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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Paul James with you on this Thursday, January 22, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour; we are coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on the programme this evening:
Chinese Premier1 Li Keqiang promising2 a more open foreign investment environment in addressing the Davos sessions in Switzerland.
At least a dozen people are dead in a shelling in eastern Ukraine, despite a new agreement to move heavy weapons out of the fighting.
Yemen's embattled President works out a new deal with the rebel forces which have been holding him as a virtual prisoner.
In business..... provincial3 authorities in Sichuan removing housing restrictions4, including limits to the size of new homes.
In sports... all eyes on Brisbane tonight as China battles the host Australians for a shot at the AFC Cup semi-finals.
In entertainment.... Andy Lau confirming his return to CCTV's Spring Festival Gala.
But first, a check on what's happening weather wise...
Weather
Beijing will be clear tonight, with a low of minus 6. It will be cloudy tomorrow, with a high of 6 degrees.
Meanwhile Shanghai will be cloudy tonight, with a low of 2, tomorrow will be sunny, with a high of 10.
Chongqing will be overcast5 tonight, 7 degrees the lowest, tomorrow will continue to be overcast with a high of 15.
Elsewhere in the world, staying in Asia
Islamabad, partly cloudy tomorrow with a high of 22.
Kabul, cloudy, 4.
Over in Australia
Sydney, sunny, highs of 31.
Canberra, cloudy, 32.
Brisbane, thundershowers, 26.
Finally, Perth will see be windy with a high of 31.
Top News
Premier Li Shruggs off concerns over China's slowing economic growth in Davos
Speaking to business leaders at the World Economic Forum7 in Davos, Li Keqiang says the Chinese economy is not headed for a hard landing.
"We are now taking effective measures to prevent potential debt and financial crisis. At the same time, our financial reform is underway. Here what I want to convey is that regional or systemic crises will not happen in China. The Chinese economy will not head for a hard landing."
In addressing any potential concerns about the so-called "new normal," Li Keqiang has told the Davos sessions the Chinese government is making moves to make it easier for foreign investment, particularly in the service sector8.
But he also admits the 'new normal' is part of a restructuring slowdown of the overall economy.
"It must be noted9 that the moderation of the growth rate in China reflects a profound adjustment in the world economy and it is also consistent with the laws of economics. More importantly, we have made further progress on structural10 reforms. Needless to say, the Chinese economy will continue to face substantial downward pressure in 2015."
The 'new normal" is the Chinese government's term for a shift from high rates of growth toward a more moderate growth rate built on a greater focus toward consumer-driven economic strength.
China's growth rate for last year came in at 7.4-percent, the slowest rate of growth in over 20-years.
For more on the Premier's speech and broader issues connected to the Chinese economy, we are joined live by Mike Bastin, Director of The China Business Centre based in London.
Ukraine and Russia agree with withdraw heavy weapons
At least a dozen people are dead after a shelling in the eastern Ukranian city of Donetsk.
A mortar11 round has hit a tram stop in the city, leaving at least 13 dead and dozens of others injured.
The incident comes just hours after an agreement by Kiev and rebel-forces to withdraw their heavy-weapons 15-kilometers behind a previously12-agreed-to demarcation line.
The new agreement comes on the heels of talks among the foreign ministers from Ukraine, Russia, France and Germany.
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier hosted the meeting in Berlin.
"The further step envisages13 that the Contact Group meets straight away and as quickly as possible to agree on the procedure and therefore the start of the process. On top of this, we agreed that the contact group will set up several working groups who will work on resolving the most important open questions, including access to humanitarian14 aid and provision in eastern Ukraine, as quickly as possible."
Despite the new agreement, Ukrainian authorities say rebel forces are still pounding a town about 70-kilometers east of Donetsk with heavy artillery15.
"This is a very blatant17 land grab and it is in direct contravention to the Minsk agreements, which they signed up to and that is why the European community decided18 to hold the line with respect to the sanctions and continue to send a message that we will not stand for this kind of violation of the sovereign integrity of a nation."
Ukraine claims Russia has more than 9-thousand of its soldiers fighting alongside the rebels.
Moscow has denied the allegation.
Yemeni President in new deal with Houthi rebels
Yemen's embattled President, Abd-rabbu Mansour Hadi, has worked out a new agreement with the Shia Houthi rebels that are occupying key points in the capital, Sana'a.
As part of the new deal, Hadi has agreed to amend21 the country's draft constitution to give more power and autonomy to the Houthi's.
The deal comes just a day after Houthi fighters took control of the Presidential compound, essentially23 making Hadi a prisoner.
"At present, the presidential palace is completely under our control, but the president's official residence remains24 the same. The president is inside and some police are still guarding it."
In return, Houthi leaders have agreed to release Hadi's chief of staff and withdraw its forces from the presidential palace and other parts of Yemen's capital.
The Shia Houthi have been accusing Hadi of breaking a UN-brokered peace agreement signed back in September, which would allow the Houthi to appoint representatives in all government institutions.
The Shia Houthi have accused Hadi, a moderate Sunni, of being weak in the face of the continued threat of al-Qaeda in the country.
Hadi does have the support of most of the international community, and is viewed by the United States and its allies of being a partner in the fight against al-Qaeda.
France boosts counterterrorism force after deadly Paris attacks
The work is underway in France to recruit thousands of extra police officers, undercover agents and investigators25.
This follows an announcement by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls that the French government is going to dramatically increase spending to boost national security and intelligence in the wake of the Paris terror attacks.
Valls says the French government is planning to hire over 26-hundred new police and intelligence officers by 2018.
"In total, 425 million euros of investment credit has been earmarked for new equipment and the functioning of the French intelligence services, which will be dedicated26 over the next three years to this reinforcement plan."
French forces admit they're struggling to monitor an estimated 12-hundred radical27 Islamists and around 200 people who have returned from fighting with militant28 groups in Syria and Iraq.
On top of the new spending, several thousand planned military cuts are being canceled.
Japan refuses to give in to IS threats to kill two hostages
Japan's government is holding firm to its position that it will not give in to the ransom29 demands from the Islamic State, despite a deadline looming30 to free a pair of Japanese citizens being held hostage by the militants31.
The Islamic State released a video on Tuesday, threatening to kill the two Japanese hostages within 72 hours unless the Japanese government paid a ransom of 200-million US dollars.
This is the same amount Japan has pledged in non-military aid to support countries affected32 by the Islamic State's expansion in Iraq and Syria.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga.
"While it is indeed a difficult situation, we are doing everything possible to ensure the release of the hostages. Japan will not cave in to terrorism and will look to continue to contribute to the efforts against terrorism with the international community."
One Japanese hostage is an independent filmmaker, while the other a freelance defense33 contractor34.
Japanese officials have been meeting with friendly governments in the region in an attempt to try to secure their release.
A number of British lawmakers and the families of Iraq war veterans are blasting a decision not to publish the results of a 6-year-long inquiry into the Iraq War until after the general elections in May.
The decision has been made by the chair of the inquiry, Sir John Chilcot.
A series of voices are demanding the release of the long-overdue report before voters head to the polls.
Reg Keys is the father of a British serviceman killed in the early days of the invasion.
"I'm bitterly disappointed to be honest. It's a disgrace, because there are a lot of families out there, families of the fallen who've been waiting for this report. It is now part of the closure we need. This Iraq war has been going on in our minds for the last... for me 11 years since Tom was killed, we need these findings to understand exactly why this country was taken into this rather unsavory war, a war of option, not necessity, under the falsehood of weapons of mass destruction that never existed."
British Prime Minister David Cameron is also expressing his disappointment in the delay.
"It is extremely frustrating36 that this report cannot come out more quickly, but the responsibility lies squarely with the inquiry team. It is an independent inquiry. It would not be right for the prime minister to try to interfere37 with that inquiry."
The UK's Iraq War inquiry stopped taking evidence in 2011.
Britain was the main US ally in the 2003 invasion of Iraq.
Frustration38 over the state of the lingering conflict in Iraq eventually helped lead to the ouster of the Labor39 government in favor of the current Conservative-Liberal Democrat40 coalition41.
Three Chinese workers die, one injured at hydropower project in northern Vietnam: local official
Vietnamese officials say three Chinese workers have been killed and another injured while working at a hydropower project in northern Vietnam.
Procedures are underway to bring the bodies of the three victims back to China.
It hasn't been made clear what exactly the accident was.
Xi Jinping Emphasises disaster relief, poverty elimination43 in Yunnan Trip
Chinese President Xi Jinping's first domestic inspection44 tour of the year in the province of Yunnan has come to an end.
During his three days in the southwestern province, Xi Jinping has made stops in several cities, visiting the countryside, as well as local businesses, with a focus on poverty reduction and disaster relief.
As part of his trip, the Chinese President made a stop in Ludian County, which is the epicenter of last summer's 6.5-magnitude quake that left over 600 people dead and thousands of others homeless.
"Do you have a place to live? Can you access decent meals everyday? Are the elderly in your family being taken care of? Are your children going to school? Can you get proper treatment when you're sick? I'm especially concerned about how you're spending the winter. With post-quake reconstruction45 where it is right now, is it possible for you to move to your new homes? So that's why I'm here visiting you."
As part of his time in Yunnan, the Chinese President has also put an emphasis on poverty reduction, particularly among ethnic46 minority groups.
Yunnan is home to many of China's 55 ethnic minorities, many of whom are among the over 90-million people in China still living below the poverty line.
Chinese environmental regulators say a snap inspection tour they launched this past year seems to show polluters in the north and northeast of the country appear to be adhering to the government's emission47 reduction rules.
Regulators carried out a series of surprise inspections49 in over a dozen different cities from April to August of last year.
The combined review of their work appears to show many of the high-polluting industries in those cities were in-line with emission targets.
However, environmental regulators note there are still problem areas, including the area surrounding Beijing.
Liu Changgen with the Ministry50 of Environmental Protection says the area around the capital remains one of the biggest trouble-spots for air pollution.
"The pollution in Beijing's neighboring areas definitely impacts air quality in Beijing. Based on our overall inspections, pollution in the city of Baoding in Hebei is still severe. But if the air quality in Baoding can be improved, it should have a positive impact on the air, particularly in the south of Beijing. As for Beijing itself, air quality regulations in the capital are in-place. However, coal burning still remains a problem in the outlying regions of the capital, including Yanqing and Fangshan."
Environment officials have been calling for unified51 emission standards for the entire Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region.
Biz Reports
Anchor:
First, let's have a look at the numbers across the Asian markets this Thursday evening.
Joining me on the desk is Poornima Weerasekara.
Reporter:
Chinese markets have extended rallies this week into a third-straight day, with aircraft manufacturers and nonferrous metal producers leading the gains.
Military equipment stocks also rose after a report suggests the government is going to increase defense spending by 13-percent this year, with more emphasis on the country's air force.
The nonferrous metal posted solid gains on reports the European Central Bank is going to announce a massive bond buying program later tonight.
At close, the Shanghai Composite Index gained just over half-a-percent.
In Hong Kong, the Hang Seng picked up close to three-quarters of a percent.
Elsewhere in Asia,
The Japanese Nikkei inched up around a third of a percent.
South Korea's KOSPI ended flat.
Finally, both Singapore's Straits Times index and Australia's ASX 200 increased half a percent.
The provincial government in Sichuan is eliminating all its existing home purchase restrictions.
Authorities in the western Chinese province have been limiting the size of residential22 developments to keep apartment sizes between 70 to 90 square meters each.
At the same time, developers in Sichuan are being encouraged to put more pre-furnished homes on the market, a trend which has been gaining increasing popularity in China's first-tier cities.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is ruling out the possibility of a systematic61 meltdown of China's real estate market.
Speaking to representatives of the International Business Council at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Li Keqiang says rebuilding dilapidated shantytowns in China will provide new growth for the housing market.
The premier has also told the world business leaders the steady urbanization drive in China maintains the potential to unlock new housing demand.
The comments from Li Keqiang follow on the latest stats showing China's home sales declined over 7-percent, while investment in the property sector rose 10-percent through the whole of 2014.
Beijing Set to Link with Moscow with New High-speed Railway
Beijing's Municipal Government says it's going to ask for permission to build a high-speed passenger railway linking the Chinese capital to the Russian capital, Moscow.
Beijing's municipal information office says the new high-speed link would cut the train trip between Beijing and Moscow to just two days.
Right now it takes a week to travel by train between Beijing and Moscow.
Beijing authorities say the project will cost around 250-billion US dollars.
The new line would pass through Kazakhstan, rather than the current link to the Trans-Siberian railway, which connects through Mongolia.
China's internet security watchdog says Apple has agreed to allow security checks by the Cyberspace63 Administration of China, becoming the first foreign firm to agree to the watchdog's rules.
Several US tech giants, including Google and Facebook, have been excluded from the Chinese market for refusing to comply with China's cyberspace checks.
For more on this, the Beijing Hour's Shane Bigham spoke64 earlier with Cao Can, CRI's Financial Commentator65.
ECB Set to Announce Massive Bond Buying Program in Hours
It's widely expected the European Central Bank is poised66 to announce a plan to inject up to a trillion euros into the Eurozone economy.
Reports are suggesting the ECB plans to purchase government bonds worth up to 50-billion euros per month until the end of 2016.
This would be double the amount previously anticipated.
The announcement is expected later tonight.
Observers say the decision to expand the bond-buying program has been made under pressure by calls within the Eurozone to take bold steps to reinvigorate the European economy along the lines the United States did as part of its bond-purchase program.
China's central bank has granted Switzerland an 8-billion US dollar investment quota under its Qualified68 Foreign Institutional Investor59 program.
The QFII will allow Swiss investors to directly invest into the Chinese capital market.
The deal is part of a broader plan to make Switzerland the latest clearance hub for renminbi-based business in Europe.
It is expected one of China's big-4 state-run banks is going to be tapped to become a RMB clearance bank later this week.
The central banks of China and Switzerland signed a bilateral69 currency swap70 agreement worth 24-billion US dollars last year.
China's Domestic Luxury Sales Drop for the First Time
New industry stats are suggesting luxury sales in China contracted for the first time last year.
The luxury market decreased by 1 percent from a year earlier to around 19-billion US dollars.
A report by consulting firm Bain & Company is attributing the slowdown of luxury purchases to the government curbs72 on lavish73 spending by the country's public servants.
But the same report also suggests the purchase of luxury items by overseas Chinese travellers is still on the rise.
The Chinese Ministry of Commerce is calling on the US to be fair and objective in its trade dispute over Chinese-made solar panel imports.
The call follows a final ruling by the US International Trade Commission, which paved the way for punitive duties on Chinese-made Photovoltaic Products.
The US side contends certain Chinese solar products have been receiving subsidies76 of between 27 and 50 percent.
American solar-panel producers have convinced US authorities that Chinese producers have been receiving unfair government subsidies.
Australian mining giant BHP Billiton has announced its shutting down around 40-percent of its shale exploration rigs in the United States over the next 4-months.
The company says it's making the move in the wake of the sharp downturn in oil prices.
Exploration in shale fields is an expensive process, requiring commodity prices to be above certain benchmarks for shale exploration to be profitable.
Oil prices have fallen over 60-percent since last June.
The massive drop has already forced a number of US shale gas companies to shut down their operations.
Some have already declared bankruptcy79.
Despite this, Chinese energy giant Sinopec says it remains committed to shale gas exploration.
Sinopec's Fuling shale gas field produced over a billion cubic meters worth of natural gas this past year.
Headline News
Premier Li Shruggs off concerns over China's slowing economic growth in Davos
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang is moving to dissuade any fears about China's slowing growth rate.
Speaking to business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Li Keqiang says the Chinese economy is not headed for a hard landing.
In addressing any potential concerns about the so-called "new normal," Li Keqiang has told the Davos sessions the Chinese government is making moves to make it easier for foreign investment, particularly in the service sector.
But he also admits the 'new normal' is part of a restructuring slowdown of the overall economy.
The 'new normal" is the Chinese government's term for a shift from high rates of growth toward a more moderate growth rate built on a greater focus toward consumer-driven economic strength.
Tram shelled as foreign ministers talk peace in eastern Ukraine
At least a dozen people are dead after a shelling in the eastern Ukranian city of Donetsk.
A mortar round has hit a tram stop in the city, leaving at least 13 dead and dozens of others injured.
The incident comes just hours after an agreement by Kiev and rebel-forces to withdraw their heavy-weapons 15-kilometers behind a previously-agreed-to demarcation line.
But the two sides failed to finalize an agreement on the withdrawal of all troops in eastern Ukraine.
Kiev claims Russia has more than 9-thousand of its soldiers fighting alongside the rebels.
Moscow has denied the allegation.
U.S. lifts cap on military aid to Philippines
The US is lifting its financial cap on military aid to the Philippines.
Since 2009, the U.S. Congress had been enforcing a cutback of 3-million U.S. dollars a year worth of assistance to the country amid accusations81 of rights violations82 by the Philippine military.
The U.S. is now expected to provide 40 million U.S. dollars in military funding to Manila this year.
The increase in US military aid to the Philippines comes amid the dispute in the South China Sea between Beijing and Manila.
International conference held in London tackling IS
High-ranking officials from 21 different countries are gathering83 in London to discuss how to continue the fight against the Islamic State.
The one-day conference includes US Secretary of State John Kerry, UK Foreign Minister Phillip Hammond and Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, among others.
Officials are expected to discuss how to stop the flow of both recruits and money to the Islamic State.
They are also expected to talk about how to provide more military aid to those fighting the Islamic State on the ground, such as the Kurdish pershmerga forces.
Police reopen Sydney Harbor after bomb scare
Australian police have reopened a popular tourist area in Sydney Harbor which was shut down earlier after a suspicious object was found on a ferry.
Hundreds of police and sailors had to be dispatched to Circular Quay84 after a bottle with wires hanging out of it was found on the ferry.
Circular Quay is a transport hub for ferries, buses and trains in Sydney Harbor.
It has since been reopened after the item was later determined85 not to be dangerous.
Newspaper Picks
PEOPLE'S DAILY
A recent survey found 70 percent of respondents were satisfied over the progress of the country's anti-graft campaign.
The respondents listed the downfall of a batch87 of "big tigers" or high-ranking officials, cracking down on corrupt88 officials fleeing abroad, and a purge89 of "naked officials", which refer to those whose spouses90 have emigrated overseas, as the top three biggest results in 2014.
The survey sampled employers ranging from private and state-owned companies to government agencies.
Over 80 percent of those polled, however, believe the situation remains grave and the fight against graft still has challenges ahead.
The most anticipated anti-graft moves in 2015 include bringing down corruption91 in common people's daily life, ferreting out more "big tigers", and the continued hunt for fugitive92 officials and their illegal gains, the survey said.
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SINA ENGLISH
Employees seek new pastures as bonuses decline
According to a survey, many white-collar workers are unhappy with their annual bonuses, and some said their dissatisfaction over the issue will force them to seek new jobs.
The report says only 40 percent of employees are expected to receive a bonus for their work performance in 2014.
Sixteen percent have already received a bonus.
A second study has found that employers on the Chinese mainland are willing to offer the most generous salary increases this year compared with those in Singapore, Malaysia and Japan.
The over 10-thousand respondents who took part in the annual bonus survey were asked to rate their level of satisfaction with their payments on a scale of five, with zero representing complete dissatisfaction and five indicating complete satisfaction. The average result was 2.23.
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REUTERS
Gates foundation sees huge gains against disease, poverty by 2030
Worldwide child deaths will be halved93 over the next 15 years, polio, guinea worm and river blindness will be eradicated94, and there will be a single-dose cure for malaria95.
The predictions appear in the annual letter from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, chaired by the Microsoft Corp co-founder and former chief executive and his wife.
The letter, released on Thursday, predicts a long list of breakthroughs in global health and development by 2030, including long-elusive milestones96 such as Africa being able to feed itself rather than depend on food imports.
The world's wealthiest foundation has helped produce big advances before, including vaccines97 against the childhood killers98 rotavirus and pneumonia99.
It is also one of the largest donors100 to the World Health Organization, which has been slammed for a chaotic101 and belated response to West Africa's Ebola epidemic102 last year.
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L.A. ban on some alcohol ads will protect young people, advocates say
Los Angeles has effectively become the largest US city to ban alcohol advertising104 on some city-owned or city-controlled property.
Specifically, the Los Angeles measure, which the city council passed unanimously, will remove such advertising from all public transit105, including bus-stop benches and enclosures.
A coalition of some 40 community and grass-roots groups helped get the ordinance106 passed, which advocates say will protect the region's youths.
The restrictions, however, will not take effect for another seven years, when the city's current advertising contract for outdoor advertising expires.
Other cities that have recently joined the effort to curb71 alcohol advertising include Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Boston, with Boston passing a similar measure in 2012.
But New York, Chicago, and New Orleans are among cities that have yet to get on the bandwagon.
Special Reports
A Change is Encouraged for Unhappy Employees
Anchor:
A pair of forums107 have been held in both Beijing and Shanghai to discuss how people work toward finding and building a global career.
CRI's Xu Fei has more.
Reporter:
"It surpassed my expectations."
"Identify what you would like to do and follow it" "It's so important to do what you love."
"I'm studying business administration. And I think it's important for my future because I want to work in an Multinational108 corporation."
'Careers beyond borders' is a global event hosted by EF Education First at various global destinations ranging from Manchester, Chicago, London and also here in Shanghai and Beijing.
Panelists from different sectors109 of the industry would share their experiences on how to build global careers in today's challenging global economy.
The forum in Beijing also addressed the importance of learning a second language, like English. A first-ever such workshop explained there is much more than just learning a language to build a career.
Sange Lee, a Swedish, President of Asia Pacific with EF International Language Center, is a panelist who joins the forum held in Beijing earlier this month.
"We, of course, believe that learning a language will benefit you tremendously in your career. It's a package of lot of things when it comes to learning. It's not necessarily the language itself; it's experiencing the language and the culture. I think there is a segment of people that are professionals but they may have not found the right job, or a passion for the job and how to actually find the future or investing in the future and find the right job for them."
There's an old Chinese saying that goes as "Flexible people may succeed" (人挪活 树挪死). Apparently110, panelists believe in this and adds that an opportunity to link travel, study and work abroad as an effective option for adults and young professionals who are unhappy at work.
A report released by Gallup, the Washington, D.C.-based polling organization, finds there are people who are disengaged with their jobs and people who are engaged with their careers.
Since the late 1990s, Gallup has been measuring international employee satisfaction through a survey. In total it has polled 25 million employees in 189 different countries.
Overall, Gallup finds that only 13% of workers feel engaged by their jobs. That means they feel a sense of passion for their work, while the vast majority, some 63%, are "not engaged," meaning they are unhappy but not drastically so.
Getting this in mind, Sange Lee, encourages a change in the life of the passionless worker. He adds that is why his organization designed such a forum.
"By attending this forum, it's a little bit like 'open your own eyes'. Haven't you this feeling, ah, maybe there is a different career path for me. Maybe there's another job that I can do. Maybe I can do something to change my life. The things you haven't really thought about yourself, by going to this forum, there is another opportunity."
A similar career forum was held last month in Shanghai
BACK ANCHOR:
CRI's Xu Fei reporting.
Sports
China takes on Australia in Asian Cup
In Asian Cup action:
South Korea beat Uzbekistan, blanking them 2-0.
And China are playing Australia, and trail 1-0 at last check.
CRI's Australian Correspondent Wang Xiao attended the match, and joins us live.
Tennis: Kei Nishkori advances to round 3 of aussie open.
In more action from round two of the Australian open:
Kei Nishikori had to dig deep in his match against Croatian Ivan Dodig in the second round of the Australian Open.
The Japanese fifth seed came from a set down to eventually triumph 4-6, 7-5, 6-2, 7-6 to set up a tie against American Steve Johnson.
It was a little easier for Novak Djokovic.
The top seed and four-time champion lost just five games as he cruised into the third round with some sublime111 shot making.
He thrashed Russian Andrey Kuznetsov 6-0, 6-1, 6-4 in an hour and 24 minutes
Defending champion Stan Wawrinka also safely reached the last 32 as he beat Romanian qualifier Marius Copil.
He won both opening sets in tie-breaks before taking the third set 6-3.
He will face Jarkko Nieminen of Finland in the third round.
In other action:
9th seeded David Ferrer took out Sergiy Stakovsky, of Ukraine, 6-3, 6-4, 6-2.
In women's singles:
4th seed Petra Kivitova beat out Germany's Mona Barthel, 6-4, 6-2.
Five-time Australian Open champion Serena Williams was forced to save three set points before she took the first set and ran away with the match to progress with a 7-5, 6-2 win over Vera Zvonareva.
Serena's sister, Venus, also won through to Saturday's third round with a straight-sets win over compatriot Lauren Davis.
The defending men's champion, world Number four Stan Wawrinka, faced a 242-km serve from Marius Copil and struggled to get a racquet on those marginally slower.
Wawrinka, however, prevailed in each of the match's two tiebreaks before breaking the fast, if sporadic112, serve of Copil to win 7-6 (7-4), 7-6 (7-4), 6-3.
CBA: Stephon Marbury and Beijing edge Xinjiang 115-106.
In CBA action last night:
Fujian downed Guangdong Foshan 126-116;
Zhejiang Chouzhou beat Tianjin 121-116;
Jilin Northeast embarrassed Shanxi 135-91;
Stephon Marbury and his Beijing Ducks took the win over Xinjiang 115-106;
Jiangsu Tong Xi edged the struggling Bayi Rockets 125-122;
Qingdao hammered the Sichuan Blue Whales 104-84;
Guangdong Southern put away the Jiangsu Dragons 124-94;
First-place Liaoning lost to Zhejiang Guangsha 120-113;
And Shandong beat Chongqing 114-88.
In NBA action:
The typically mild-mannered point guard got involved in a rare altercation116 with Trevor Ariza before finishing with 22 points and 10 assists, and the Warriors held off the Houston Rockets 126-113 on Wednesday night for their franchise117-record 17th straight home win.
And in Atlanta:
With Kyle Korver providing the highlight of the night with his first slam in more than two years, the Atlanta Hawks118 cruised past the Indiana Pacers 110-91 on Wednesday night, tying the franchise record with their 14th straight victory.
The Hawks are now one game away from setting an NBA record for longest winning streak119 of all time. They host the Oklahoma City Thunder at Phillips Arena120 on Friday.
In other action:
Charlotte beat out Miami, 78-76.
LeBron James added 26 as the Cavaliers held off the Utah Jazz to extend their hot streak to four.
It was a battle of two of the most losing teams in the league as the Philadelphia 76ers beat the New York Knicks 98-91.
Memphis took out Toronto 92-86.
Dallas thrashed Minnesota 98-75.
Oklahoma City edged Washington 105-103.
And it was the Brooklyn Nets over the Los Angeles Kings, 103-100.
In NHL action:
Nathan MacKinnon scored the only goal of the shootout to lift the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the Boston Bruins earlier today.
Chicago beat out Pittsburgh 3-2.
The Winnipeg Jets blanked the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-0.
Anaheim thrashed Calgary 6-3 at the Duck pond.
And it was the San Jose Sharks over the Los Angeles Kings 4-2.
Cycling: Latest from the Down Under Tour in Australia
In Clycling Action, from the Down Under Tour in Australia:
The third stage of the Tour Down Under saw the riders make a 143 kilometer ride from Norwood to Paracombe.
Will Clarke (Drapac) went hard early and broke away from the peloton, joined by Lasse Norman Hansen, Calvin Watson and Frenchman Axel Domont (ag2r).
Clarke took the three sprints126 and was soon out on his own, but his lead was never big enough to see him home to the finish.
With nine kilometers remaining he was caught, and as the stage entered the final climb to the finish it seemed as if Cadel Evans (BMC) would take the stage win.
But Australian Rohan Dennis took the initiative, outsprinting teammate and former Tour de France champion Evans on the tough uphill finish.
Dennis maneuvered127 into an attacking position as the field swung around the final corner to beat Evans by three seconds for his first stage win since last year's Tour of California.
Entertainment
Andy Lau to return to this year's CCTV Spring Gala Festival
Hong Kong actor and singer Andy Lau is set to return to this year's Spring Gala Festival on China Central Television.
Ten years after his last appearance at the event, Lau has confirmed his participation128 on the show which will be aired on 18 February although the nature of the appearance cannot be disclosed for the time being.
Other performers at the event include Karen Mok and David Tao. Actors Tong Dawei and Zhang Fengyi will also appear on the show.
The Spring Festival Gala is an annual Chinese New Year broadcast produced by China Central Television since 1983.
This year's show will see Ha Wen return to the director's seat for the third time.
Oscar song nominations129 result in 102 percent sales rise for original song contenders
The January announcement of this year's Oscar nominations resulted in a 102 percent sales spike130 for the five academy award original song contenders.
Common and John Legend's Glory from the film Selma was the biggest seller.
The song registered 27,000 downloads the week ending last Sunday, a rise of nearly 160 percent from the previous week. The track debuts131 at number 25 on the Billboard132 R&B songs chart.
Glenn Campbell's 'I'm Not Gonna Miss You', his final recording133, rose over 200 percent on sales of 1,000. While Rita Ora's version of 'Grateful' from Beyond the Lights, was up over 150 percent although it did not top 1,000 units in sales.
The version of 'Everything is Awesome134' by Tegan and Sara and The Lonely Island, from The LEGO Movie, stacked up 4,000 sales, a 26 percent rise.
The suspected hacker behind Madonna's Rebel Heart leak has been arrested in Israel.
Israeli media have reported that a 39 year old man was arrested following a month-long investigation136 involving a private investigation firm.
According to Lahav 433, Israel's cybercrime unit, the suspect broke into the personal computers of several international artists over the past few months and stole promotional final-cut singles which have yet to be released and traded them online for a fee.
The singer has thanked the agencies that helped arrest the hacker via her Facebook page. She also thanked fans for helping137 to provide information regarding the leaks of her music, and criticized the hacker's attack on her right to privacy.
The arrest in Israel comes a day after Bjork was forced to release her new album Vulnicura two months ahead of schedule after it leaked over the weekend.
Morrissey denies fan an autograph claiming he has ebola
British singer Morrissey has denied a fan an autograph declaring that he was unable to due to the fact he has Ebola.
The fan said that the singer's bodyguard139 would not allow them to take a picture and when they asked for an autograph Morrisey replied saying he had Ebola.
It's fairly obvious that the star does not have Ebola due to the fact he was travelling through one of the busiest airports in the world.
The singer isn't one to stay away from controversy140 having banned several of his fans from attending shows including some fans who had travelled thousands of miles to attend one of his shows.
George Lucas reveals his Star Wars ideas rejected by Disney
George Lucas has revealed that he had ideas for the next Star Wars films but Disney rejected them.
It turns out that the brains behind Star Wars had begun writing the seventh chapter to the saga142 several years ago.
Lucas said at a press conference that Disney came to the decision that they didn't want to use his ideas and came up with their own.
He wouldn't offer details about his own plans for Episode 6. He also admitted to not seeing the first trailer for the new film which is being directed by JJ Abrams.
Beyond the names of its characters and a few contextual tidbits, not much is known about the new film.
George Lucas sold his company Lucasfilm to Disney for 4 billion dollars in 2012.
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1
premier
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| adj.首要的；n.总理，首相 | |
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promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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provincial
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| adj.省的，地方的；n．外省人，乡下人 | |
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restrictions
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| 约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则） | |
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overcast
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| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
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dissuade
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| v.劝阻，阻止 | |
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forum
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| n.论坛，讨论会 | |
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sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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structural
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| adj.构造的，组织的，建筑（用）的 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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envisages
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| 想像，设想( envisage的第三人称单数 ) | |
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humanitarian
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| n.人道主义者，博爱者，基督凡人论者 | |
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artillery
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| n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队) | |
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violation
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| n.违反(行为)，违背(行为)，侵犯 | |
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blatant
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| adj.厚颜无耻的；显眼的；炫耀的 | |
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18
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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finalize
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| v.落实，定下来 | |
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withdrawal
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| n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销 | |
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amend
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| vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿 | |
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residential
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| adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的 | |
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essentially
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| adv.本质上，实质上，基本上 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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investigators
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| n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 ) | |
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dedicated
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| adj.一心一意的；献身的；热诚的 | |
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radical
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| n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的 | |
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militant
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| adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士 | |
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ransom
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| n.赎金，赎身；v.赎回，解救 | |
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looming
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| n.上现蜃景（光通过低层大气发生异常折射形成的一种海市蜃楼）v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的现在分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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31
militants
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| 激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 ) | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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defense
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| n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩 | |
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contractor
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| n.订约人，承包人，收缩肌 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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frustrating
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| adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧 | |
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interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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40
democrat
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| n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员 | |
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41
coalition
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| n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合 | |
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42
survivor
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| n.生存者，残存者，幸存者 | |
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43
elimination
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| n.排除，消除，消灭 | |
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44
inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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45
reconstruction
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| n.重建，再现，复原 | |
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46
ethnic
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| adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的 | |
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47
emission
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| n.发出物，散发物；发出，散发 | |
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48
emissions
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| 排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体） | |
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49
inspections
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| n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅 | |
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50
ministry
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| n.(政府的)部；牧师 | |
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51
unified
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| (unify 的过去式和过去分词)； 统一的； 统一标准的； 一元化的 | |
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52
component
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| n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的 | |
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53
scraps
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| 油渣 | |
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54
scrapped
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| 废弃(scrap的过去式与过去分词)； 打架 | |
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55
glut
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| n.存货过多，供过于求；v.狼吞虎咽 | |
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56
unleash
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| vt.发泄，发出；解带子放开 | |
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57
renovated
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| 翻新，修复，整修( renovate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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58
reassures
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| v.消除恐惧或疑虑，恢复信心( reassure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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59
investor
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| n.投资者，投资人 | |
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60
investors
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| n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 ) | |
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61
systematic
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| adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的 | |
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62
clearance
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| n.净空；许可(证)；清算；清除，清理 | |
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cyberspace
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| n.虚拟信息空间，网络空间，计算机化世界 | |
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64
spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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65
commentator
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| n.注释者，解说者；实况广播评论员 | |
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poised
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| a.摆好姿势不动的 | |
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67
quota
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| n.（生产、进出口等的）配额，（移民的）限额 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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bilateral
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| adj.双方的，两边的，两侧的 | |
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70
swap
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| n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易 | |
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71
curb
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| n.场外证券市场，场外交易；vt.制止，抑制 | |
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curbs
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| v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 ) | |
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73
lavish
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| adj.无节制的；浪费的；vt.慷慨地给予，挥霍 | |
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74
levy
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| n.征收税或其他款项，征收额 | |
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75
punitive
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| adj.惩罚的，刑罚的 | |
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76
subsidies
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| n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 ) | |
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77
margins
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| 边( margin的名词复数 )； 利润； 页边空白； 差数 | |
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78
shale
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| n.页岩，泥板岩 | |
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bankruptcy
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| n.破产；无偿付能力 | |
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80
subsidy
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| n.补助金，津贴 | |
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81
accusations
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| n.指责( accusation的名词复数 )；指控；控告；（被告发、控告的）罪名 | |
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82
violations
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| 违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸 | |
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83
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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84
quay
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| n.码头，靠岸处 | |
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85
determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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86
graft
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| n.移植，嫁接，艰苦工作，贪污；v.移植，嫁接 | |
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87
batch
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| n.一批(组，群)；一批生产量 | |
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88
corrupt
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| v.贿赂，收买；adj.腐败的，贪污的 | |
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89
purge
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| n.整肃，清除，泻药，净化；vt.净化，清除，摆脱；vi.清除，通便，腹泻，变得清洁 | |
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90
spouses
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| n.配偶，夫或妻( spouse的名词复数 ) | |
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91
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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92
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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halved
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| v.把…分成两半( halve的过去式和过去分词 )；把…减半；对分；平摊 | |
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94
eradicated
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| 画着根的 | |
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malaria
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| n.疟疾 | |
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milestones
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| n.重要事件( milestone的名词复数 )；重要阶段；转折点；里程碑 | |
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vaccines
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| 疫苗，痘苗( vaccine的名词复数 ) | |
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98
killers
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| 凶手( killer的名词复数 )； 消灭…者； 致命物； 极难的事 | |
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99
pneumonia
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| n.肺炎 | |
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100
donors
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| n.捐赠者( donor的名词复数 )；献血者；捐血者；器官捐献者 | |
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101
chaotic
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| adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的 | |
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102
epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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103
Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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104
advertising
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| n.广告业；广告活动 a.广告的；广告业务的 | |
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105
transit
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| n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过 | |
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106
ordinance
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| n.法令；条令；条例 | |
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107
forums
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| 讨论会； 座谈会； 广播专题讲话节目； 集会的公共场所( forum的名词复数 )； 论坛，讨论会，专题讨论节目； 法庭 | |
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108
multinational
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| adj.多国的，多种国籍的；n.多国籍公司，跨国公司 | |
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109
sectors
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| n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形 | |
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110
apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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111
sublime
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| adj.崇高的，伟大的；极度的，不顾后果的 | |
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112
sporadic
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| adj.偶尔发生的 [反]regular；分散的 | |
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113
harpooned
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| v.鱼镖，鱼叉( harpoon的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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114
curry
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| n.咖哩粉，咖哩饭菜；v.用咖哩粉调味，用马栉梳，制革 | |
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115
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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116
altercation
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| n.争吵，争论 | |
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117
franchise
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| n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权 | |
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118
hawks
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| 鹰( hawk的名词复数 )； 鹰派人物，主战派人物 | |
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119
streak
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| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
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120
arena
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| n.竞技场，运动场所；竞争场所，舞台 | |
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121
pistons
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| 活塞( piston的名词复数 ) | |
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122
pelicans
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| n.鹈鹕( pelican的名词复数 ) | |
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123
phoenix
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| n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生 | |
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124
avalanche
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| n.雪崩，大量涌来 | |
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125
maple
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| n.槭树，枫树，槭木 | |
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126
sprints
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| n.短距离的全速奔跑( sprint的名词复数 )v.短距离疾跑( sprint的第三人称单数 ) | |
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127
maneuvered
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| v.移动，用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵 | |
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128
participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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129
nominations
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| n.提名，任命( nomination的名词复数 ) | |
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130
spike
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| n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效 | |
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131
debuts
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| 演员首次演出( debut的名词复数 ) | |
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132
billboard
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| n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌 | |
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133
recording
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| n.录音，记录 | |
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134
awesome
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| adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的 | |
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135
hacker
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| n.能盗用或偷改电脑中信息的人，电脑黑客 | |
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136
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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137
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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138
spotted
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| adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的 | |
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139
bodyguard
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| n.护卫，保镖 | |
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140
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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141
rumoured
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| adj.谣传的；传说的；风 | |
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142
saga
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| n.(尤指中世纪北欧海盗的)故事，英雄传奇 | |
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