澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2010-08-10

The battle over broadband is set to take centre stage today with the Federal Coalition¹ due to outline its alternative to the NBN. The Government says the 43-billion-dollar National Broadband Network will be complete by 2018. But the Opposition² plans to scrap³ the network if elected, arguing there is a much more cost-effective way to deliver faster Internet access.

More than 1,000 people have been killed in China's worst flooding in a decade. In northwest China, almost 340 people were killed in a mudslide. Rescuers are desperately⁴ searching for more than 1,000 people still missing in Gansu province.

Two people giving evidence at the war crimes trial of Charles Taylor have contradicted evidence by Naomi Campbell about blood diamonds. Actress Mia Farrow and Campbell's former agent Carole White said the model was given diamonds by the ex-Liberian president. Last week Naomi Campbell told The Hague she didn't know who gave her some dirty-looking stones.

The World Trade Organization has ordered Australia to change restrictions⁵ on New Zealand apple imports after it found they were illegal. The Federal Government lifted an 85-year ban on imports in 2006, but at the time imposed strict new conditions due to fears of fire blight⁶ disease. The WTO said the use of non-tariff barriers breached⁷ trade laws.

And a new report claims Australians rank among the world's worst abusers of alcohol. The National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre found almost one in five Australians experienced some period of problematic drinking.

1 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 scrap   

n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废

参考例句：

• A man comes round regularly collecting scrap.有个男人定时来收废品。
• Sell that car for scrap.把那辆汽车当残品卖了吧。

4 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

5 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

6 blight   

n.枯萎病；造成破坏的因素；vt.破坏，摧残

参考例句：

• The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
• There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。

7 breached   

攻破( breach的现在分词 )； 破坏，违反

参考例句：

• These commitments have already been breached. 这些承诺已遭背弃。
• Our tanks have breached the enemy defences. 我方坦克车突破了敌人的防线。