燕山大学 刘立军 编写
u TRANSCRIPT
Hello, I'm Neil Nunes with the BBC News.
The leaders of the European Union's 28 member states are continuing negotiations in Brussels seeking to break the deadlock over who should fill the block's top jobs. Several central European countries and Italy are opposed to the Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans to head the European Commission. Gavin Lee is in Brussels. It's the third day of this special meeting with all 28 leaders to decide what's become almost impossible Rubik's Cube seventeen hours of negotiation so far, choosing these new top jobs, who ultimately the top job itself, who will be the next European Commission President, a salary basic of 306,000 euros. A team of thirty thousand people under you and it seems to believe this table along with the president of European Council, the president of European Parliament, the Foreign Affairs Chief and the Head of the European Central Bank. They're trying to balance politics, geography, the size of countries, the experience that countries have had within the EU and ultimately for three days they haven't got a solution.
Adapted from http://m.hxen.com/englishlistening/bbc/20190708/520862_2.html
u VOCABULARY
1. deadlock n. a complete failure to reach agreement or settle an argument 僵持；僵局；相持不下。例如：
l (British English) The strike appeared to have reached deadlock. 罢工好像已陷入僵局。
l (North Amercian English, British English) The strike has reached a deadlock. 罢工已陷入僵局。
stalemate 例如：European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
2. ultimately adv. in the end; finally 最终；最后；终归。例如：
l Ultimately, you'll have to make the decision yourself. 最终你还是得自己拿主意。
l A poor diet will ultimately lead to illness. 糟糕的饮食终将导致疾病。
u QUESTIONS
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Hello, I'm Neil Nunes with the BBC News.
The leaders of the European Union's 28 member states are continuing _______________ in Brussels seeking to ________________________________ over who should fill the block's ____________________. Several central European countries and Italy are opposed to the Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans to ________________ the European Commission. Gavin Lee is in Brussels. It's the third day of this special meeting with all 28 leaders to ____________ what's become almost impossible Rubik's Cube seventeen hours of negotiation so far, ___________ these new top jobs, who ultimately the top job itself, who will be the next European Commission President, a salary basic of _______________ euros. A team of thirty thousand people under you and it seems to believe this table along with the president of European Council, the president of European Parliament, the Foreign Affairs Chief and the Head of the European Central Bank. They're trying to balance _____________, geography, the size of ___________, the experience that countries have had within the EU and ultimately for three days they haven't got a _____________.
u KEY
Read the passage. Then listen to the news and fill in the blanks with the information (words, phrases or sentences) you hear.
Hello, I'm Neil Nunes with the BBC News.
The leaders of the European Union's 28 member states are continuing negotiations in Brussels seeking to break the deadlock over who should fill the block's top jobs. Several central European countries and Italy are opposed to the Dutch socialist Frans Timmermans to head the European Commission. Gavin Lee is in Brussels. It's the third day of this special meeting with all 28 leaders to decide what's become almost impossible Rubik's Cube seventeen hours of negotiation so far, choosing these new top jobs, who ultimately the top job itself, who will be the next European Commission President, a salary basic of 306,000 euros. A team of thirty thousand people under you and it seems to believe this table along with the president of European Council, the president of European Parliament, the Foreign Affairs Chief and the Head of the European Central Bank. They're trying to balance politics, geography, the size of countries, the experience that countries have had within the EU and ultimately for three days they haven't got a solution.