现代大学英语听力2Unit8.docx

现代大学英语听力2Unit8.docx

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现代大学英语听力2Unit8

Task1

NewsItem1

TheUnitedStatescentralbank,theFederalReserve,hasraisedinterestratesforthethirdtimethisyear.TheFederalReserveraisedtheovernightbanklendingrateby0.25percent（onefourthofonepercent）to5.5percent.Itraisedthediscountratealsoby0.25percentto5percent.TheFederalReservesaidithadnoplanstoraiseinterestratesagainanytimesoon.Itsaidtheincreasetodayshouldreducethedangerofinflation.

NewsItem2

TheCommerceDepartmentsaystheAmericaneconomyhasshrunkforthefirsttimeineightyears.ThetotalvalueofgoodsandservicesproducedintheUnitedStatesfellbyfourtenthofonepercent（0.4percent）intheperiodofJulythroughSeptember.Arecessioniscommonlydefinedasatleastsixmonthswheretheeconomyshrinks.

NewsItem3

AfallintheNewYorkmarkethadbeenwidelypredictedfollowingFriday'sbetterthanexpectedUSemploymentfigures.USbondsfromwhichthegovernmentfundslong-termborrowingfellnearlytwopointsonthenewsthatmorejobshadbeencreatedinMarchthanhadbeenexpected.TheDowJonesIndexwasclosedonFridayfortheEasterholiday,sotodaywasthefirstchanceforthesharemarkettoreact.

NewsItem4

AndwegostraighttoWallStreetwheresharepricesclosedhigher.TheDowJonesIndustrialAveragewasupnearly1percentor89pointsat10,205.Sharesmadeupforsomeofthelossestheyincurredinthepastweek,thankstowhatwasinterpretedas"signstheUSinflationisundercontrol".

Task2

NewsItem1

Chinahaslaunchedamannedspaceflight,becomingthethirdcountrytodoso40yearsaftertheSovietUnionandtheUnitedStates.AsingleastronautwasonboardtheShenzhouVCraft,whichtookofffromtheGobiDesert.It'sexpectedtogoroundtheearth14timesduringa24-hourperiodbeforelandinginInnerMongolia.PresidentHuJintaowatchedthelaunch,asignoftheimportanceChinaattachestoitsspaceprogramme.FrancisMarguezreportsfromBeijing.

Halfanhourafterthespacecraftblastedoff,China'sstatetelevisionshowedfootageofthelaunch,therocketclimbingslowlyintotheclearbluesky.AndmanyChinesewillfeeltheircountryhastakenaproudsteptowardsmodernity.

NewsItem2

China'sfirstmaninspacehasreturnedtoEarth.ReportssayChineseofficialsdeclaredthespaceflightasuccess.AstronautYangLiweiisalsoreportedtobeingoodhealth.OnTuesday,Chinabecameonlythethirdnationtosendapersonintoorbit.AstronautYangandhisspacecraftlandedinChina'sInnerMongoliaearlyThursday.Hehadorbitedtheearth14timesinabout20hours.TheUnitedStatesandRussiapraisedChinaforthelaunch.RussiaandtheUnitedStateswerethefirsttwonationstosendpeopleintospace.

Task3

Negotiatorshaveagreedtothewordingofaproposedinternationaltreatyontobaccocontrol.Delegatesfrommorethan170countriesapprovedthefinalwordingearlierthismonthinSwitzerland.Thiscameafterfouryearsofnegotiations.TheproposedtreatyiscalledtheFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControl.ItwillbepresentedinMayattheyearlymeetingoftheWorldHealthOrganization,aUNagency.ThefinalversionapprovedtherewillalsorequireindividualapprovalbyWHOmembers.Once40nationshaveapprovedit,thetreatywillgointoeffectinthosecountries.

MemberstatescannotmakeanyamendmentsoncetheWHOapprovesafinalversionofthetreaty.Theymusteitheracceptorrejecttheagreementasitiswritten.TheproposedFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControlispartoftheeffortstoreducedeathsanddiseasesfromsmoking.

TheWHOestimatesthatalmostfivemillionpeopledieeachyearfromlungcancerandothertobacco-relateddiseases.Thatnumbercouldrisetotenmillionayearby2020.Developingnationsarethebiggestgrowthareasfortobacco-relateddiseases.Thesenationsarecallingforthestrongestlawspossibletocontroltobacco.Thetreatywouldbanadvertisingandothermarketingcampaignsfortobaccoproducts,wheredoingsowouldnotviolateacountry'sconstitution.Italsocallsforhightobaccotaxes.Itwouldevenrequirecompaniestomakepublicallthesubstancestheyusetomakecigarettes.

Inaddition,tobaccocompanieswouldhavetoplacehealthwarningsonatleastthirtypercentoftheirproducts.Thesewarningscouldnotincludeinformationthatmightleadpeopletobelievethatsomecigarettesarelessharmfulthanothers.Inaddition,governmentswouldhavetosupporttreatmentprogramstohelppeoplestopsmoking.And,therewouldhavetobeeducationcampaignstogetpeoplenottostart.Theproposedtreatyalsocallsformeasurestoprotectnon-smokersfromsecondhandsmoke,thatis,smokefromotherpeople'stobacco.

Task4

Thankyou.AndthankyouforaskingmetoshareinyourweeklyaddresstotheAmericanpeople.

BritainandAmericahavesomuchincommon:

language,values,beliefinfamilyandcommunity,inarealsenseofnationalpride.Wesharemanyproblems,too.Andithasbeenclearfromourdiscussionsthatweareagreed,ingeneralterms,aboutsomeofthesolutions.

Youtookthetoughdecisionsneededforlong-termeconomicstability.Wearedoingso.Youhavefocusedoneducation,welfarereform,anewapproachtocrime.Soarewe.Together,wearebreakingdownboundariesofleftandrightandcreatinganewpoliticsoftheradicalcentre.

Task5

Eachyear,theNobelCommitteeinOslo,NorwayannouncesthewinnersofitsfamousNobelPrizes.MostwinnersoftheNobelPeacePrizehavebeenmen.Onlytenpercenthavebeenwomensincetheprizewasfirstpresentedin1901.

NowtheUnitedNationsDevelopmentFundforWomenandthehumanrightsgroupInternationalAlerthavepresentedanewawardtohonorwomenpeacemakers.ItiscalledtheMillenniumPeacePrizeforWomen.Officialswillpresenttheawardeverythreeyears.Theawardrecognizeswomen'sactionsinbuildingpeace,protectingwomen'shumanrightsandsupportingcommunitylifeduringandafterwar.

Expertssaywomenareusuallynotasinvolvedinthepeaceprocessasmenare.However,theirworktoreestablishnormalcommunitylifeafterpeacehasbeenreachedisveryimportant.Becauseofthis,InternationalAlertsayswomenalsoneedtoberecognizedasleadersinpeacebuilding.

Earlierthismonth,sixwomenandorganizationsreceivedtheMillenniumPeacePrizeforWomen.OneofthewinnersistheColombiangroup"RutaPacificadelasMujeres",orWomen'sRoadtoPeace.ThisgrouphasorganizedprotestsagainsttheviolencebetweenrebelgroupsandtheColombiangovernment.

Thegroup"LeitanaNehanWomen'sDevelopmentAgency"alsowonthepeaceprize.IthelpedinthepeaceprocessbetweenthemilitaryandrebelforcesinPapuaNewGuinea.Anotherwinneristhegroup"WomeninBlack".Itisaninternationalorganizationthatorganizesprotestsagainstviolence,aggressionandwar.

FloraBrovinaalsoreceivedthepeaceprize.Sheorganizedthe"LeagueofAlbanianWomenofKosovo".DoctorBrovinahastaughtemergencymedicalskillstopeopleinKosovo.

AsmaJahangirandHinaJilaniarealsopeaceprizewinners.Theyworkedtosupporthumanrightsandwomen'srightsinPakistan.Andtheleaderofthewomen'smovementinRwandaalsowontheMillenniumPeacePrize,afterherdeath.VenerandaNzambazamariyahelpedrebuildRwandaafterthemasskillingsin1994.Shediedinaplanecrashlastyear.

Task6

NewsItem1

Brazil'snewHealthMinisterHoseinSelarhassackedtwoseniorhealthofficialsinRiodeJaneiroamidgrowingconcernabouttheepidemicofdenguefever.Morethan80,000peopleinsoutheastBrazilhavecaughtthemosquito-borndiseasewhichcausessevereheadaches,feverandvomiting.Insomecases,itcanbefatal.OurBrazilcorrespondentStevenSwitchreportsthatPresidentFernandoHenriqueCardosoregardstheissueofhealthcareashisgovernment'sbiggestpoliticalweakness.

NewsItem2

Inagriculturenews.TheEuropeanUnionhasbannedallimportsofanimalproductsfromtheNetherlands.ThebanwasorderedaftertheDutchgovernmentconfirmedfourcasesoffoot-and-mouthdiseasethere.Dutchofficialshavehadallinfectedanimalsdestroyed.Untilnow,onlyBritainandFrancehavebeenaffectedbytheanimaldisease.Also,intheAmericanStateofVermont,officialsseizedsomesheepsuspectedofhavingmadcowdisease.Morethan230sheepweretakenfromafarm.Theanimalswillbedestroyedandtestedforthedisease.

Task7

Announcer:

...inGarderers'QuestionTimeat2o'clock.AndnowovertoGordonChartwellinthenewsroom.

Newsreader:

Hereisthenews,readbyGordonChartwell.Thecruiseliner,PrincessofWales,whichranagroundlastnightofftheislandofSt.CatherineintheCaribbean,isreportedtobesinking.Here'sareportfromourcorrespondentinJamaica,GrahamSmith.

GrahamSmith:

AweakradiosignalwasreceivedhereinKingstonafewhoursagofromtheradiooperatoronthe28,000-tonluxurycruiseship,thePrincessofWales.Accordingtothismessage,theshipistakinginwaterandisstartingtosink.AllthepassengershavebeenorderedintothelifeboatsandtoldtomakeforthenearbyislandofSt.Catherine,thecoastofwhichissome20milesfromthesceneoftheaccident.Innormalcircumstancesthiswouldbeaneasy3-hourtrip,butwithHurricaneZeldaapproachingfastandblowingawayfromtheisland,it'sfearedthatsomeboatsmaynotmakeitintimetothesafetyoftheisland.Onceontheisland,itwouldbepossibleforpassengersandcrewtoshelterfromthewindandawaitrescue.TheRoyalNavyfrigateSteadfastisheadingforSt.Catherineatfullspeedbutitmaytakeherupto24hourstogetthere.Sothingslookprettygrimforthe700passengersand420crewatthemom