a successful vote precursor to US-Sudan relationship

    KHARTOUM, Jan. 5 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee John Kerry on Wednesday said that a successful referendum(公民投票权) in south Sudan would be the precursor¹（先驱,前导） to a stronger new relationship between Sudan, the United States and other countries.
    "We look forward to a successful referendum which is the precursor to a stronger new relationship with the United States and other countries," Kerry told reporters after talks with Sudanese Presidential Adviser² Ghazi Salahuddin in Khartoum.
    "I think we are in the positive course, and it is important to try to stay in the course and focus on the positive benefits that will come to Sudan, north and south, and its entire people," he added.
    Sudanese Presidential Adviser Ghazi Salahuddin, however, downplayed the U.S. senator's pledges, saying that "the United States renews its commitments every time, and we, on our part, welcome these commitments, but they will be judged by the practical steps done."He added that Kerry's visit aimed at keeping up with the arrangements for the south Sudan referendum and making sure that it would be conducted as scheduled and lead to the aspired³ results.
    Kerry arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday for a week-long visit to follow the progress of the south Sudan referendum slated⁴ for Jan. 9.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 precursor   

n.先驱者；前辈；前任；预兆；先兆

参考例句：

• Error is often the precursor of what is correct.错误常常是正确的先导。
• He said that the deal should not be seen as a precursor to a merger.他说该笔交易不应该被看作是合并的前兆。

2 adviser   

n.劝告者，顾问

参考例句：

• They employed me as an adviser.他们聘请我当顾问。
• Our department has engaged a foreign teacher as phonetic adviser.我们系已经聘请了一位外籍老师作为语音顾问。

3 aspired   

v.渴望，追求( aspire的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She aspired to a scientific career. 她有志于科学事业。
• Britain,France,the United States and Japan all aspired to hegemony after the end of World War I. 第一次世界大战后，英、法、美、日都想争夺霸权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 slated   

用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Yuki is working up an in-home phonics program slated for Thursdays, and I'm drilling her on English conversation at dinnertime. Yuki每周四还有一次家庭语音课。我在晚餐时训练她的英语口语。
• Bromfield was slated to become U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. 布罗姆菲尔德被提名为美国农业部长。