BBC news 2011-05-06 加文本

词汇讲解：

1. shortcoming n. 短处; 缺点
例句：Rudeness is his chief shortcoming.
粗鲁是他主要的缺点。

2. whereabouts n. 下落, 去向
例句：He became a person whose whereabouts is unknown to me.
他的下落我不知道。

3. acknowledgement n. 确认, 承认
例句：I bowed my head in acknowledgement of guilt.
我低下头来承认过失。

4. stun vt. 使大吃一惊, 使震惊
例句：This film stunned the movie world in 1955.
那部影片在1955年使电影界震惊。

5. annoyance n. 恼怒;烦恼;打扰
例句：I felt annoyance at being teased.
我恼恨别人取笑我。

6. wreath n. 花环, 花圈
例句：He laid a wreath at the grave of the unknown soldier.
他在无名军人的墓前放了一个花圈。

7. closure n. （永久的）停业，关闭；倒闭 ;结束
例句：A story was going round that the factory was in line for closure.
关于这家工厂很可能关门的说法在到处流传。

8. consumption n. 消费, 消耗; 消费[耗]量
例句：This is produced for domestic consumption.
这是为国内消费所生产的。

9. robust adj. 稳健的, 健全的
例句：The once robust economy now lies in ruins. 
这一度十分健全的经济现已崩溃。

10. poll n. 投票选举
例句：The result of the poll won't be known until midnight.
选举结果要到午夜才能揭晓。

11. trafficking n. 非法交易, 贩运；贩卖
例句：The government is trying to wipe out drug trafficking
政府竭力清除毒品买卖活动。

12. staunch adj. 可信赖的, 可靠的, 忠诚的
例句：She’s a staunch advocate of free trade.
她是自由贸易的忠实拥护者。

13. overshadow vt. 使(某人)相形见绌或黯然失色
例句：Mary was sometimes overshadowed by the more talkative members of the family.
有时家中更健谈的人使玛丽显得黯然失色。