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随着2012的迫近，全球各个国家都遭受着各种各样的自然灾害。海地7级地震一震，让海地人民生活在水深火热之中。在我们为无辜受难者默哀的同时，自我反省，如果当危险发生在我们身边，我们应当如何，我们能够如何。

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• Summary

The United Nations says that its headquarters in Haiti has been seriously damaged and many staff are missing after a powerful earthquake hit the county. There is no word yet on the number of casualties.

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• Report

UN officials said some 250 people worked in the headquarters of the peacekeeping mission which has collapsed. They said the head of the mission was inside the building and remains unaccounted for, but the earthquake struck around 5 o’clock in the afternoon, so it’s not clear how many others were still present.
UN troops have surrounded the ruins and are trying to rescue those trapped in the rubble; other United Nations buildings have also been damaged, but details are scarce because of disrupted communications. The peacekeeping force numbers around 11,000 people, including civilian personnel; it’s located in different parts of the country, and was deployed in 2004 to bring order following an armed insurrection against then president Jean Bertrand Aristide.
The blow to the UN’s services on the ground may slow relief and rescue efforts for the Haitian people, but its humanitarian department is sending emergency response teams and releasing emergency funds. The Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon has said he’s shocked at the scale of the devastation and has made initial contacts to encourage a coordinated international response.

• Words in the news

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1. headquarters: main offices of an organisation
2. collapsed: fallen down suddenly
3. remains unaccounted for: is still missing and no one has any news of him
4. rubble: bits of broken stones, bricks that are left when a building falls down
5. details are scarce: there is not much information and it is hard to obtain
6. civilian personnel: people who are employed by the UN to work in offices
7. deployed: started to do a job or some work (in the army or armed forces)
8. an armed insurrection: a violent attempt by a group of people to defeat their government and take control of their country
9. blow: unexpected event that causes serious damage
10. releasing emergency funds: using money that has been put aside for serious situations

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本文转自：BBC Learning English