BBC news 2010-02-08 加文本

1.Emergency personnel are focusing mainly on one building which bore the brunt of the blast, which was reportedly caused by a gas pipeline explosion.

bore the brunt首当其冲

例句：He bore the brunt of the blame.
      他成了众矢之的，人们纷纷归咎于他。

      Indian troops bore the brunt of the Burma campaigns.
      在缅甸战役中，印军首当其冲。

2.French police have closed down a makeshift shelter for illegal immigrants in northern France just 24 hours after it was opened.

close down(使)停业, (使)停产

例句：Because of the continued loss, the factory closed down.
      由于连续亏损, 工厂关闭了。

      The government closed down the newspaper.
      政府封闭了报馆。

3.On Saturday they took over a warehouse, not far from Calais Port, with the apparent aim of turning it into a permanent shelter.

with the apparent aim of 表示目的，为了……，做状语

4.Eventually there were only a handful of migrants and activists remaining in the warehouse when police moved in to clear them out mid-afternoon Sunday.

a handful of一小撮,少数

例句：All the trouble are caused by a handful of malcontent.
      这些是非都是由一小撮不满分子搬弄的。

      I gave the beggar a handful of rice.
      我给了乞丐一把米。