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听力文稿 ( Transcript )
1.Their schedules are jam-packed as these White House hopefuls host multiple campaign events in Iowa to kick off 2008, with fresh polls showing both races too close to call. Candidates are making last-minute appeals. They're hoping supporters will caucus for them on Thursday.
2. A mob in Kenya torched a church sheltering hundreds of people, fleeing clashes sparked by the closest presidential election in this African nation's history. Dozens of people including children were burned alive during some of the worst violence ever hit this once stable nation.
3. Smokers in France savour their last cigarettes during a grace period before a new smoking ban is enforced. French officials gave smokers a New Year's Day reprieve, saying they would only start enforcing the ban tomorrow. Even so, many Paris cafes and restaurants have already gone smoke-free.
4. These so-called polar bears ushered in the new year with their annual ritual of swimming in the chilly waters of the Atlantic. The Coney Island Polar Bear Club took the plunge for a fundraising event to help support terminally ill children.
1. jam-pack: verb. To fill to excess by compressing or squeezing tightly
2. caucus : verb. 开核心会议 To assemble in or hold a caucus.
3. savour : verb. 尝到，品尝 to enjoy the full taste or flavour of sth, especially by eating or drinking it slowly
4. grace period: noun. 宽限期，过渡期 A grace period is a period of time past the deadline for fulfilling an obligation during which a penalty that would be imposed for being late is waived. Grace periods, which can range from a number of minutes to a number of days or longer, depending on the context, can apply in various situations, including arrival at a job, paying a bill, for meeting government or legal requirement, or in many other situations.
5. reprieve: noun. 暂缓 a delay before something bad happens or continues to happen
6. usher in: verb. 迎接 If one thing ushers in another thing, it indicates that the other thing is about to begin
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