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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
It's Paul James with you on this Wednesday, February 4, 2015.
Welcome to the Beijing Hour, coming to you live from the Chinese capital.
Coming up on our program this morning...
The Jordanian government is vowing1 revenge following the release of a video showing a hostage of the Islamic State being burned to death.
This year's Spring Festival travel rush, the Chunyun, is officially underway as of today.
China takes over the rotating Presidency2 of the UN Security Council.
In Sports, Chinese hurdler Liu Xiang admits he's unlikely to compete at the world championships later this summer in Beijing.
First, let's check in with what's happening with the weather...
Weather
Shanghai will be cloudy in the day with a high of 8, overnight lows dipping to 2 degrees Celsius.
Elsewhere in Asia.
Islamabad, sunny, with a high of 26.
Kabul sunny with a high of 9.
Over to North America.
New York, cloudy to overcast, with a high of 6 degree Celsius.
Washington sunny with a high of 12 degrees.
Honolulu will have shower, with a high of 27.
Toronto will have snow with a high of minus 2.
Finally, in South America,
Buenos Aires, sunny, 31.
And Rio de Janeiro will be rainy with a high of 34 degrees Celsius.
Top News
Jordan confirms death of pilot, vowing revenge
Jordan's government is vowing "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" action, following the release of an Islamic State video showing the death of a Jordanian pilot the group had been holding.
The grizzly8 video shows the young pilot, Muath al-Kaseasbeh, being burned to death inside a steel cage.
Jordanian authorities are reportedly preparing to execute a jailed Iraqi woman the Islamic State had been demanding in return for the pilot's freedom.
At the same time, local reports in Jordan are suggesting the young pilot, who was shot down in December, was actually killed nearly a month ago.
"In these difficult moments, it is the duty of all Jordanian citizens to stand united, to show the strength of this people in fighting this group. This will only give us more strength and resistance."
The King is cutting-short his current visit to the United States, where he has just finished securing a one-billion US dollar increase in annual aide from the United States.
Meanwhile, US President Barack Obama has issued a strong condemnation11 of the pilot's murder.
"I don't know the details of the confirmations12 but should, in fact, this video be authentic13 it's just one more indication of the viciousness and barbarity of this organization and it, I think, will re-double the vigilance and determination on the part of a global coalition to make sure that they are degraded and ultimately defeated."
The White House says Obama has ordered all resources be made available to locate other hostages currently being held by the Islamic State.
Spring Festival Travel Rush Kicks off, a slightly different this year
The Spring Festival travel rush officially kicks off today here in China.
New stats are suggesting most people are booking their train tickets home online, with reports suggesting only one-in-five tickets sold so-far have been through ticket-booking offices.
Song Jianguo is with Beijing West Railway Station, which is the busiest train station in China.
"Since passengers can now book their train tickets at home or office via the phone or internet, instead of making a trip out to the train station, the number of people standing15 in line outside the ticket offices has been largely reduced."
However, the growing use of online bookings has made ticket re-sales more rampant16, with scalpers attempting to purchase tickets using special software.
"The main strategy for scalpers is to steal other people's IDs and register multiple accounts online. After that, they try to buy tickets by every possible means ahead of others. This way, they can stockpile as many tickets as possible."
By scalpers frontloading on tickets, legitimate18 passengers who are unable to get the tickets they want will have to resort to scalpers.
Police have detained more than 2,500 scalpers since January 1.
Some 2.8 billion trips are expected to be made over the 40-day travel peak, with nearly 300 million trips by rail.
China Accuses Norway of Violating Scholar's Rights
The Chinese government has officially taken up the case of a Chinese PhD student who was recently kicked out of Norway.
Chinese authorities are accusing Norwegian officials of violating the rights of the young man, who was forced to leave the country last month.
The PhD student had been working at a wind-power project at the University of Agder for the last 2-years.
However, police ordered him out of the country, saying they fear the student's expertise19 could be used "for military purposes in other countries."
Both the student and his professor have denied the suggestion.
The university's management also says it saw no grounds for his expulsion.
The Chinese embassy in Norway says the action by local police is totally baseless and unreasonable20.
China Should step up GM Tech Development: official
A senior Chinese official says it's time for the country to become a world leader in the research of genetically-modified biotechnology.
Han Jun is the Deputy Director of the central government's Rural Work Leading Group.
"We support Chinese scientists in their efforts to seize the industrial height of GM technology research. As a country with a population of 1.3 billion but relatively21 limited arable22 farming land, China's agriculture development is facing more and more environmental resource constraints23. It is obvious that we can not fall behind in the research of GM technology."
The suggestion follows the release of the central government's so-called Number-1 document, which suggests the government is going to put a priority on the technical study and safety management of GM technology.
Han Jun says the authorities are also planning a new public relations campaign to create awareness24 of GM foods.
"We hope to give the public, including the media, a clear, objective, and more comprehensive understanding on GM technology's origins and developments, its characteristics and safety risks, China's current safety management system on GM as well as other countries' safety management system on GM technology."
Though there is no evidence to suggest genetically-modified crops harm human health or the environment, many in China still view the technology with suspicion.
A number of local governments have imposed their own restrictions25 on the sale of genetically-modified products.
Time for UN to foster new type of international relations: China
Anchor
China's permanent representative to the United Nations says it is time for the world body to take an integrated approach to address challenges and build a new type of international dynamic.
CRI's UN correspondent Su Yi has more.
Reporter:
Chinese UN envoy28 Liu Jieyi making the comments after accepting the presidency of the UN Security Council for February on behalf of China, suggesting the UN has to be willing to change with the times.
"It is time for the United Nations to look at how it can best work to maximize the opportunities we face to foster a new type of international relations based on cooperation and win-win and also how to address the challenges we face – new challenges on the horizon and new manifestations29 of existing challenges that the international community faces."
Liu says one of the goals they have this month is a ministerial-level debate on international peace and security in the Security Council on February 23rd.
"The purpose of the open debate will be to commemorate30 the 70th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations and the victory of the war over Fascism. It is time for stock taking and also for forward looking."
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will be there to take part in the debate.
The presidency of the UN Security Council is held by each of the members in turn for a month.
It goes in alphabetical31 order.
For CRI, I'm Su Yi in New York.
UN Court rejects Balkan genocide claims
The United Nation's top court has ruled that Serbia and Croatia did not commit genocide against each other's people during the bloody32 1990s wars sparked by the breakup of the former Yugoslavia.
The International Court of Justice does say forces on both sides did carry out violent acts during the war.
However, presiding judge Peter Tomka says neither side has provided sufficient evidence to demonstrate the "specific intent required for acts of genocide".
"In view of the fact that dolus specialis has not been established by Croatia, its claims of conspiracy34 to commit genocide, direct and pubic incitement35 to commit genocide and attempt to commit genocide, also necessarily failed. Accordingly, Croatia's claim must be dismissed in its entirety."
The Croatian government has accused Serbia of committing genocide in the town of Vukovar and other places in 1991.
Serbia later filed a counter claim over the expulsion of more than 200-thousand Serb forces from Croatia.
The decisions by the ICJ, which are final, are being considered by some as a step toward ending the lingering animosities between the Balkan neighbors.
Croatian President Ivo Josipovic.
"Peace is the ultimate value. Here, no matter that the result was in fact an equalizer, the message of the whole court proceedings36, based on the evidence presented, tells us that war crimes, aggression37 should always be prevented."
"Despite the injustice39, a promising step was made today. I truly hope that in the days ahead of us, there will be enough courage for Serbia and Croatia, in good faith, to solve all their problems together, and to lead our region into a permanent period of peace and prosperity."
Around 20-thousand people were killed during the war between the two neighbors, one of several to shake the Balkans in the 1990s following the break-up of the former Yugoslavia.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is calling on the United Nations to shut-down a commission tasked with investigating potential war crimes committed during last summer's war in Gaza.
He's made the call after the inquiry's chief, Canadian law professor William Schabas, resigned amid accusations42 from Israel that he is biased44 against the country.
"This is a biased, one-sided council and those who should have been summoned and questioned over there are Hamas members and their partners in terror organizations and not IDF soldiers."
Hamas spokesperson Fawzi Barhoum says the probe needs to continue.
"What's needed now from the United Nations is to for them to continue with their investigation45 and ignore the Israeli and international Zionist lobby's pressure and blackmailing46 in order to uncover the truth and quickly bring the occupation leaders in front of the international criminal court."
Schabas was appointed last August to head the UN investigation.
He has been publically critical of the Israeli government, and had previously47 offered to be a consultant48 for Palestinian Liberation Organization.
The UN commission is due to issue an initial report on whether war crimes were committed in Gaza in March.
Last summer's conflict in Gaza left close to 23-hundred people dead, most of them Palestinian civilians49.
Three French soldiers hurt in knife attack
Three French soldiers have been injured in a knife attack in the southern French city of Nice.
The soldiers have been attacked while patroling outside a Jewish community center in the city.
Their injuries are not that serious.
The attack has since been detained.
However, two other suspects thought to be with the attacker did manage to flee.
Philippe Pradal is the Deputy Mayor of Nice.
"He freely attacked a soldier but the knife was ineffective because the soldier was wearing a flak jacket so then he tried to attack his face."
Authorities say the suspect is a man of Malian descent.
France has been on high alert since the Paris terror attacks, with the French government dispatching soldiers around the country to protect sensitive areas, including around Jewish facilities.
Spam Calls Reach All-time High in China
New stats show the number of spam calls made in China hit an all-time high last year.
Industry analysis suggests some 27-billion spam calls were made last year in China, with the number of calls through the 4th quarter nearly doubled compared to the same period a year earlier.
Sougou Technology helped compile the numbers.
Si Tiange is an engineer with the company.
"Most spam calls are made in the most developed areas in China, with the top three places being Guangdong, Shanghai and Beijing. People in those places have to deal with an average of 2.27 times as many spam calls as people elsewhere in China."
Word of the new figures has once-again reignited debate about whether the government should step in to legislate52 against telephone harassment53.
Hu Gang with the China Internet Society Research Center suggests the existing laws can be made tougher.
"The Consumer Protection Law could be re-interpreted by the People's Congress. As an example, if people receive cold calls which they've clearly refused before, the caller could face a 500 yuan fine. This kind of change to the legal system can both ensure the normal operation of telephone marketing54 and protect the legal rights of cell phone users."
The industry report has found nearly 43-percent of the spam calls fall under the category of scam and fraud.
Faw-Volkswagan Owners protest against latest recall
A number of Volkswagon owners in China have launched protests over the automaker's latest recall plans to fix a rear axle defect.
Volkswagon says it's going to fix the defect in the vehicles by installing metal plates, rather than replacing the entire axel.
This has led to frustration56 among Chinese Volkswagon owners, who contend the fix isn't good enough.
"I'm quite worried when driving, as I think a metal plate can't fix the defect, and it only postpones57 the rupture58 of the rear axle."
"After the recall, vehicles will emit warning noises in case of a breakdown59. This means the rear axle could still crack."
Volkswagon insists the metal plate will ensure a vehicle will still be road-worthy for hundreds of kilometers in the case of a crack.
However, the company has yet to release any testing data publically.
China Completes First Kidney Re-transplant Operation
Chinese surgeons have successfully re-transplanted a kidney which was originally transplanted in another person.
The kidney was originally transplanted in a man back in November.
This marks the first time a successful organ re-transplant has taken place in China.
Gui Weiguo is the director of the Human Organ Transplant Center at a military hospital in Guangxi.
"So far, the patient's urine volume has gone back to normal. At the same time, an ultrasound shows the blood supply to the transplanted kidney is normal. As such, we feel the operation was a success."
The success of the re-transplant is being viewed as a new approach to relieve the country's organ shortage.
Biz Reports
Stocks
Anchor:
First, a quick look at the closing numbers across North America and Europe.
Joining me on the desk, Luo Wen.
Reporter:
U.S. stocks rallied for a second-straight day on Tuesday, as oil prices surged for the third straight session to settle at their highest level of the year.
U.S. crude rose 3.3 percent to about $51 per barrel while Brent crude added 2.8 percent to about $56 per barrel.
Lending Club shares surged about 5 percent after the company announced it launched a strategic, multi-year partnership64 with Alibaba.
The two companies will offer sales financing to small U. S. business buying items from Chinese suppliers.
Alibaba shares ticked up about half of a percent.
Ford65 and General Motors shares also climbed after January data showed the two led US automakers in sales.
GM rose 2.6 percent while Ford added 2.5 percent.
At close,
The Dow Jones edged up about one and three quarters of a percent.
The S&P 500 increased nearly one and a half of a percent.
The Nasdaq gained around one percent.
Over in Europe,
Shares there also rose on Tuesday, lifted by hopes of an agreement on the Greek debt standoff after the country's new government dropped calls for a write-off of its foreign debt and proposed swapping66 debt for growth-linked bonds.
At the closing bell,
The UK's FTSE 100 climbed one and a third of a percent.
Germany's DAX added around half of a percent.
And finally France's CAC 40 was up one percent.
Alibaba to U.S. firms: Buy now, pay later
Alibaba is now offering loans through U.S. partner Lending Club to help U.S. businesses source products from China.
The program will let small businesses in the U.S. apply for loans up to 300-thousand USD in less than five minutes. The money can be used to purchase goods from Alibaba's wholesale67 e-commerce platform.
Interest rates on those loans will be as low as half of a percent.
Alibaba says the program aims to boost its expansion overseas.
Alibaba co-founder Jack50 Ma has long talked about his goal to help small businesses all over China, and this agreement with Lending Club looks like he's taking that mindset to the U.S.
To assist new customers using its platforms, Alibaba will help vet68 suppliers and shipments, and transfer funds directly if buyers chose.
China Launches Auto Insurance Rate Reforms
China's insurance regulator is making changes to how auto insurance rates are calculated, giving insurance companies more flexibility69 to set their own premiums71.
Liu Feng is with the China Insurance Regulatory Commission.
"Our reform plans will ensure that overall insurance rates will remain mostly at the same level as before. But for 'high-risk' applicants72, we will raise the premium70 threshold, and for 'low-risk' applicants, insurance rates can be brought down, which will mean benefits for better drivers."
The new reforms do include a number of controversial provisions, including a 'high premium, low compensation' rule.
This refers to the premium that owners pay based on the price of a newly-purchased car.
But if that vehicle is involved in an accident, drivers will only be compensated73 based on the price of the car at the time of the accident, not its initial sticker price.
The new policies are going to be rolled out in May in several provinces, including Heilongjiang, Shaanxi and Shandong.
China's Online Population Hits 649 mln
A new report by the China Internet Network Information Center shows the country's online population hit 649-million as of the end of last year.
The increase has been mainly driven by the popularity of surfing the Internet on smartphones.
The analysis shows around 90-percent of all internet users in China use some form of instant messaging service.
Last year has also seen dramatic growth in the number of people in China using their cellphones to purchase products.
CRCC Seeks Compensation for Mexico High-speed Project
China Railway Construction Corporation is now in negotiations74 for potential compensation from the Mexican government following the suspension of a high-speed rail project.
Its unclear at this point how much money CRC will be asking for.
The Mexican government announced last week that it's shelving plans to build a rail link between Mexico City and a city in central Mexico due to budget concerns.
China Railway Construction was part of a consortium which originally won the bid last year, only to have the Mexican government scrap75 the original tender due to political opposition76.
The process to re-apply for the project had just begun before last week's announcement that the project is being mothballed.
CNOOC to Cut Spending by about 30 percent in 2015
China National Offshore77 Oil Corporation, the country's largest offshore oil and gas producer, is planning to cut spending by about 30 percent this year due to low oil prices.
CNOOC has announced its going to keep its spending to between 70 and 80-billion yuan, or around 11 billion U.S. dollars.
The state-run company has also set its oil and gas output target for this year at under 500-million barrels.
CNOOC says one-third of that will be from its overseas production facilities.
The company does have plans to raise its output levels after this year.
Oil prices have been on a dramatic downturn since the summer, forcing many oil companies around the world to cut production levels amid the lower return on profits.
China Eastern to Launch New Trans-Pacific Flight
China Eastern Airlines has announced its opening a route between Los Angeles and Nanjing.
The 15-hour flight will begin at the end of June.
China Eastern's move comes in response to a growing number of Chinese people choosing to travel to the US.
Last year, about 2.2 million Chinese nationals visited the United States, up nearly 25-percent from a year earlier.
Lenovo Quarterly Revenue up 31 pct after Motorola Acquisition
New figures show Chinese computer giant Lenovo's revenues through the 4th quarter came in at some 14 billion U.S. dollars, up over 30-percent year on year.
Lenovo's net profits during the period hit around 250 million dollars.
This is well-above analysts’ initial forecasts of 200 million.
The better-than-expected earnings78 have seen Lenovo shares surge more than 7-percent in Hong Kong through Tuesday trading.
Lenovo's PC sales grew by 5 percent in the quarter.
The company's purchase of Motorola last year also helped Lenovo boost its global smartphone sales by nearly 80-percent in the quarter to some 24 million units.
This has put Lenovo ahead of Xiaomi as the world's number-3 smartphone vendor79 behind Samsung and Apple.
Chinese fund managers reap record profit in 5 years
Chinese hedge fund management companies have obtained nearly 300 billion yuan in profits in the fourth quarter last year, posting their highest yearly yield in five years.
A total of 2000 more funds have announced quarterly profits of around 300 billion yuan.
Headline News
Jordan confirms death of pilot, vowing revenge
Jordan's government is vowing "strong, earth-shaking and decisive" action, following the release of an Islamic State video showing the death of a Jordanian pilot the group had been holding.
The grizzly video shows the pilot Muath al-Kaseasbeh being burned to death inside a steel cage.
in response, Jordanian authorities are reportedly preparing to execute a jailed Iraqi woman the Islamic State had been demanding in return for the pilot's freedom.
Kaseasbeh is the first pilot from the US-led coalition to be captured by the Islamic State.
China Accuses Norway of Violating Scholar's Rights
The Chinese government has officially taken up the case of a Chinese PhD student who was recently kicked out of Norway.
Chinese authorities are accusing Norwegian officials of violating the rights of the young man, who was forced to leave the country last month.
The PhD student had been working at a wind-power project at the University of Agder for the last 2-years.
However, police ordered him out of the country, saying they fear the student's expertise could be used "for military purposes in other countries."
Both the student and his professor have denied the suggestion.
Italy extradites economic crime suspect to China
Authorities say the suspect, a former staffer with a securities company, had been on the run in Italy for the past 9-years.
The woman is accused of making off with more than 250-thousand US dollars of her clients money.
She fled to Italy in late 2005.
The suspect was arrested by Italian authorities in October.
Chinese authorities have been actively81 moving to repatriate82 economic suspects from around the world.
Mattarella sworn in as new Italian president
Italy's new president has been sworn in, vowing to fight corruption83 and organised crime.
Sergio Mattarella is calling on the nation to embrace his vision for both economic and electoral reforms.
Lawmakers elected Mattarella, a constitutional court justice, on Saturday.
He's promising to use his seven-year term to push for the economic and institutional reforms backed by Prime Minister Matteo Renzi.
The Presidency in Italy is largely a ceremonial position, as power in the country is controlled by Parliament.
British House of Commons approves creation of "three-person babies"
UK lawmakers have voted to approve mitochondrial fertilization.
The move makes Britain the first country in the world to introduce laws allowing the creation of so-called "three-person babies."
Under a technique developed in the UK, scientists are now able to use the mitochondrial DNA84 from two different women in the in-vitro fertilization process.
This way, the donor61 DNA will be spliced85 with that of a woman who has problems with her own mitochondrial make-up, ensuring the child doesn't have the disorder86 passed on to it.
While supported by science, the technique isn't without controversy87, with religious leaders in the UK questioning its morality, given that a child born through the process will technically88 have DNA from three people instead of two.
Newspaper Picks
BEIJING NEWS
Headline
Research project accused of plagiarism89
Summary
A research project which recently won China's national science award is facing plagiarism accusations.
Online posts are suggesting the research, conducted by Zhang Yaoxue with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, "borrowed" ideas from an open source project.
BEIJING MORNING POST
Headline
Festival air pollution warning
Summary
China's environment watchdog is demanding local governments to take steps during the Spring Festival to lessen91 pollution caused by fireworks.
Local governments are being told to limit their own fireworks displays, expand restricted areas and enforce restrictions if weather conditions are not suitable for fireworks.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Rail stations get new scanners
Summary
The Shanghai railway police have installed new X-ray machines at the city's three main railway stations to boost security ahead of 40-day travel rush, or Chunyun, which officially begins today.
The machines are meant to detect dangerous liquids and explosive materials.
SHANGHAI DAILY
Headline
Free checkups for bus drivers
Summary
Shanghai's 80-thousand public transportation drivers are being offered free health checkups.
This follows a recent survey which has found that around 2-percent of all male bus drivers in Shanghai are troubled by gallbladder, kidney and urinary-related issues.
An inability to drink water or relieve one's-self on a regular basis is being cited as one of the main reasons.
CHINA DAILY
Headline
Grassroots help in Tibet
Summary
Party officials in Tibet are reporting around 20-thousand government officials have been sent to villages in the region to help residents since 2011.
The same analysis shows around 6-thousand local officials joined administrative93 committees in over 17-hundred monasteries94 and temples during the period.
GLOBAL TIMES
Headline
Masked appeal
Summary
Pictures in the paper show seven migrant workers standing in-front of the bureau of water resources in the city of Xi'an, demanding their salaries.
They are wearing masks with slogans reading "asking for salary in tears" and "cannot face wives and children."
They claimed they're owed around 1.5 million yuan after completing a bridge project.
Special Reports
South Korean Artist Sings a Song of Life in Beijing
Anchor:
A reknowned South Korean painter, whose art has been given as a gift to Chinese President Xi Jinping, is now staging an exhibition in Beijing.
CRI's Xu Fei has more.
Reporter:
Kim Byung Jong, one of South Korea's most prominent painters, is a professor at Seoul National University.
For years, he has kept himself active in promoting the art-culture ties between China and South Korea. As a professor he has been training his students how to appreciate Chinese brushwork.
In 2014, his paintings were given to the Chinese president as a gift on behalf of all Korean artists during Xi Jinping's visit to South Korea.
Today, as the painter is in China for his exhibition, he reckons there are opportunities for exchanges, Alex Gao Peng, head of the Beijing-based Today Art Museum, explains why he decides to curate the event.
"When I first saw Professor Kim's work, I found a mixture of both oriental and occidental elements in his brushwork. In my mind, he is a contemporary artist who has not only had a deep insight into oriental philosophy but is good at western painting skills."
Kim Byung Jong's paintings are divided into three series. The first series is called fool and Landscape. It received a lot of praise in the field of fine arts in Europe, placing Kim on a list of top painters.
The second series is called Song of Life that shows deep insight about life. The last series On the Road mainly depicts96 his experiences of travel around the world.
The exhibition at the Today Art Museum in Beijing is composed of 50 of his works from 1990 to 2014, which are all from his second series.
Alex Gao described that his works look simple, but there are mysterious brush line and stroke that may reflect the painter's oriental aesthetic97 ideals.
Alex Gao Peng1 male in Mandarin Chinese 19"
"South Korea has facilitated to transport Professor Kim's work to China for his solo exhibition in a hope that visitors may well understand our Eastern philosophy and culture. And on the basis of an accumulated knowledge about aesthetic rules and values of both eastern and western art, Asian people may go a step further as they appreciate the charm of all life entities98 as well as a natural environment they live in."
Kim Byung Jong's paintings have also been housed in the British Museum and Art Gallery of Ontario in the US, and now the residents of Beijing also get a chance to appreciate Kim's artwork.
BACK ANCHOR:
That is CRI's Xu Fei reporting.
Sports
Sailing: Chinese Team 1st Ever to Win Leg of Volvo Ocean Race
Dongfeng Race Team secured their place in yacht racing100 history recently by winning the third stage of the Volvo Ocean Race, making them the first Chinese team to win a leg of the world's most prestigious101 offshore sailing competition.
The team completed the third-leg journey from Abu Dhabi to Sanya City in south China's Hainan Province on Jan.27, adding a first-place finish to the two second-place spots they picked up in the previous stages.
Dongfeng team-member Kong Chencheng says the crew are keen to do their bit to help develop the sport in China.
"Even if we had failed to make it here, we would still hope to serve as a stepping stone to a good platform for our successors so that we all could do our best for Chinese sailing."
The 2014-15 Volvo Ocean Race is the 12th edition of the round-the-world yachting race. It started on Oct.19, 2014 in Alicante in Spain and is schedule to conclude in June 2015 in Sweden's Gothenburg.
Star Chinese Hurdler Liu Xiang May Miss World Championships in Beijing
Chinese star hurdler Liu Xiang played down the expectation for him to compete at the 2015 IAAF World Championships in Beijing slated102 for Aug. 22-30 as the organizers launched 200-day countdown here on Tuesday.
The athlete says he "really wants to compete at the World Championships, especially on his home soil, but the chances for him to compete in Beijing are very limited."
Liu underwent surgery in London after he limped out of the men's 110m hurdles103 for the second consecutive104 Olympics with a ruptured105 Achilles tendon in 2012 and is yet to return to competition following more than two years of rehabilitation106.
The 2015 IAAF World Championships will be held in Beijing's National Stadium, known as the "Bird's Nest".
Veteran Chinese Figure-Skating Duo to Make Last Championship Appearance in March
Veteran Chinese figure-skating pair Pang107 Qing and Tong Jian have confirmed their participation108 at the 2015 ISU World Figure Skating Championships which will be held in Shanghai on March 23-29.
The silver medalists at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, currently coached by retired109 world and Olympic champion Zhao Hongbo, are among the three Chinese pairs that will take part in the Shanghai event at Oriental Sports Center.
Zhao revealed that Pang and Tong had told him that it would be their last world championship appearance.
The pair, both aged110 35, will attend next week's Four Continents Championships in Seoul, South Korea, as a warm up before competing in the first world championships, to be held in China in another 50 days' time.
Basketball: NBA preview
Over in basketball; five games getting underway this morning in the National Basketball Association:
The Denver Nuggets begin their three-game road trip in Philadelphia against the 76ers.
The Portland Trailblazers are back home after losing eight of ten out East; they look to turn that around when they host the Utah Jazz.
And league-leading Golden State Warriors113 kick off a hectic114, travel-heavy schedule against the Sacramento Kings.
F1: Sauber's Felipe Nasr Leads Day 3 of Spain Tests
Sauber's Felipe Nasr was the fastest round the Jerez circuit on Tuesday (February 3), the third day of Formula One pre-season testing at the Spanish track.
The Brazilian rookie used super soft tyres as he lapped in 1 minute 21.545 seconds, narrowly beating Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen of Finland and the Mercedes of German Nico Rosberg.
Nasr clocked up more than 100 laps in the distinctive115 blue and yellow machine with its Ferrari engine on only his second official session in F1 and also span off into the gravel116, which briefly117 halted the test session while his car was recovered.
Rosberg did 151 laps in the Mercedes but also forced a halt to testing when his engine shut down and brought him to a stop in mid track.
"The goal here was to do many kilometres and start to see where the problems are in the car, reliability118 wise, so we achieved that in many ways, doing many kilometres we start to see things breaking down and that's good because then we can sort them out before Melbourne because our weakness last year was this reliability a little bit."
Only eight teams are taking part in the test, which ends on on Wednesday, with Force India absent. The season starts in Australia on March 15.
Entertainment
French director Jean-Jacques Annaud, said he was touched to be chosen to portray best-selling Chinese book "Wolf Totem" on the big screen.
The director also said that he felt he had "incredible freedom" to make the film he wanted to in China, and the book gave him a clear message.
"The message that captured my heart when I read the book was the need for balance between human presence and animal presence therefore let's say industrialization and nature. I feel it was a strong, very universal message."
Lead actor, Feng Shaofeng, said this movie was a rare opportunity for him.
"It is really a once-a-life-time opportunity for an actor to act in a movie like 'Wolf Totem.' I don't think I will have another chance to act in a movie like this. I am sure this movie is also very rare for audience. It is indeed very hard for such a group of people to spend such a long time to raise wolves and shoot a movie like this."
Set in 1967 during the Cultural Revolution, "Wolf Totem" tells the story of a student sent from the city to the Inner Mongolian steppes for re-education.
He lives with the nomads120, and develops a respect for freedom and nature, becoming fascinated with the wolves.
"Wolf Totem" will be released in China on February 19, and in France on February 25.
Stan Lee talks about new venture "Annihilator121"
The living legend of Marvel122 comic books, Stan Lee, has recently spoken about his newest venture "Annihilator."
Lee created Spider-Man, the Hulk, the Fantastic Four, and many other fictional123 Marvel characters.
And he's now targeting Chinese fans with his latest project.
"When I heard how popular our comic book heroes were in China, I was really thrilled. I wasn't aware that they were that aware of them or that they cared that much for our characters in China. So I said, why don't we create a Chinese superhero but not just something that will play in China; something for the whole world?"
"Annihilator" tells the story of a young Chinese man named Ming, who must choose between remaining in prison or enlisting124 in a secret US super soldier program.
He's is forced not only to face his personal demons33, but also to defeat the villain125 who will destroy everything that he knows and loves.
Chinese actor, Wang Leehom will star in the movie.
"Annihilator" will be in English with some Mandarin scenes.
No release date has been given just yet.
Late comedian Robin Williams' wife and children have gone to court in a fight over his estate.
In papers filed in December in San Francisco Superior Court, Williams' wife, Susan, says some of his personal items were taken from the house without her permission.
She has asked the court to exclude the contents of the home that she shared with Williams from the jewelry127, memorabilia and other items Williams said the children should have.
The children, Zachary, Zelda and Cody, counter that Susan Williams is "adding insult to a terrible injury" by trying to change the trust agreement and rob them of the late actor's clothing and other personal items.
Williams died at his home in August. The coroner ruled his death a suicide that resulted from asphyxia caused by hanging.
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1
vowing
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| 起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式） | |
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2
presidency
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| n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期) | |
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3
auto
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| n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车 | |
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4
sector
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| n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形 | |
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5
robin
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| n.知更鸟，红襟鸟 | |
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Celsius
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| adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的 | |
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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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8
grizzly
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| adj.略为灰色的，呈灰色的；n.灰色大熊 | |
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coalition
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| n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合 | |
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10
killing
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| n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财 | |
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11
condemnation
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| n.谴责; 定罪 | |
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12
confirmations
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| 证实( confirmation的名词复数 )； 证据； 确认； （基督教中的）坚信礼 | |
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13
authentic
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| a.真的，真正的；可靠的，可信的，有根据的 | |
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14
mid
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| adj.中央的，中间的 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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16
rampant
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| adj.(植物)蔓生的；狂暴的，无约束的 | |
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17
cheetah
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| n.(动物)猎豹 | |
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18
legitimate
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| adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法 | |
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19
expertise
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| n.专门知识(或技能等)，专长 | |
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20
unreasonable
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| adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的 | |
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21
relatively
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| adv.比较...地，相对地 | |
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22
arable
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| adj.可耕的，适合种植的 | |
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23
constraints
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| 强制( constraint的名词复数 )； 限制； 约束 | |
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24
awareness
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| n.意识，觉悟，懂事，明智 | |
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25
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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26
impartial
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| adj.(in,to)公正的，无偏见的 | |
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27
transparent
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| adj.明显的，无疑的；透明的 | |
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28
envoy
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| n.使节，使者，代表，公使 | |
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29
manifestations
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| n.表示，显示（manifestation的复数形式） | |
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30
commemorate
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| vt.纪念，庆祝 | |
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31
alphabetical
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| adj.字母（表）的，依字母顺序的 | |
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32
bloody
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| adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染 | |
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33
demons
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| n.恶人( demon的名词复数 )；恶魔；精力过人的人；邪念 | |
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34
conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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35
incitement
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| 激励； 刺激； 煽动； 激励物 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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37
aggression
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| n.进攻，侵略，侵犯，侵害 | |
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38
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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39
injustice
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| n.非正义，不公正，不公平，侵犯（别人的）权利 | |
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40
rescind
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| v.废除，取消 | |
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41
inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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42
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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43
bias
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| n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见 | |
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44
biased
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| a.有偏见的 | |
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45
investigation
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| n.调查，调查研究 | |
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46
blackmailing
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| 胁迫，尤指以透露他人不体面行为相威胁以勒索钱财( blackmail的现在分词 ) | |
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47
previously
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| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
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48
consultant
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| n.顾问；会诊医师，专科医生 | |
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49
civilians
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| 平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓 | |
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50
jack
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| n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克 | |
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51
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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52
legislate
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| vt.制定法律；n.法规，律例；立法 | |
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53
harassment
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| n.骚扰，扰乱，烦恼，烦乱 | |
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54
marketing
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| n.行销，在市场的买卖，买东西 | |
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55
beetles
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| n.甲虫( beetle的名词复数 ) | |
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56
frustration
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| n.挫折，失败，失效，落空 | |
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57
postpones
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| v.延期，推迟( postpone的第三人称单数 ) | |
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58
rupture
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| n.破裂；(关系的)决裂；v.(使)破裂 | |
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59
breakdown
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| n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌 | |
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60
recipient
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| a.接受的,感受性强的 n.接受者,感受者,容器 | |
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61
donor
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| n.捐献者；赠送人；(组织、器官等的)供体 | |
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62
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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63
corporate
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| adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的 | |
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64
partnership
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| n.合作关系，伙伴关系 | |
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65
Ford
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| n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过 | |
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66
swapping
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| 交换，交换技术 | |
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67
wholesale
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| n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售 | |
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68
vet
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| n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查 | |
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69
flexibility
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| n.柔韧性，弹性，（光的）折射性，灵活性 | |
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70
premium
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| n.加付款；赠品；adj.高级的；售价高的 | |
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71
premiums
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| n.费用( premium的名词复数 )；保险费；额外费用；（商品定价、贷款利息等以外的）加价 | |
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72
applicants
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| 申请人，求职人( applicant的名词复数 ) | |
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73
compensated
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| 补偿，报酬( compensate的过去式和过去分词 )； 给（某人）赔偿（或赔款） | |
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74
negotiations
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| 协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过 | |
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75
scrap
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| n.碎片；废料；v.废弃，报废 | |
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76
opposition
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| n.反对，敌对 | |
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77
offshore
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| adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面 | |
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78
earnings
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| n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得 | |
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79
vendor
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| n.卖主；小贩 | |
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80
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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81
actively
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| adv.积极地，勤奋地 | |
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82
repatriate
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| v.遣返；返回；n.被遣返回国者 | |
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83
corruption
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| n.腐败，堕落，贪污 | |
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84
DNA
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| (缩)deoxyribonucleic acid 脱氧核糖核酸 | |
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85
spliced
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| adj.（针织品）加固的n.叠接v.绞接( splice的过去式和过去分词 )；捻接（两段绳子）；胶接；粘接（胶片、磁带等） | |
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86
disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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87
controversy
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| n.争论，辩论，争吵 | |
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88
technically
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| adv.专门地，技术上地 | |
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89
plagiarism
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| n.剽窃，抄袭 | |
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90
computing
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| n.计算 | |
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91
lessen
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| vt.减少，减轻；缩小 | |
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92
incense
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| v.激怒；n.香，焚香时的烟，香气 | |
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93
administrative
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| adj.行政的，管理的 | |
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monasteries
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| 修道院( monastery的名词复数 ) | |
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Mandarin
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| n.中国官话，国语，满清官吏；adj.华丽辞藻的 | |
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96
depicts
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| 描绘，描画( depict的第三人称单数 )； 描述 | |
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97
aesthetic
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| adj.美学的，审美的，有美感 | |
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98
entities
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| 实体对像； 实体，独立存在体，实际存在物( entity的名词复数 ) | |
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99
ongoing
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| adj.进行中的，前进的 | |
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100
racing
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| n.竞赛，赛马；adj.竞赛用的，赛马用的 | |
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101
prestigious
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| adj.有威望的，有声望的，受尊敬的 | |
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102
slated
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| 用石板瓦盖( slate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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103
hurdles
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| n.障碍( hurdle的名词复数 )；跳栏；（供人或马跳跃的）栏架；跨栏赛 | |
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104
consecutive
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| adj.连续的，联贯的，始终一贯的 | |
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105
ruptured
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| v.（使）破裂( rupture的过去式和过去分词 )；（使体内组织等）断裂；使（友好关系）破裂；使绝交 | |
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106
rehabilitation
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| n.康复，悔过自新，修复，复兴，复职，复位 | |
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107
pang
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| n.剧痛，悲痛，苦闷 | |
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108
participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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aged
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| adj.年老的，陈年的 | |
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pistons
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| 活塞( piston的名词复数 ) | |
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112
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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113
warriors
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| 武士，勇士，战士( warrior的名词复数 ) | |
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114
hectic
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| adj.肺病的；消耗热的；发热的；闹哄哄的 | |
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115
distinctive
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| adj.特别的，有特色的，与众不同的 | |
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116
gravel
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| n.砂跞；砂砾层；结石 | |
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117
briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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118
reliability
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| n.可靠性，确实性 | |
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119
portray
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| v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等) | |
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120
nomads
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| n.游牧部落的一员( nomad的名词复数 )；流浪者；游牧生活；流浪生活 | |
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121
annihilator
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| n.歼灭者，消灭者；灭火器；零化子 | |
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122
marvel
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| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
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123
fictional
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| adj.小说的，虚构的 | |
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124
enlisting
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| v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的现在分词 )；获得（帮助或支持） | |
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125
villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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126
comedian
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| n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员 | |
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127
jewelry
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| n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝 | |
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