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High Speed Train Crash in China 中国高速铁路出轨

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High-Speed Train Crash in China  中国高速铁路出轨

On July 23th, a bullet train rear-ended a stationary train in Eastern China, killing about 40 people and injuring over 200 more. According to reports, the fatal collision was caused when one train stalled after its power supply was cut by lightning during a thunderstorm. The power blackout also exposed a major flaw in the network’s signaling system, as the moving bullet train was not given the signal to stop. The accident occurred just four years after the launch of the nation’s high-speed rail network. Previously, many experts had warned China that it wasn’t feasible to construct a high-tech railway at such a fast pace without sacrificing safety. In hindsight, it appears these experts may have been right. In the aftermath, China’s Premier Wen Jiabao has promised to get to the bottom of this mess and “severely punish” anyone who acted negligently.

7月23日，在中国东部的一辆子弹列车推撞另一辆停住的列车，造成约40人死亡、两百多人受伤。据报导，此次致命的相撞事故肇因在于一辆列车于雷雨中，因雷击造成其电力供应中断而抛锚。此次电力中断亦暴露出铁路网信号系统中的一大缺陷，因为移动中的子弹列车并未收到停止行驶的信号。四年前，中国才刚推行高速铁路计划，现在就发生了这起意外。先前已有多位专家警告中国，以如此快速的步调建造高科技铁路，不牺牲安全性是不可能的。事后看来，这些专家似乎是正确的。事故发生后，中国总理温家宝承诺将查明事故起因，并「严惩」任何怠忽职责的人。

London Riots  英国爆发暴动事件

From August 6th to 10th, England plunged into chaos when widespread rioting broke out in London and other urban centers. The riots began at the conclusion of a peaceful protest which was held in Tottenham, a northern section of London, after a local man named Mark Duggan was shot and killed by police. Many in the community felt that the police used excessive force in the incident. Over four days of violence, rioters caused an estimated £200 million worth of damage as they set fire to buildings and vehicles and looted local businesses. Several people were attacked and injured in these incidents, including over 30 police officers. After the riot ended, the London Metropolitan Police vowed to bring criminals to justice. So far over 1,000 people have been charged with crimes. Some Londoners are also upset because the riots have tarnished the city’s image just as it is set to host the 2012 Olympic Games.

英国的伦敦及其他市区爆发大规模暴动，使英国8月6日至10日陷入一片混乱。暴动始于伦敦北部托登罕区的一场和平抗议活动的尾声。抗议活动是为了抗议一个叫做马克．达根的当地男子遭警方开枪击毙的事件。许多当地居民认为警方在此次事件中武力使用过当。超过四天的暴乱中，暴民纵火烧毁建筑物及车辆、掠夺当地商家，估计造成两亿英镑的损失。许多人在事件中遭受攻击而受伤，包括三十多名警察。暴动结束后，伦敦大都会警方誓言要将罪犯绳之以法，目前已有逾千人遭到起诉。有些伦敦居民也感到相当不满，因为就在伦敦准备好要举办2012奥运之际，此暴动事件已损害了该都市的形象。

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Vocabulary

单词发音

fatal [ˋfet!] adj. 致命的

expose [ɪkˋspoz] v. 暴露

flaw [flɔ] n. 缺点；瑕疵

sacrifice [ˋsækrə͵faɪs] v. 牺牲

severely [səˋvɪrlɪ] adv. 严厉地

plunge [plʌndʒ] into 突然陷入

chaos [ˋkeɑs] n. 混乱；杂乱的一团

protest [ˋprotɛst] n.  抗议，异议

community [kəˋmjunətɪ] n. 小区

estimated [ˋɛstə͵metɪd ] adj. 估计的﹐估算的

be charged with  控告，指控

More Information

单词发音

rear-end [ˈrɪrˈɛnd] v. 追尾; 追撞 to run into (another motor vehicle) from behind

stationary [ˋsteʃən͵ɛrɪ] adj. 不（移）动的; 静止的

collision [kəˋlɪʒən] n. 碰撞；相撞

stall [stɔl] v. 使熄火；使抛锚 the sudden, unintended loss of power or effectiveness in an engine

blackout [ˋblæk͵aʊt] n. 停电

signaling [ˋsɪgn!ɪŋ] n. 信号; 交通指示灯

feasible [ˋfizəb!] adj. 可能的；合理的

hindsight [ˋhaɪnd͵saɪt] n. 后见之明

aftermath [ˋæftɚ͵mæθ] n. 余波；事件结束后的一段时期

premier [ˋprimɪɚ] n. 总理

get to the bottom of something 弄清...的真相 to get an understanding of the causes of something

negligently [ˋnɛglɪdʒəntlɪ] adv. 疏忽地；粗心大意地

rioting [ˋraɪətɪŋ] n. 暴乱，骚乱

break out〔不愉快之事〕爆发;  突然发生 to develop suddenly and forcefully

conclusion [kənˋkluʒən] n. 结束  the result or outcome of an act or process

excessive [ɪkˋsɛsɪv] adj. 过度的; 过分的

incident [ˋɪnsədnt] n. 事件

rioter [ˋraɪətɚ] n. 暴徒，暴民

set fire 纵火 to cause to ignite and burn

loot [lut] v. 掠夺；抢劫

Metropolitan Police 伦敦警察队

vow [vaʊ] v. 发誓要

bring someone to justice 将某人移送法办 to punish someone for a crime

tarnish [ˋtɑrnɪʃ] v. 败坏，玷污（名誉等）

Reading Questions

High-Speed Train Crash in China

1.      What does Wen Jiabao plan to do about the train crash in China?

(A)  He has decided not to pursue the matter any further.

(B)  He will build a new train network to replace the old one.

(C)  He will hire foreign engineers to fix the issue.

(D)  He will discipline the people and companies who caused it.

2.      Which of the following statements about the accident is NOT true?

(A)  It surprised many experts who said the train was safe.

(B)  It happened when a moving train hit a train that was still.

(C)  A storm may have caused the train system to lose electricity.

(D)  The accident occurred within the first decade that the railway opened.

London Riots

1.      What was the cause of the riots in London?

(A)  Police were angry about the treatment they get in the community.

(B)  A protest against urban development in London got out of control.

(C)  Some people were upset about how the police treated someone.

(D)  A man named Mark Duggan shot and killed several police officers.

2.      How can we best describe the news stories in this passage?

(A)  They reflect people’s anger with the economy.

(B)  They are sad and unfortunate events.

(C)  They demonstrate that technology is failing us.

(D)  They paint a very optimistic outlook for the future.

Inside Story - China train crash

The 2011 Tottenham Riots

Answer 1

Answer 2