2000-2011英语专四news items(整理过的哦).docVIP

2000News Item 1NATO and Russia are reporting some progress in efforts to finalize a charter governing their post-cold-war relationship. But they stressed more work must be done to settle their differences in military and political issues. A fifth round of talks between the Russian foreign minister and NATO Secretary General ended Tuesday in Luxembourg.News Item 2A Boeing 727 aircraft with 51 passengers and 10 crew on board has crashed into a mountain side just outside the Columbia capital, Bogota. Police and rescue workers said everyone was killed when the plane exploded scattering wreckage over a wide area. The crash happened shortly after take-off when the plane was unable to gain enough height to clear the mountains. The aircraft belonged to Ecuadorian Airline, but it had been chartered by Air-France for the route from Bogota to Ecuadorian Capital, Quito.News Item 3The US has designated thirty international groups as terrorist organizations, barring them from receiving money, weapons or other support from US citizens. The new terrorist list includes a Palestinian group Hamas, the Pro-Iranian Hezbollah, Cambodians Khmer Rouge, the Basque separatist group ETA, Sri Lankas Tamitigers, and Peru-based Shining Path and Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement. The list does not include the Irish Republican Army or the Palestinian Liberation Organization. US Secretary of State Maddine Albright says the affected groups will have their US visas revoked and US financial assets frozen.News Item 4Israeli prosecutors are reviewing charges against Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, after Israeli police called off his indictment. Justice Ministry officials say they hope a decision on whether to bring charges against the Israeli leader will be announced Sunday. The case stems from the appointment of Runny Barong as Israeli attorney general. Critics charged the appointment was part of a conspiracy to end the trial of Netanyahus political allyNews Item 5The combined left-wing opposition in France has defeated President Jaque Chiracs ruling conservative coalition in the first round of the countrys parliamentary elections. Projections by French TV give the Socialist-led opposition 40% of the vote and Mr. Chiracs center-right coalition 37%. If the left secures the majority of seats in parliament, Socialist leader Leono Jospin would likely became prime minister in the power-sharing arrangement with President Chirac.2001News Item 1Commonwealth leaders agreed to lift Nigerias 3-5 years suspension on May 29, the day the military government hands over power to the elected president, the organization secretary general announced yesterday.Nigeria was suspended from the 54 nation group of mainly former British colonies in 1995 after it executed 9 minority rights activists including writer Ken Thawrawiwa. But now that the country has embarked on the return to democracy, Commonwealth heads of government have agreed to end this estrangement. Secretary general chief Ormiga Anyaco said in a statement “Im delighted an unfortunate episode in Nigeria Commonwealth relations will now come to an end and Nigeria is resuming its rightful place in the Commonwealth.”News Item 2The Space Shuttle Discovery made a real night landing at the Kennedy Space Center early on Thursday. The night landing, the 11th in the centres 94 shuttle missions, ended a 10-day mission to outfit the orbiting international space station. Although the space craft created a solid boom that can be heard along much of Floridas eastern seaboard, witnesses on the ground could not see the orbiter until it was directly over the one-way lights. Scattered showers off the Florida coast had threatened to postpone the shuttles return. But broadcasters gave a green light when they decided no rain will fall within 48 kilometres of the space centre.News Item 3Five people died, two were missing and at least 18 were injured on Wednesday when an Italian petrol vessel collided with a dinghy filled with refugees crossing the Adriatic sea from Albania, authorities said. The victims were believed to be Albanians from either Albania or Kosovo, said authorities from Italys Tax Police Division, which, along with the coast guard, patrols the nations coast. The cause of the collision was not immediately known. Three Albanians,believed be smuggling the refugees were arrested a few hours after the accident.News Item 4Malaysian authorities are discussing possible salvage efforts with Sun Cruisers, the Singapore owner of a large liner, that sunk off Malaysia last week, a news report said yesterday. Sun cruisers had received some advice from Malaysia on the matter. The Business Times newspaper quoted the companys spokeswoman Judy Shoo Asian. Judy and other Sun Cruisers officials could not immediately be reached for further comment as they were away in Indonesia. The Sun Vista went down in international waters. The nearby Malaysia may have the right to order the wrecks removal, the newspaper said. Salvage experts said the wreck of the Sun Vista, which sank in 65 metres of water, poses no threat to ships passing over it. But Malaysia may still want it removed.Nigeria was suspended from the 54 nation group of mainly former British colonies in 1995 after it executed 9 minority rights activists including writer Ken Thawrawiwa. But now that the country has embarked on the return to democracy, Commonwealth heads of government have agreed to end this estrangement. Secretary general chief Ormiga Anyaco said in a statement “Im delighted an unfortunate episode in Nigeria Commonwealth relations will now come to an end and Nigeria is resuming its rightful place in the Commonwealth.”2002News Item I Britain has announced that it decided to cancel about 200 million pounds of world debts owed to it by poor common-wealth countries. The international development secretary says (21) the relief has been offered to countries committed to eliminating poverty, and pursuing good sovemment. These would include taking actions against corruption. At the same time, common market finance ministers are meeting in Malaysia. Britain is expected to put forth a fresh initiative on reducing the debts of the poorest countries. (22) The Charles Levine strategist has indicated that they plan to revive the scheme put forward last year by the International Monetary Fund, which has not yet provided any relief.News Item 2 (23) An underground train derailed at the station in central Paris yesterday, injuring 23 people and just missing another underground train standing on the opposite track. French emergency services said the train was traveling at 35 kilometers per hour when it derailed as it entered the station. No one has been killed and no one was trapped in train during the accident. Ambulances rushed to the scene and doctors began treating casualties in the station. In a nearby cafe, some people have broken limbs and others have suffered bruising. (24) None was in a critical condition. Last night, it was not known why the train came off the tracks. News Item 3 (25) Argentina civil servants held a 24-hour strike yesterday to protest pay cuts of 12-15% for anyone earning more than 1 000 V. S. dollars a month. Public service unions and the local teamsters planned to hold the protest rally in front ofthe government house. (26) The work stoppage comes after last Fridays general strike when many of Argentinas 12 millions workers stayed home after the nations powerful General Workers Confederation, the nations largest union group, called a one-day strike to protest spending cuts and free market reforms. News Item 4 (27) Germany was due to strike a deal yesterday to close down its 19 nuclear power plants, making it the first major industrial nation to commit to withdrawing from nuclear energy. The talks between chancellor of the Kern government and the chiefs of the German energy industry began at 8: 30 p.m. (28) Closure of Germanys 19 reactors, which provided around a third of the countrys electricity needs, was the key pledge of the Greenes, the junior partner in this coalition government. News Item 5 (29) The UN childrens program UNICEF says it plans to help millions of African children return to school or start classes for the first time next year. The agencys executive director says more than twenty-four million children in Africa are not in school because of discrimination, school fees or other factors. Meanwhile the chief UN office for refugees (30)is asking for additional fifty-six million dollars for food and housing for people fleeing ethnic violence in Sudans western Darfur region. A spokesman says Secretary General Kofi Annan is planning to visit the region soon.2003News Item I The UN resolution calls for greater international intelligence and law enforcement cooperation, (21)/(22) and it requires states to change their banking laws in order to place the global network of terrorism financiers. It makes providing funds for terror activities a criminal offence and would freeze bank accounts of those who sponsor terrorism. News Item 2A police spokesman said the devices were made safe by explosive experts in the Ardoyne district, (23) where a woman was shot in the leg and 13 police officers were injured during a second successive night of violence. Northern Irelands police chief had earlier called on community leaders to work together to end the violence. (24) The violence has erupted sporadically throughout a summer of sectarian tension in Northern Belfast.News Item 3 Airlines are being hit with huge increases to insure their planes after the terrorist attacks in the United States. (25)Goshawk Insurance Holdings which insures aircraft around the world, said rates have soared as much as tenfold since the September 11th terror attacks. Airlines around the world have cut services and dismissed staff as their business has plunged in the week of the crisis. They are also struggling with increased security costs.News Item 4 (26) A Pakistani lawyer said the resumption of the trial of eight foreign aid workers accused of preaching Christianity in Afghanistan has been put off until Sunday. He had met earlier Saturday with eight workers, two Americans, two Australians and four Germans. They insisted they were in Afghanistan to help the poor, not to convert them. (27) The penalty for these captured eight workers could range from expulsion to a jail term and death sentence.News Item 5 On the 20th anniversary of the first official report on AIDS, the head of the United Nations AIDS programme warns that the deadly diseases may only be at the early stages in many parts of the world. Doctor Peo said the disease-has already reached staggering proportions since first being identified in 1981. 58 million people world-wide have contracted fjfle HIT virus, which causes AIDS while 22 million have died from related illnesses. (28) The UN estimates the world HIV-positive population at 36 million, including 25 million in sub-Sahara Africa. International officials warned the disease would have disasters political, social and economical consequences in many developing countries.News Item 6 (29) H. G. Wells, a pioneer of science fiction wrote a story in which a man was blown into the fourth dimension by a laboratory explosion. When he returned to normal surroundings, he found his heart was now on the right-hand side of his body instead of the left. (30) In fact, some people do have their internal organs ordered thisway, but their problems are due to genetics. The genes responsible have been discovered by researchers in the United States who reported their findings in the latest edition for the journal Nature Genetics. This is the end of Listening Comprehension.2004News Item 1A court in Zimbabwe is due to deliver its verdict today in a trial of a journalist who works for the British newspaper The Guaidian. The trial is seen as a test case for the countrys strict new media laws. Andrew Meldrum, an American whos lived in Zimbabwe for over twenty years is accused of publishing an untrue story and faces up to two years in prison if found guilty. A dozen other journalists have also been charged with offenses relating to the new laws. In court Mr. Meldrums defense argued that his story was published in Britain. It was beyond the jurisdiction of Zimbabwean laws.News Item 2Kuala Lumpur-Afghanistan will play soccer at the Asian games. Mongolias withdrawal has given the war torn nation a confidence boost. The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) announced in a statement yesterday that Afghanistan would play in the under-twenty-three tournament at the games in Bussan. Afghanistans first match will be against Iran on September 28. The groups other teams are Qatar and Lebanon. Afghanistan was a founding member of the confederation in the 1950s, before entering long periods of war and factional fighting. The countrys chaos was largely ended after USled forces overthrew the Taliban regime last year in response to the September 11th terrorist attacks in the United States. During the Soccer World Cup in June, the President of Afghanistans Football Aociation (AFA), Abdul Aleem-Kohistani said he hoped his country would be able to take part in the Asian games.News Item 3The expected life span of Beijing residents has gone up to 75.5 years old, compared with 74.4 years old, a decade earlier. While the death rate of middle-aged residents increased dramatically, according to recent official report. The report made public by the Beijing Disease Control and Prevention Center said the past mortality of people age between 35 to 54 years old had gone up 58.5% during the past ten years, from 158 people per 100,000 in 1991 to 251 people per 100,000 last year. Infant and maternal mortality rates went down 132% and 147% respectively. Health experts said chronic non-infectious diseases were the main causes of death covering 60% of the total number of deaths. The male mortality is higher than that of females and the death rate among rural residents is higher than that of the urban ones.News Item 4 Islamabad-Pakistani President, Purvez Musherof said yesterday there was no danger of the country going to war with neighboring India but that Pakistani forces would be ready to repel any aggression. There is no danger of war, Musherof told reporters in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad. We should have confidence in ourselves. We are not sitting idle. We are prepared for everything. There should not be any misunderstanding. Tensions were raised this week as the two accused each other of links to killings in the two countries. India suspects the two gunmen who killed twenty-eight at an Indian temple on Tuesday have links to Pakistanbased Islamic militant groups. Pakistan denied any involvement in the temple massacre and police in Karachi said there were indications of India intelligence agents behind the murder of seven Christian charity workers in the city, but India rejects the charges yesterday.2005News Item 1 (21) The bodies of dozens of African immigrants, discovered off the Italian coast last week, might have been thrown overboard, Italian officials said on Monday. A coast guard spokesman said 15 illegal immigrants, all believed to come from Somalia, survived being thrown into the Mediterranean Sea. But one of the survivors, a woman, was in a serious condition. (22) They told the coast guard that their boat had left Libya 20 days before, with around 100 immigrants aboard. They said most had died during the trip. Last Friday, 7 Africans, including 3 children, died before their boat could reach the island. A further 25 people survived. News Item 2 (23) China has set its sight on putting 3 people into space for a week, the China News Service said on Tuesday. The news agency reported an official as saying that preparations were underway for the next Shenzhou launch. The Shenzhou VI is expected to blast off within the next 2 years. Shenzhou V carried a Chinese astronaut aloft. He circled the Earth 14 times during his 21- hour trip, October 15-16, 2003, making China the third country to put a man into space.News Item 3 (24) Gigantic waves of flame that covered entire neighborhoods and filled the skies over Southern California with ash have killed at least 13 people. At least 6 separate wildfires were still burning on Monday morning, all the way from the Mexican border to the suburbs of Los Angeles. They were reported to have destroyed 800 homes and consumed about 120 000 hectares of land. (25) Authorities said they were seeking 2 men in connection with the fires, which they believe were started deliberately. News Item 4 There has been modest growth in tourism worldwide, despite 2 years of terrorism, war and disease. And China is the engine driving it, according to the World Tourism Organization. International tourist numbers hit a record 702 million last year, a rise ,of 2.7 percent over 2001 , the year of the September II attacks. (26) France remains the most popular destination , receiving more than 77 million visitors, followed by Spain, United States, and Italy. China, however, marked II percent growth over that period, attracting 36. 8 million international visitors. It ranks fifth among leading tourism nations. (27) By 2020, it will be top, with predictions of 130 million visitors per year. Chinese themselves are also becoming a major force as travelers. (28) According to a Xinhua report, over 16.6 million Chinese traveled abroad last year, up 37 percent from the previous year. Their numbers are expected to grow to 30 million by the end of the decade, and 100 million in 2020.News Item 5 (29)/(30) Around 40 for