Learning English - Words in the News - No sanctuary for whales

Last updated at 17:32 BST, Wednesday, 04 July 2012

No sanctuary for whales

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Transcript: No new sanctuary for these whales.

In spite of pressure from conservation groups, there won't be further protection in the South Atlantic.

The bid for its creation has been defeated at the International Whaling Commission meeting in Panama.

It's been a recurring issue at the annual gathering along with Japan's request for a commercial hunting quota.

Indigenous communities in the Arctic also want more subsistence hunting permits.
sanctuary: safe place
in spite of: without regard to someone or something
bid: proposal
recurring: something that shows up repeatedly
subsistence: essential for survival

Exercise

Use one of the words or phrases below to complete each of these sentences from 大象传媒 news reports.

Note that you may have to change the form of a word to complete the sentence correctly.

sanctuary / in spite of / bid / recurring / subsistence

1. The Palestinian delegation welcomed the approval of its _______ to get protected status for the church, built on a site some believe was Jesus's birthplace.

2. The 大象传媒's Tomi Oladipo in Lagos say the two groups have a history of land disputes, in an area where most of the people depend on _______ farming for a living.

3. ________ his conviction, Mr Gilani emerged from his trial with his reputation enhanced, having succeeded in portraying himself as a man defending democracy in the face of a politically motivated campaign against him and his government.

4. Sicily Park residents said the flooding was a ________ problem, with the street flooding nine times since 2008.

5. A Sumatran rhinoceros - one of the world's most endangered species - has given birth at a ________ in Indonesia.