BBC初级口语:沙特缝纫机抢购热
Background: 沙特阿拉伯老式缝纫机的价格因某种奇说而突然暴涨。有人说，那些老机器含有某种特殊物质，既能用来探宝又能祛邪甚至还可以用来制造原子弹。
【文本】
Saudi Sewing Machine Frenzy
Saudis have been racing to buy Singer sewing machines for up to fifty-thousand dollars because they believe they contain traces of red mercury. This is a substance which may or may not actually exist.
Some sources say it can be used to make a devastating, pure nuclear fusion bomb. Others say it's an urban myth.
In 2006, it featured in the British trial of three men accused of trying to make a dirty bomb. They went looking for red mercury, but during the course of the trial it became clear that no-one - not even the defendants themselves - knew what it was. But that hasn't stopped internet sites suggesting that one kilogram of the substance can fetch hundreds of thousands of dollars on the black market.
However the rumours in Saudi Arabia started, it's the hope of such huge profits that's caused the sewing machine buying frenzy. Saudi papers have pictures of old men with pick-up vans, stacked with piles of sewing machines.
People believe they can use their mobile phones to test if the machines contain red mercury. The Saudi authorities say it's all a hoax and they’ve launched a police investigation.
【口语突破】
racing to buy 争先购买
traces 少量的
substance 材料
devastating 毁灭性的
fusion bomb 热核弹
urban myth 都市传奇
dirty bomb 脏弹
defendants 被告
black market 黑市
buying frenzy 抢购热
pick-up vans 皮卡（货车）
hoax 恶作剧
重点单词查看全部解释fusion['fju:ʒən]想一想再看
n. 融合物，结合，熔合
联想记忆X单词fusion联想记忆：可指：Jazz-rock 的fusion爵士摇滚乐 contain[kən'tein]
想一想再看
vt. 包含，容纳，克制，抑制
vi. 自制
con全部，tain拿－全部拿住－包含 hoax[həuks]
想一想再看
v. 欺骗，哄骗，愚弄
n. 愚弄人，恶作剧
想一想再看
n. 物质，实质，内容，重要性，财产
联想记忆X单词substance联想记忆：sub下面+stance站，立→站在下面的东西→具体物质；本质 devastating['devəsteitiŋ]
想一想再看
adj. 毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的
myth[miθ]想一想再看
n. 神话
frenzy['frenzi]想一想再看
n. 狂暴，狂怒
trial['traiəl]想一想再看
adj. 尝试性的; 审讯的
n. 尝试，努力
想一想再看
adj. 城市的，都市的
联想记忆X单词urban联想记忆：urb城市+an表名词和形容词，“…地方.…人参考：suburb郊区，aub+urb→城市的
