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| Ferrari's chairman Luca Cordero di Montezemolo |
The Italian car maker, Ferrari, says it's made its best ever profits and sales in 2008, in contrast to the difficulties being faced by other carmakers. The company's chairman has said, there will always be someone crazy enough to buy a Ferrari. Duncan Kennedy reports:
The company will give detailed figures in January, but Ferrari's chairman, Luca Cordero di Montezemolo, was clearly delighted at his annual news conference. He said, "Crisis, or no crisis... we can still find 6,000 people crazy enough to buy our annual output". He predicted the company would also have a good 2009, even though many economies would be in recession.
Mr Montezemolo is chairman of Fiat as well, a companyexperiencing a very different outlook. This week it closed down 14 of its Italian factories for a month, giving around 50,000 workers an extended holiday as demand for its cars plummets.
Fiat is typical of other motor manufacturers. Japan's Honda this week reported another profits warning, and big American companies like General Motors and Chrysler are waiting for a bail-out from the US government.
As Ferrari increasingly views the rest of the motoring world through its rear view mirror, other carmakers and their workers can only dream of its turbochargedperformance.
Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Rome
annual output
cars produced in a year
predicted
said (that something would happen)
experiencing a very different outlook
here, expected to do much worse
demand for its cars plummets
a lot fewer people are buying its cars
typical of
a company whose experiences and performance are similar to
motor manufacturers
carmakers
reported another profits warning
said again that its profits would become smaller
a bail-out
financial help (to get out of their difficulties)
increasingly views the rest of the motoring world through its rear view mirror
here, has outperformed/overtaken other carmakers, and this is becoming more and more obvious
turbocharged
here, extremely good (literally, a turbocharger is a powerful turbine driven by the exhaust gases of an engine)
contrast: 對照
hesitate: 猶豫
delighted: 快樂的
plummet==plunge: 驟降
rear: 後面
rare: 罕見
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| A Dragon Millipede |
The conservation group WWF has reported that a bright pink millipede and a striped rabbit are among more than a thousand new species which have been discovered along the banks of the Mekong River in south east Asia within the last ten years. This report from Rob Norris:
The Conservation Science Advisor to WWF, Mark Wright, says that between 1997 and 2007, scientists found an average of two previously undiscovered species every week:
Mark Wright:
"Probably my favourite is the Dragon Millipede - it's only three centimetres long - absolutely lurid pink, and it produces cyanide to try to deter predators. I mean this is a real creature with attitude here. And then there are a few other things which I think show the way science works - one, the beautifully named Laotian Rock Rat, was discovered in a local food market, so the people who live there were very aware of this creature, but science came to it very late."
They remained unknown in the outside world for so long because political conflicts in the region kept scientists away until the 1990s.
WWF is warning that the main challenge facing the area is how to allow economic development while still maintaining environmental protection.
Rob Norris, BBC
conservationists
people who work to protect the environment
largely unexplored
most of the area has not been visited by scientists
a biological treasure trove
a place where there are many fantastic animals and plants which haven't been seen by scientists before
lurid pink
a very bright, strong pink colour
cyanide
a very poisonous substance
to deter predators
to protect itself from animals that might want to eat it
with attitude
with an aggressive personality
conflicts
wars and disagreements
maintaining environmental protection
keeping the plants and animals safe
fantastic==excellent, wonderful
aggressive 侵略的
with an aggressive personality : 積極的個性
millipede==centipede
conservation 保護
striped==stripy 條紋
Mekong River 湄公河
Cambodia 柬埔寨
Burma 緬甸
Loas==Loatian 寮國(老撾)
aware 察覺的
lurid 駭人的；火紅的
cyanide 氰化物
poison 毒
predator 肉食動物
huntsman 獵人
huntsman spider 長腳蜘蛛
attitude 看法
conflict 扺觸；矛盾
Advent
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'Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat!'
Christmas is the biggest festival in Britain and is celebrated on 25th December. The four weeks before Christmas are called Advent, and are traditionally celebrated in churches by lighting a candle each Sunday during Advent. Nowadays, many people in Britain are not very religious, but they still celebrate Christmas. But watch out - the preparations begin long before Advent. In fact, as early as September or October, you start to see signs that Christmas is on the way.
The first places to tell us that we should be thinking about Christmas are the shops. People in Britain spend on average over £600 (around $1000) per person on Christmas every year, and the shops encourage people to spend more and more. Shops put up Christmas decorations and play cheesyChristmas songs or carols; and some shop workers wearChristmas hats. Some big shops on Regent Street and Oxford Street in London create wonderful displays in their windows with moving characters, falling snow, colourful lights and music.
So what do people buy in preparation for Christmas? Well, Christmas decorations; Christmas cards to send to your friends and relatives; presents for your loved ones andwrapping paper to wrap them up with. And of course food!Apart from the special Christmas dinner of roast turkey or goose, people buy lots of chocolates, nuts and snacks for everyone to enjoy.
But the children are the most excited that Christmas is coming. They start making lists of presents they would like, and give them to their parents, or send them to Santa Claus. In December, they can also open their Advent calendars. Advent calendars are a way of counting down to Christmas. They have a window to open for every day from 1st - 24th December (Christmas Eve).
A basic Advent calendar has a Christmassy picture behind each window, but the children's favourite is usually a chocolate Advent calendar, with a chocolate for every day of the month. It's a great build-up to the overeating that goes on at Christmas!
Vocabulary
religious
following a system of beliefs and practices relating to God
watch out
mind you; be prepared
on the way
approaching, drawing closer
cheesy
of cheap quality or bad in style
carols
traditional and/or religious songs that people sing at Christmas
Christmas hats
hats with pointy tips, usually red in colour and with some fur around them, traditionally worn at Christmas for fun
wrapping paper
decorated paper used to cover presents
apart from
here, in addition to
Santa Claus
the imaginary jolly old man with a white beard and a red suit who brings presents to children at Christmas
Christmassy
relating to Christmas and capturing/representing the jolly mood of the season
build-up
anticipation, increasing feeling as a high point (here, Christmas celebrations) approaches
overeating
eating too much
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China's first home produced commercial airliner has flown for the first time. The 90 seat ARJ-21 made a maiden test flight from an airport in the Shanghai region. This report is from the BBC's Business Correspondent Mark Gregory:
It's the first Chinese designed and manufactured commercial jet. And in a little piece of history it's now made its maiden test flight from an airport near Shanghai. Chinese media reports said the flight went extremely well, although for safety reasons the aircraft wasn't allowed to fly more than 900 meters, about 3,000 feet, above the ground.
It's due to go into service within 18 months. The main market will be Chinese airlines operating routes within China, but earlier this month the plane got its first foreign order. The American industrial giant General Electric is buying five of the jets for its aircraft leasing arm, with an option to buy 20 more later.
Friday's test flight took place more than six months later than originally planned after reports of problems with components provided by outside suppliers.
Mark Gregory, BBC
ambitious plans
desire and intentions to become very successful
civil aircraft manufacturing
the production of airplanes that will be used for carrying passengers
Eventually the aim is
here, China's long-term goal/objective is; in the future China would like
dominant
here, that are used more widely than others
jet
a powerful airplane which has engines that allow it to travel very fast covering long distances
in a little piece of history
doing something that will be remembered for a long time
maiden
first ever
It's due to go into service
the plan is that it will start carrying passengers on regular flights
arm
here, a (commercial) division, sub-organisation or department
outside suppliers
here, companies other than the main manufacturer which produce and deliver parts that are used to build planes
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The Vatican is going green today. It's activating a new solar energy system to power several key buildings. Pope Benedict has already made numerous appeals for the protection of the environment. From Rome Duncan Kennedy reports:
The new system will provide the energy needs of the Hall and several surrounding buildings all year round. It'll also allow the 108 acre site of the Vatican City to cut its carbon dioxide emissions by about 225 tons a year. The panels are not visible from below, and officials say the famous Vatican Cityskyline, including St Peter's, will remain untouched.
The Vatican plans to install more renewable energy sources to provide 20% of its needs by 2020, roughly in line withEuropean Union goals.
Pope Benedict is a keen environmentalist. The Vatican has hosted a scientific conference to discuss global warming and climate change. Last year the Pope urged the human race to listen to the voice of the earth or risk destroying the planet.
Duncan Kennedy, BBC News, Rome
to get the green go-ahead
to receive the approval to become/turn environmentally friendly and stop causing harm to the natural surroundings
solar panels
devices that change energy from the sun into electricity
fixed to
attached to, permanently placed/positioned on
to cut
to reduce, to make smaller
carbon dioxide emissions
the production of a heavy colourless and odourless atmospheric gas, known chemically as CO2, which in large amounts can cause harm to the atmosphere
The panels are not visible
you cannot see the panels
skyline
the panoramic view of a place, especially a city, with all its buildings, bridges, domes and other structures
untouched
the same, as it is now
roughly in line with
almost the same as, not far from
a keen environmentalist
someone who is very interested in the environment and tries hard to protect it from being damaged
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