英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2013-09-24

 Kenya's security forces say they are in the final stages of ending that deadly siege at a Nairobi shopping mall. Sporadic¹ gunfire and explosions are now being heard and thick, black smoke is billowing from the centre. Authorities say three of the gunmen have been killed and the army has now taken control of the entire Westgate complex. 

 

Australian entertainer Rolf Harris has faced court in London on child sex offences. Mr. Harris is accused of indecently assaulting two teenage girls back in the 1980s.He also faces four charges of making indecent images of children.His lawyer says the 83-year-old will plead not guilty.

 

Movie-goers and staff at a Sydney cinema complex have been terrorised during an armed holdup.Four people armed with a shotgun and a machete stormed the Roseville cinema on Sydney's north shore around eight o'clock last night. They demanded cash and personal belongings² from staff and patrons. They fled in a stolen car which was used in another robbery at a hotel in Revesby two hours later.

 

The axed climate commission is being revived. Sacked climate commissioner³ Tim Flannery is relaunching it today as the privately⁴ funded climate council.

 

The new government scrapped⁵ the advisory⁶ body last week in one of its first policy changes.

1 sporadic   

adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的

参考例句：

• The sound of sporadic shooting could still be heard.仍能听见零星的枪声。
• You know this better than I.I received only sporadic news about it.你们比我更清楚，而我听到的只是零星消息。

2 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

3 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

4 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

5 scrapped   

废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架

参考例句：

• This machine is so old that it will soon have to be scrapped. 这架机器太旧，快报废了。
• It had been thought that passport controls would be scrapped. 人们曾认为会放开护照管制。

6 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。