BBC Learning English
Words in the News
21stApril 2010
Day of remembrance in China
China is marking a day of mourning for the victims of last week's earthquake. More than
2,000 people are known to have died in Qinghai province last Wednesday. From China,
Quentin Sommerville reports:
The Chinese flag is flying at half-mast across the country, and it was lowered in the
provincial capital Xining where, as it snowed, thousands of mourners dressed in black, stood
silently for three minutes. Car horns and sirens blared throughout the city.
It's a week since the earthquake hit. Public entertainment, including some television channels,
have been suspended nationwide. Cinemas, karaoke bars and internet cafes are closed. The
24 hour ban extends online. Music and film websites have been suspended. The biggest
websites and newspaper mastheads have turned black or grey for the day.
Near the quake's epicentre, at the town of Gyegu, the relief effort continues, with Buddhist
monks working alongside army and other rescue workers.
The Tibetan plateau has in the past been the scene of ethnic conflict. However, China's state
media has portrayed the response to the earthquake as proof of underlying ethnic harmony.
The Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader, had asked to return to Qinghai to comfort the
victims. Loved by China's Tibetans, he's hated by the Chinese government, which regards
him as a separatist, and has ignored his request.
Quentin Sommerville, BBC News, Beijing
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
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bbclearningenglish.com
Vocabulary and definitions
at half-mast (of a flag) raised only half-way up a flag-pole (rather than
being at the very top of the pole as usual) as a mark of
respect
mourners people who are very sad because people they know have
died
hit happened
suspended stopped, no longer broadcasting for a short period of time
mastheads top section on the front page of a newspaper, where the
name of the newspaper is printed
epicentre point on the Earth's surface directly above where an
earthquake happens
the relief effort continues trying to help victims of the earthquake goes on
plateau large flat area of land that is high above sea level
to comfort the victims to emotionally help the people who were affected by the
earthquake
a separatist a person who supports the belief that a group of people or
a country or state should be independent and have their
own government
More on this story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/8631354.stm
Read and listen to the story and the vocabulary online:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/learningenglish/language/wordsinthenews/2010/04/100421_witn_china.shtml
Words in the News © British Broadcasting Corporation 2010
Page 2 of 2
bbclearningenglish.com