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　　BBC News with Julie Candler

　　The first match of the Football World Cup is being played at the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, withthe host nation and Croatia are leveled half time with one goal each. The Brazilian star Neymarequalized 29 minutes into the game after an early own goal put the Croatians ahead as silenceto hit into enthusiastic crowd. Tens of thousands of fans in yellow and green had earlierwatched the opening ceremony. Matthew Kenyon is in Sao Paulo.

　　“The opening ceremony without the usual speeches from either politicians or football officialsafter the country’s president was booed at the opening of the Confederation’s Cup 12 monthsago. With the usual colorful affair reflecting Brasil, its people and the 31 visiting nations, and itwas watched by a gathering crowd, some of whom chanted against FIFA in particular at theend of the event. The stadium area was heavily secured and protests met by tear gas andstrong police tactics continued elsewhere in Sao Paulo. But the Wold Cup 2014 is now officiallyunderway and the eyes of Brasil and the world are on the football.”

　　President Obama says his national security team is looking at all options including military onesto help the Iraqi government counter the Islamist insurgency as its overrun much of north Iraqthis week. Mr. Obama said Iraq needed the help of the United States if it was to overcome theterritorial gains made by the al Qaeda offshoot ISIS.

　　“What we’ve seen over last couple days indicates the degree to which Iraq’s gonna need morehelp, so my team is working around the clock to identify how we can provide the mosteffective assistance to them. I don’t rule out anything, because we do have a stake in makingsure that these jihadists are not getting a permanent foothold in either Iraq or Syria.” Reportssay the Iraqi government has mounted airstrikes against the ISIS militants who seized the citiesof Tikrit and Mosul.

　　The Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says separatist rebels in eastern Ukraine have usedtanks for the first time since the start of the conflict in the region two months ago. SteveRosenberg reports.

　　“According to his spokesman, Petro Poroshenko told President Putin it was unacceptable thattanks had got into Ukraine from Russia. Earlier, Ukraine Interior Minister claimed that separatistrebels have managed to bring three tanks and other military equipments across the border tofight Ukrainian forces. An official at the Russian Foreign Ministry told the BBC the minister wasbeing inventive and the information was fake. But President Poroshenko has held a meetingwith his defense chiefs about the situation. Meanwhile, violence continues.”

　　An explosion has been heard in the center of the eastern Ukrainian city of Donetsk. Onewitness said he saw a van in flames in front of one of the city administration building hasbeen taken over by Pro-Russian separatists.

　　World News from the BBC

　　The International Criminal Court says the former President of Ivory Coast Laurent Gbagbo is tobe put on trial for crimes against humanity. Mr. Gbagbo, who denies the charges, has been incustody at the ICC since 2011. Mary Harper reports.

　　“The court said that it had analyzed mountain of material including a hundred witnessstatements and 22,000 pages of documentary evidence. There was, it said, sufficientevidence against Mr. Gbagbo for him to stand trial. He faces four charges of crimes againsthumanity, including murder and rape. The offenses were allegedly committed during a conflictwhich broke out in Ivory Coast after a disputed election in 2010. Prosecutors say Mr. Gbagbomasterminded a plan to stay in power, through what they describe as carefully planned anddeadly attacks.”

　　US defense officials say the American soldier freed last month in a controversial prisonersswap with the Afghan Taliban will be flown home on Friday from Germany where he has beenreceiving medical treatment. No details were given about Sgt. Bowe Bergdahl’s return. TheObama administration was criticized over its decision to swap five Taliban detainees held atGuantanamo for the release of Sgt. Bergdahl. As news just in, Bowe Bergdahl is now en routeto the United States, the Pentagon confirmed he boarded a US military aircraft in Germanyearlier today.

　　The American actress and civil rights campaigner Ruby Dee has died in New York. She was 91.Ruby Dee was one of the most prominent black actresses in Hollywood in 1950s and 1960sand the first black woman to play lead roles in the American Shakespeare Festival.

　　Shark fin will be in future off the menu at a major resort in Singapore. The American ownedMarina Bay Sands is the latest Singapore based company to boycott consumption of thetraditional delicacy following years of lobbying by animal rights activists.

　　1.level n. 水平;标准;水平面 adj. 水平的;平坦的;同高的 vi. 瞄准;拉平;变得平坦 vt. 使同等;对准;弄平

　　The storm was the most powerful to hit Hawaii thiscentury. It levelled sugar plantations and destroyedhomes.

　　这是本世纪袭击夏威夷最猛烈的暴风雨。它夷平了甘蔗种植园，也摧毁了家园。

　　2.tactics n. 策略;战术;用兵学

　　Tactics differs from strategy.

　　战术有别于战略。

　　3.overrun n. 泛滥成灾;超出限度 vt. 泛滥;超过;蹂躏 vi. 泛滥;蔓延

　　A group of rebels overran the port area and most of the northern suburbs.

　　一群叛乱分子迅速占领了港口地区及绝大部分北部郊区。

　　4.offshoot n. 分支;支流;衍生物

　　Psychology began as a purely academic offshoot of natural philosophy.

　　心理学形成之初是作为自然哲学的一个纯学术分支。

　　5.mastermind vt. 策划 n. 优秀策划者;才子

　　There are many theories as to who masterminded the attacks.

　　关于谁策划了这些攻击，有许多的猜测。

　　6.swap n. 交换;交换之物 vt. 与...交换;以...作交换 vi. 交换;交易

　　Next week they will swap places and will repeat the switch weekly.

　　下周他们将互换位置，以后将每周换一次。

　　7.en route (法)在途中

　　We stopped for a picnic en route.

　　我们在途中停下来野餐。

　　8.boycott vt. 联合抵制;拒绝参加 n. 联合抵制

　　The main opposition parties are boycotting the elections.

　　主要的反对党派正在联合抵制选举。