Today in history：February 21

英语自学网

　　February 21
        　　President Nixon and his wife Patricia walked along the Great Wall of
China
        　　1972: Nixon makes historic visit to China
        　　England have
        　　The American President Richard Nixon has arrived in China at the start of a
week-long summit aimed at ending 20 years of frosty relations between the two
countries.
        　　His visit began with an unexpected audience with Chairman Mao Zedong at the
leader"s home. Few details have been released, but officials said the one-hour
meeting involved a "serious and frank discussion".
        　　After a modest reception at Peking airport, the president was formally
welcomed at a lavish banquet held in the Great Hall of the People and hosted by
Prime Minister Chou En-lai.
        　　Mr Chou described Mr Nixon"s long journey to China as a "positive move"
responding to the wishes of the peoples of both countries.
        　　He hinted at the years of tension between China and the United States -
largely due to American support for nationalists in Taiwan - and credited both
governments for "common efforts" to open the gate to better contacts at
last.
        　　The president responded positively. "There is no reason for us to be
enemies," he said. "Neither of us seeks the territory of the other; neither of
us seeks domination over the other; neither of us seeks to stretch out our hands
and rule the world."
        　　Using one of Mao"s own quotations, Mr Nixon said it was time to seize the
day and seize the hour "for our two peoples to rise to the heights of greatness
which can build a new and better world".
        　　There followed an elaborate round of toasts, in which the 800 guests at the
banquet wandered from table to table clinking thimble-sized glasses containing
Chinese firewater.
        　　Commentators said the elaborate banquet was in marked contrast to the
coolness of the president"s reception at the airport.
        　　This historic visit was engineered by the president"s national security
adviser, Dr Henry Kissinger, during two visits to China last year. It is part of
a policy of rapprochement aimed at restoring diplomatic relations between the
two sides.
        　　The European export ban covers all British livestock, meat, and milk
        　　2001: Ban follows foot-and-mouth outbreak
        　　Artificially 1969:
        　　The The European Commission has banned all British milk, meat and livestock
exports following the UK"s first outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease for 20
years.
        　　The ban - which will run until 1 March - follows yesterday"s revelation of
a foot-and-mouth outbreak at an abattoir near Brentwood, Essex.
        　　A routine inspection at Cheale Meats abattoir in Essex diagnosed the virus
in 28 pigs.
        　　Chief veterinary officer Jim Scudamore said all 300 animals at Cheale Meats
would be slaughtered immediately.
        　　The National Farmer"s Union has said a second suspected case has been
discovered in Gloucestershire.
        　　Five-mile animal movement exclusion zones have been placed around the Essex
abattoir and the site in Gloucestershire, which is thought to be somewhere
between Woodchester and Nailsworth.
        　　The British government is considering imposing its own ban on the export of
all livestock, meat and milk from the UK.
        　　This is the latest blow to Britain"s already beleaguered farmers following
last year"s outbreak of swine fever, which led to the slaughter of 12,000 pigs
and a temporary ban on the export of live pigs and pig semen.
        　　Agriculture Secretary Nick Brown said: "If we can get on top of this and
get back to a disease-free status quickly then hopefully the damage can be
minimised.
        　　"But if it goes on for some time the damage could be substantial."
        　　Shadow agriculture minister Tim Yeo criticised the government for not doing
enough to prevent the outbreak.
        　　"British farmers cannot survive another round of dithering from MAFF like
that which took place in the autumn over classical swine fever," he said.
        　　"The government should have acted sooner to prevent the risk of this
disease entering Britain through sub-standard meat imports."
        　　Foot-and-mouth is a highly infectious viral disease that can affect cattle,
pigs, sheep and goats. Symptoms include blisters in the mouth causing increased
salivation and lameness.
        　　Animals do not actually die from the disease but stop gaining weight and
dairy cattle produce less milk.
        　　The last major outbreak in Britain was in 1967, while the most recent
outbreak in the European Union happened in Greece last year.
        　　Vocabulary:
        　　lavish: very generous(非常大方的，过分丰富的)
        　　rapprochement : establishment or state of cordial relations(和睦;友善)
        　　abattoir : a building where animals are butchered(屠宰场)