聽力原文:

Saudi Arabia
沙特阿拉伯
The new oil order
石油新秩序
An impetuous prince is rattling the Middle East, but may also bring bold reform
魯莽的王子使得整個中東陷入不安，但是也許他能帶來更大膽的改革
FOR generations, oil and stability have gone hand in hand in Saudi Arabia. The puritanically conservative kingdom has used its oil wealth to buy loyalty at home and friends abroad. But since King Salman came to the throne last year, his 30-year-old son, Muhammad, has injected unpredictability into the Middle East.

重點詞匯：

1 impetuous魯莽的；沖動的；輕率的
2 rattle使緊張；使恐懼
3 puritanical清教徒式的；道德極嚴格的
4 inject（給…）添加，增加（某品質）（給…）投入（資金）

聽力原文:

Critics consider the deputy crown prince a hothead, whose dangerous obsession with Iran, Saudi Arabia’s rival, is feeding sectarianism and fraying relations with America. At home, though, the impetuousness of Muhammad bin Salman may be just what Saudi Arabia needs to start weaning itself off oil, the price of which has fallen sharply over the past 18 months. A big test comes on April 25th, when the prince is due to unveil the kingdom’s long-delayed “Vision” reform plan.

重點詞匯：

1 crown prince 王儲，皇太子
2 deputy副手；副職；代理
3 hothead莽撞的人；急躁的人
4 obsession癡迷；著魔；困擾
5 sectarianism宗派主義
6 impetuousness沖動; 急躁;
7 wean使（嬰兒或動物幼崽）斷奶 wean sb off/from sth 使逐漸戒除惡習（或避免依賴…）
8 unveil為…揭幕；揭開…上的覆蓋物；拉開…的帷幔
9 fray（使織物邊沿）磨損，磨散

聽力原文:

Under the prince, Saudi Arabia has certainly seemed rash. A year ago it went to war in Yemen, and is now bogged down. In January it executed a prominent Shia cleric, inflaming relations with Iran. Days later the prince revealed to this newspaper plans to float shares in Saudi Aramco, thought to be the world’s biggest company, surprising executives and ministers alike. On April 17th he torpedoed an attempt in Doha by some of the world’s leading oil producers to raise the price of crude by holding output steady. By sinking the agreement at the eleventh hour, he destroyed the credibility of technocrats such as the veteran Saudi oil minister, Ali al-Naimi

重點詞匯：

1 bog（使）陷入泥沼， （使）陷入困境 bog sth/sb down (in sth)

2 execute（尤指依法）處決，處死
3 prominent重要的；著名的；杰出的
4 Shia什葉派
5 cleric宗教領袖；宗教領導人
6 reveal揭示；顯示；透露
7 float shares 發行股票
8 Saudi Aramco 沙特阿美石油公司
9 torpedo徹底破壞，完全摧毀（某事成功的可能性）
10 Crude （oil） 原油
11 sink 使失敗；使受挫；阻撓
12 technocrat技術專家官員；技術官僚
13 veteran經驗豐富的人；老手
14 inflame 激起…的強烈感情；（尤指）使憤怒，使激動
15 at the eleventh hour 在最后時刻， 剛好來得及;

聽力原文:

Yet Prince Muhammad also has striking ideas about how to diversify the Saudi economy. The world’s biggest oil power relies on crude oil for nine-tenths of government revenues. With the collapse in prices, the country is expected to post a budget deficit of 13.5% of GDP this year; it is having to cut spending, draw down its reserves and borrow abroad. The rentier model, whereby the Al Sauds distributed largesse and do-nothing public jobs in return for obedience, was under strain even when oil was booming.

重點詞匯：

1 reserve 儲備（量）；儲藏（量）
2 rentier 靠房地產和投資生活的人；吃息族
3 Al Sauds 沙特家族
4 largesse慷慨解囊；施舍；（給窮人的）錢，贈款
5 obedient順從的；忠順的；唯命是從的
6 strain擔憂；焦慮
7 whereby憑此；借以；由于

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