听力原文:

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
鲁莽的王子使得整个中东陷入不安，但是也许他能带来更大胆的改革
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.

重点词汇：

1 impetuous鲁莽的；冲动的；轻率的
2 rattle使紧张；使恐惧
3 puritanical清教徒式的；道德极严格的
4 inject（给…）添加，增加（某品质）（给…）投入（资金）

听力原文:

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.

重点词汇：

1 crown prince 王储，皇太子
2 deputy副手；副职；代理
3 hothead莽撞的人；急躁的人
4 obsession痴迷；着魔；困扰
5 sectarianism宗派主义
6 impetuousness冲动; 急躁;
7 wean使（婴儿或动物幼崽）断奶 wean sb off/from sth 使逐渐戒除恶习（或避免依赖…）
8 unveil为…揭幕；揭开…上的覆盖物；拉开…的帷幔
9 fray（使织物边沿）磨损，磨散

听力原文:

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

重点词汇：

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

2 execute（尤指依法）处决，处死
3 prominent重要的；著名的；杰出的
4 Shia什叶派
5 cleric宗教领袖；宗教领导人
6 reveal揭示；显示；透露
7 float shares 发行股票
8 Saudi Aramco 沙特阿美石油公司
9 torpedo彻底破坏，完全摧毁（某事成功的可能性）
10 Crude （oil） 原油
11 sink 使失败；使受挫；阻挠
12 technocrat技术专家官员；技术官僚
13 veteran经验丰富的人；老手
14 inflame 激起…的强烈感情；（尤指）使愤怒，使激动
15 at the eleventh hour 在最后时刻， 刚好来得及;

听力原文:

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.

重点词汇：

1 reserve 储备（量）；储藏（量）
2 rentier 靠房地产和投资生活的人；吃息族
3 Al Sauds 沙特家族
4 largesse慷慨解囊；施舍；（给穷人的）钱，赠款
5 obedient顺从的；忠顺的；唯命是从的
6 strain担忧；焦虑
7 whereby凭此；借以；由于

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