BBC新闻：五分之二的植物面临灭绝
燕山大学 刘立军 供稿
【TRANSCRIPT】
BBC News, hello, I'm Gareth Barlow. President Trump and his Democratic Party challenger, Joe Biden, are beginning their first television debate ahead of the election in November. Millions are expected to watch the broadcast live from Cleveland, Ohio, although they'll only be a few people in the studio itself. Laura Trevelyan is outside the venue.
“This is President Trump's chance to really reset the race. Joe Biden has a lead of about eight percent in national polls narrower in the battleground states, and he's done that really by running quite a low-key virtual campaign. So this is the president's chance to take on Joe Biden and really attack him, and what we're expecting is that Joe Biden will have to feel the attacks about how the Democrats are moving to the left. But for Joe Biden, this is a chance to show that he can rise above this, and he has a message for the American people that I will be able to lead you out of this pandemic better than Donald Trump.”
The 15 members of the United Nations Security Council have called for an immediate end to clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh. The states also called for a deescalation of tensions and return to meaningful negotiations without delay.
A report on the state of the world's plants from Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens is warning that 2/5 are threatened with extinction. The organization says around 140,000 plants are at risk of disappearing, and the scientists are in a race against time to save new species before they vanish. Kew's head of conservation science, Dr. Colin Clubbe says undiscovered plants could have enormous value. “What really is clear from the report is that we’re currently utilizing such a small proportion of the world's plant and fungi, be it for food or for medicines or for fuel, ignoring the potential treasure chest of wild species, which we now have the increasing knowledge of and the techniques to investigate for the good of humanity.”
A controversial energy project in Australia has just been given state approval, clearing a major hurdle to a development which could provide up to half of New South Wales' gas needs. Critics warn that the project will damage the environment. The BBC's Shaimaa Khalil has this report from Sydney.
“The New South Wales Independent Planning Commission announced a phased approval for the $2.5 billion Santos's project. The commission said the gas producer must meet specific requirements before it can proceed. The scheme could see up to 850 coal seam gas wells being drilled on a thousand hectares, which include the Pilliga Forest and nearby grazing land in northern New South Wales. The project has been vehemently opposed by farmers and environmental groups, who say that it could damage ground water, relied on for agriculture, and affect biodiversity in the area.”
World news from the BBC.
Adapted from http://www.kekenet.com/broadcast/202010/618529.shtml
【VOCABULARY】
1. low-key adj. 低调的
2. deescalation n. 降级
3. vanish v. to stop existing 不复存在；消亡；绝迹。例如：the vanishing woodlands of Europe
濒于绝迹的欧洲林地。例如：All hopes of a peaceful settlement had now vanished. 和平解决的全部希望现已化为泡影。
4. hurdle n. 障碍；困难
5. biodiversity n. 生物多样性（维持着生态环境平衡的大量各种生物的共存）
【QUESTIONS】
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
1. President Trump and Joe Biden are beginning their second television debate ahead of the election in November.
2. The 14 members of the United Nations Security Council have called for an immediate end to clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
3. A report on the state of the world's animals from Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens is warning that 2/5 are threatened with extinction.
4. Dr. Colin Clubbe argues that undiscovered plants could have enormous value.
5. A conventional energy project in Australia has just been given state approval, which could provide up to half of New South Wales' gas needs.
【KEY】
Read the statements. Then listen to the news and decide whether the statements are true (T) or false (F).
(F) 1. President Trump and Joe Biden are beginning their second television debate ahead of the election in November.
（正确表达） President Trump and Joe Biden are beginning their first television debate ahead of the election in November.
(F) 2. The 14 members of the United Nations Security Council have called for an immediate end to clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
（正确表达）The 15 members of the United Nations Security Council have called for an immediate end to clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan in the disputed territory of Nagorno Karabakh.
(F) 3. A report on the state of the world's animals from Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens is warning that 2/5 are threatened with extinction.
（正确表达）A report on the state of the world's plants from Britain's Royal Botanic Gardens is warning that 2/5 are threatened with extinction.
(T) 4. Dr. Colin Clubbe argues that undiscovered plants could have enormous value.
(F) 5. A conventional energy project in Australia has just been given state approval, which could provide up to half of New South Wales' gas needs.
（正确表达）A controversial energy project in Australia has just been given state approval, which could provide up to half of New South Wales' gas needs.