $12 million are aimed at helping two million people.VOA News Item 14 经济：立法者、反对者和媒体齐聚2010 底特律车展Cobo Center is home to the 2010 North American Auto Show in downtown Detroit. For the event, the Center has been transformed into an expanse of flashy displays and trendy marketing displays, featuring the latest in automotive engineering.Known as the Detroit Auto Show, the annual event is one of the industry‟s biggest. It helps generate publicity for some models, like the newly-redesigned Ford Focus, and it helps promote new technology, like the electric battery in the Chevrolet V olt.But in the wake of one of the worst years for U.S. automobile sales, this year‟s show has a different feel.General Motors and Chrysler —two of the Detroit “Big Three” automakers, which also include Ford — went bankrupt last year and received billions of dollars in federal aid. Although some of that money has been paid back, the U.S. government is still a major shareholder in both companies.VOA News Item 15 经济：世博会在上海开幕China celebrated the opening of the 2010 World Expo in Shanghai with an evening of fireworks and fanfare. Dubbed the “Economic Olympics,” by Chinese officials, some 190 nations and 50 international organizations are participating in the multi-billion dollar event.Similar to how 2008 Beijing Olympic Games put the Chinese capital in the international spotlight, Shanghai‟s hosting of the World Expo has given the city of 20 some million people and China a chance to showcase its emergence as a global economic power.The theme for the Shanghai World Expo is “Better City, Better Life” and fe atures major exhibitions that look at modern and future urban life, and consider issues such as sustainable development and the interaction between cities and the environment.The Shanghai 2010 World Expo runs until the end of October.VOA News Item 16 经济：经济衰退已过，债务危机依旧First the good news: after contracting slightly in 2009, global economic output is expected to grow more than 4 percent this year, according to the International Monetary Fund. With a fledgling recovery gaining strength, it is easy to forget how close major industrialized nations came to economic collapse less than two years ago, an outcome that almost surely would have triggered a worldwide depression rivaling the Great Depression of the 1930s.In short, the pain, havoc, and economic devastation could have been far worse, according tothe head of the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Texas, Richard Fisher. Addressing central bankers from Europe and elsewhere, Fisher said central banks and national governments averted catastrophe through aggressive intervention.VOA News Item 17 军事：以色列成功试射导弹防御系统Rocket alarms have terrified Israeli border communities near the Gaza Strip for years. But5now Israel has a high-tech answer to the thousands of low-tech rockets that Palestinian militants have fired across the border since Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005.Israel has successfully tested its Iron Dome defense system, which uses cameras and radar to track incoming rockets and can shoot them down within seconds of their launch. The system was developed by Rafael, the Israel Military Industries, at a cost of $200 million.VOA News Item 18 军事：美国正在尝试培训黑客来对抗罪犯和间谍Computer security engineer Alan Paller recalls how the Soviet Union‟s 1957 launch of Sputnik, the world‟s first artificial satellite, spurred the U.S. government to accelerate its lagging space technology program. Now Paller, research director at an educational company called the SANS Institute, is leading the campaign to bring that kind of energy to defending cyberspace from assault by pranksters, thieves and spies.VOA News Item 19 社会：挫败底特律机场袭击事件凸显以色列的安保成功It‟s another day of stringent security checks at Tel A viv‟s Ben Gurion airport. About a million passengers pass through the airport each month, on average. But here, the lines move quickly thanks to what Israeli security experts say is an approach that — unlike other countries — relies more on eye contact with passengers and less on technology.VOA News Item 20 社会：意大利三名医生在阿富汗被捕The Italian aid group Emergency has had a tense relationship with local authorities inviolence-wracked Helmand province, due in part to its policy of treating all patients.Afghan officials said they detained three Italian Emergency workers Saturday, a doctor, anurse and a logistics worker. Afghan officials said they were held as part of an investigation into an alleged plot to kill the governor of Helmand province.Helmand Province Governor Gulab Mangal said an Emergency staff member received$500,000 as an advance payment for killing him. In total nine people, including six Afghans, were held after explosive suicide vests, hand grenades and other weapons were discovered in the storeroom of the Emergency-run hospital in Helmand‟s capital, Lashkar Gah.Emergency founder Gino Strada denounced the detentions of the aid group‟s three workers, calling it a mafia-style attempt to silence a witness.VOA News Item 21 军事：利比里亚人反对临时解除武器禁运政策The U.N. Security Council has lifted its arms embargo on Liberia for one year, primarily toallow its peacekeeping mission there to receive military equipment. But it also allows the government of President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf to acquire arms and training to fight crime. Government misuse of force under former President Charles Taylor brought about the arms embargo 10 years ago. Its lifting, even temporarily, has been met with both pride and worry among Liberians still recovering from a long civil war.VOA News Item 22 社会：非洲国家加强机场安全防范Reaction to the attempted bombing of a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day has been mixed6among the six African nations with direct air links to the United States.Ghana has announced it will install full-body scanners at Accra‟s international airport by next month. Nigeria has also announced it will install the scanners at Lagos international airport. Nigerian student Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab departed from Accra and transited throughLagos and Amsterdam. He subsequently attempted to set off a bomb on a Northwest Airlines flight traveling to Detroit.Abdulmutallab successfully passed through metal detectors and hand luggage searches atboth airports, allegedly by concealing powdered explosives under his clothes.The full-body scanners are more powerful than metal detectors that are standard at most airports. They can detect non-metallic materials hidden on the human body.But some rights groups consider the scanners an invasion of privacy, because they showprivate physical characteristics in detail.South Africa, whose airports handle the largest number of travelers flying directly betweenAfrica and the United States, says it does not intend to install the scanners at this time.VOA News Item 23 科技：美国将于周二发射发现号飞船The Discovery crew is set to launch early Tuesday to deliver nearly 8,000 kilograms of equipment to the International Space Station. NASA engineers cleared the shuttle to fly on Sunday,after deciding there were no technical concerns to delay launch from Kennedy Space Center in Florida.Shuttle weather officer Kathy Winters said the skies should be clear for the evening launch,but storms could delay the delicate process of filling the shuttle‟s external fuel tanks.VOA News Item 24 科技：珊瑚礁在物种进化中的重要性A new study out this week highlights the role that coral reefs play in evolution, addinganother reason to preserve these delicate, diverse, and often beautiful ecosystems.Many of the world‟s coral reefs are threatened by ocean acidification an d pollution, amongother things.Wolfgang Kiessling of Berlin‟s Natural History Museum says that concerns ecologistsbecause of the vital role reefs play in ocean ecosystems.VOA News Item 25 科技：澳大利亚、新西兰科学家挑战日本捕鲸业The researchers will set sail for Antarctica early next month, in an expedition funded by the Australian and New Zealand governments.The scientists hope their journey to the Southern Ocean will help to disprove Japan‟s claimsthat whales have to be killed to properly study them.During their six-week voyage, researchers will employ a range of techniques to unlock someof the secrets of the giant marine mammals.They will fire darts from small air rifles to collect blubber and skin for genetic testing, and to attach satellite-tracking tags to monitor the whales. Samples of dung will also be gathered, photographs taken, and acoustic instruments will record the animals‟ distinctive calls.7VOA News Item 26 医学：母亲越高，孩子越健康Taller mothers are more likely to have children who are healthier — indeed, their childrenare more likely not just to thrive, but to survive — compared to children of shorter mothers.That‟s the conclusion of a massive new study of millions of children in low- and middle-income countries.“The key finding of this paper was to show a consistent association between maternal heightand offspring health, which was mainly defined in terms of offspring mortality by age five and the risk of experiencing a failure in growth.”The Harvard researcher says that while the associatio n is clear, the “why” still needs more work.VOA News Item 27 医疗：联合国帮助不发达国家对抗H1N1The World Health Organization is warning countries to prepare for further spread of theH1N1 influenza pandemic in coming months.However, aid agencies say it will be more difficult to fight the disease in poorer countries, which have weak health systems, poor health status and limited resources.They say countries overburdened by diseases, such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria,will have great difficulty dealing with the surge of pandemic flu cases.World Health Organization spokesman, Paul Garwood, says this Call to Action aims toreduce the impact of H1N1 by offering a range of measures applicable to all countries.VOA News Item 28 医疗：美国民众对医保体系缺乏信心Americans are just as divided on health care as they were before President Obama‟s healthcare reform legislation became law.Protesters in Washington carried signs on Thursday calling for the repeal of the legislation.They say it represents runaway spending.A new Associated Press-GfK poll shows that 50 percent of Americans oppose the new health care law and opposition is strongest among those 64 and older. Many older Americans worry that their care will be affected by cuts in federal payments to hospitals and other providers.In another survey, this one by Ipsos/Reuters, only 51 percent of Americans thought theycould get adequate, affordable health care. The survey included people in 22 nations. Women, adults under the age of 55 and less educated people in all the countries included in the study reported low satisfaction with health care access.Y et another study showed that Americans without medical insurance, often delay going to a hospital after a heart attack.VOA News Item 29 教育：印度学生重新考虑去澳大利亚接受高等教育For nearly a decade, the popularity of Australian universities rose rapidly among Indian students, and the number of those heading to the country for higher education rose from about 10,000 in 2001 to more than 70,000 last year.But that could change this year due to a string of negative publicity generated by attacks on Indian students in Australia.8A travel advisory by the Indian government earlier this week warned that Indian students in Australia face an increased risk of assault. It was issued after an Indian graduate was stabbed to death in Melbourne. His stabbing came on the heels of a spate of attacks on Indian students in Australia in recent months, which the Indian media have dubbed as racist.It is a charge that Australian officials have strongly denied. They say the attacks are purely criminal, and the country is safe for foreign students.Nevertheless, as concerns rose in India, foreign minister S.M. Krishna called on Indians to assess their options while exploring the possibility of studying in Australia.VOA News Item 30 社会：法国调查电信员工自杀事件For some, the wave of suicides at France Telecom reveals the downsides of the scramble tostay competitive amid the pressures of globalization and the recent economic downturn. More than 40 France Telecom employees have taken their lives since 2008. Unions say that includes a dozen suicides this year alone.The probe by the Paris prosecutor‟s office follows a court complaint filed by the union Solidaires Unitaires Democratic (SUD). Union lawyer Jean-Paul Tessionniere blamed working conditions at the company for the suicides.A February report by the French labor inspector‟s office linked 14 France Telecom suicides directly to the company‟s management practices.France Telecom denies its management practices have led to the suicides. France Telecomlawyer Claudia Chemarin told French television that each suicide will be examined individually. She said that under no condition can it be claimed that there was an organized policy that led to them.In March, France Telecom‟s new boss Stephane Richa rd outlined ways the company plannedto improve employee working conditions.France Telecom is not the only French company grappling with employee suicides. But because of the numbers of employee deaths and the media attention they have attracted, critics say France Telecom‟s problems have emerged as a warning story about the downsides of valuing productivity and growth over employee well being.VOA News Item 31 社会：移民者抗议冻结约旦河西岸建设Jewish settlement councils have declared a general strike to protest the Isra eli government‟s freeze on construction in West Bank communities. Settlement leaders demonstrated outside the Prime Minister‟s Office in Jerusalem as the Cabinet held its weekly meeting. They carried signs saying, you can freeze in the North Pole, but not in Israel.The settlers helped elect right-wing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, but now theyaccuse him of abandoning his nationalist ideals.VOA News Item 32 社会：密西西比的小城吸引大量游客The King of Rock …n‟ Roll, Elvis Presley, was born 75 years ago last week in a two-roomhouse in the town of Tupelo in the piney woods of the deep southern state of Mississippi. So this time of year, and again in August on the anniversary of the King‟s death, pilgrimages of Elvis fans9descend upon that furniture manufacturing center of 34,000 people.Surprisingly, you don‟t see a lot of Elvis markers there. There is one sign that says The Kingis Up Ahead, but that‟s for an a utomobile dealership. Visitors can take a self-guided Elvis Presley driving tour. One stop is the Tupelo Hardware where Elvis got his first guitar. The folks there say Elvis had wanted a rifle. But his mother, Gladys would have none of it. She stood him on a keg and let him play around with a guitar. He loved it, and Mrs. Presley bought it for him for $7.95.VOA News Item 33 文化：很多人认为依地语正在消失A funny thing is happening in the world of language instruction. Only it‟s not funny at all forone language in particular.Because of the growing importance of global commerce and contact, foreign language instruction is booming at U.S. colleges. But because of the tight economy, many colleges are eliminating fulltime language-teaching positions or filling them with cheaper lecturers who are not faculty members at all.This is the case at the University of Maryland‟s flagship College Park campus, a prestigiousstate-run school in the eastern U.S.. To save costs, the university plans to cut its oneYiddish-teaching positi on. It‟s the latest blow in what has been a steady decline in the study and use of Y iddish, which began among European Jews in the Middle Ages as a conversational Germanic language that uses Hebrew characters.Today, Yiddish is struggling to survive. It‟s thought that fewer than 500,000 people, mostlythe elderly, speak it worldwide. Most young, acculturated Jews speak only their countries‟principal language, plus Hebrew during worship.VOA News Item 34 自然：湄公河水坝威胁水生生命The Mekong River is the lifeblood of Southeast Asia, with the largest inland fisheries in the world. About 40 million people depend to some degree on the fisheries, worth about $2.5 billion a year.But fisheries experts say plans by Cambodia, Laos and Thailand to build hydropower damson the Mekong would block fish migration, threatening already endangered species. Environmental activists say plans by Laos to build a dam in the Don Sahong area near the Cambodian border could doom the nearly extinct Irrawaddy dolphin.。