澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2011-07-08

 Rupert Murdoch is closing down the News of the World newspaper because of the phone hacking¹ scandal. The paper will put out its final edition this Sunday. Now it’s widely believed in the UK that the Murdoch’s Sun newspaper will now become a seven-day-a-week operation to pick up where the News of the World has left off. 

 

The Federal Government is putting the final touches on its carbon tax ahead of Sunday’s announcement. The Government has already signalled petrol will be excluded and the number of companies that will directly pay the tax has now been halved². 

 

Homicide detectives are investigating the death of a man after a fight with security guards at Melbourne’s Crown Casino. The 40-year-old man collapsed³ while being restrained by bouncers on Sunday night. He was taken to hospital but he died yesterday. And a post-mortem will now be conducted to try to determine the cause of his death. 

 

Conservation groups are questioning the worth of world heritage-listing status after Shell has announced that it plans to explore for gas near Western Australia’s Ningaloo Reef. The United Nations granted the listing just a fortnight ago. Shell wants to drill for gas 50 kilometres from the edge of the Ningaloo Marine⁴ Park. 

 

And bad weather looks likely to delay the launch of the final shuttle mission. Atlantis is still due to lift off tomorrow. Its 12-day mission will end the 30-year-old shuttle programme. Up to three quarters of a million people are expected to pack the area in Florida to witness the historic event. 

1 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

2 halved   

v.把…分成两半( halve的过去式和过去分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊

参考例句：

• The shares have halved in value . 股价已经跌了一半。
• Overall operating profits halved to $24 million. 总的营业利润减少了一半，降至2，400 万元。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。