新聞的英語閱讀

提高英語的水平往往可以看一些英語的新聞和閱讀，還有英語的電視劇和電影，這樣可以很快的提高我們的英語口語，接下來小編給大家帶來英語新聞，需要的同學們可以看一看。

　　課外閱讀1

就在國內四處洋溢中國鋼鐵新一波增長時，通化鋼鐵發生嚴重暴力事件，將國人的眼光再一次定格在了中國的鋼鐵企業上，在感慨時間的同時，不得不重思中國鋼鐵業的現狀。

How China's Steel Boom(激增，興隆) Turned Deadly

Chinese officials say they are on course to (走向)achieve GDP growth of about 8% this year, and the fall's dire (可怕的)predictions of massive unemployment leading to socialupheaval(動盪) haven't been borne out. But last week's killing of a steel-company executiveby striking workers in northeastern China highlights the ongoing threat of labor unrest(勞工暴亂) even as the country shows signs of emerging from the economic downturn.

On Friday, July 24, thousands of workers at the state-owned Tonghua Iron and Steel Group(國有通化鋼鐵公司) in Jilin province protested the planned takeover of their employer by theprivately held Jianlong Steel(建龍鋼鐵公司), according to reports in the Chinese press and fromthe Hong Kong–based Information Center for Human Rights and Democracy(人權和民主信息中心). Some of the steelworkers rioted and beat to death Chen Guojun, a Jianlongrepresentative. Jianlong had previously purchased a stake in Tonghua, and workers fearedthat with a takeover the company would lay off thousands of Tonghua employees. "Chendisillusioned workers and provoked them by saying most of them would be laid off in threedays," said a Tonghua police officer named Wang, according to the state-run China Daily. "Chen, saying that a total number of 30,000 employees would be cut to 5,000, infuriated thecrowd."

Friday's violence occurred as prospects for China's steel industry are turning around. Thegovernment's $586 billion stimulus package has set off a massive infrastructure-buildingspree(基礎設施建設狂潮), creating a huge demand for steel. In June crude-steel production hitnearly 50 million tons — 6% higher than in the previous year, according to the World SteelAssociation(世界鋼鐵協會), and close to an all-time high. "Demand has just exploded in thefirst half of this year as a result of the government's stimulus package and bank lending," saysJim Lennon, a Macquarie Bank analyst. "Steel demand is massive."

But that massive demand offers only a temporary respite (緩兵之計)for Chinesepolicymakers. Over the past decade, China has rapidly built new steel mills(鋼鐵廠), and in 2002 it became the world's largest producer of the commodity. Now Chinese officials say thecountry has more production capability than markets at home and abroad can support. InFebruary, Luo Bingsheng, secretary general of the China Iron and Steel Association, said China'ssteel-production capacity exceeded the 2008 domestic demand of 500 million tons by 160 million tons. China's State Council(中國國務院) has called for a consolidation of the industryin order to manage output better, with five major producers generating 45% of Chinese steelby 2011.

The government similarly hopes to cut the number of major automakers (汽車製造廠)from 14 to 10 and to consolidate(合併，鞏固) the estimated 5,000 cement producers. Suchrestructuring should leave China with stronger, more stable industries. But the process will bepainful. Workers often find themselves with little say in matters and few chances to negotiatefor better severance or retraining, says Geoffrey Crothall, spokesman for the Hong Kong–basedChina Labour Bulletin(中國勞工通訊), a workers'-rights NGO. "Downsizing and consolidationin and of itself is not the problem. It's the way in which that process is undertaken," Crothallsays. "What has been the case for many years is the privatization(私人化) and restructuring ofstate-owned enterprises. The selling-off of state-owned assets (廉價銷售國有財產)and merger ofstate-owned companies has nearly always been done behind closed doors. The workers are neverinvolved —they are simply presented with an ultimatum(最後通牒)." Employees are angry notjust because of their lack of input, Crothall says, but often also because the process is taintedby corruption. "Workers have no idea about the true value of the assets that are beingprivatized," he says. "Very often they accuse management — correctly in many cases — ofembezzling(貪污，盜用) assets in league with corrupt officials."

In the case of Tonghua Iron and Steel, it seems the steel industry's turnaround helped sparkthe riot. Jianlong had invested in the company in 2005 but then pulled out as Tonghua lostmoney amid the global downturn this spring. But as China's steel demand surged, Tonghuaturned a profit of $6 million last month, renewing Jianlong's interest. After the killing ofJianlong's representative on Friday, the local government announced the deal was canceled, China Daily reported.　.

　　課外閱讀2

頂級Web圖表製作公司Gliffy近日出臺了首款在顯著圖軟件API，並在最近接受公測，標誌着Gliffy已經成爲該領域的領頭羊。

Gliffy Unveils(揭開……面紗) the First OnlineDiagramming API

Gliffy, one of the top Web-based diagramming tools, has released the first API for any service of its kind. This software as a service just got a complete UImakeover(全面用戶界面升級), and that, plus thisnew move, will let Gliffy really lead the pack in thisspace.

The API is in public beta(公測) as of today. The developers who got access to the trial run(試運行) have already built some dead-useful extensions(非常有用的拓展), such as a WordPressplugin that allows you to incorporate diagrams(用戶集成圖表) and a script thatautomatically backs up your Gliffy account to your local machine(將您的 Gliffy 賬戶直接備份到本機).

Other SaaS diagram makers(製表工具) include Lovely Charts and Draw Anywhere, but withthese latest upgrades, Gliffy's real target is desktop software like Visio and OmniGraffle.

Gliffy has a respectable customer base and a loyal following, but getting business users toleave the desktop apps they know (even if they hate them) has been an uphill battle. With theAPI, the company hopes that the ability to extend and integrate the service with otherplatforms will become too attractive to pass up.