進入英語學習論壇下載音頻 去聽寫專區一展身手

Palestinians won a crucial vote to enter UNESCO as a full member on Monday, scoring a symbolic victory in their battle for statehood and full membership in the UN General Assembly.

"The general assembly decides to admit Palestine as a member of UNESCO," said the resolution that was adopted to loud applause by 107 countries, with 14 voting against and 52abstaining.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki, who was at UNESCO's Paris headquarters for the vote, hailed "a historic moment that gives Palestine back some of its rights", while Israel said the move damaged hopes for peace.

"This is a unilateral Palestinian maneuver which will bring no change on the ground but further removes the possibility for a peace agreement," the Israeli foreign ministry said in a statement.

France, which had voiced serious doubts about the motion, approved it along with almost allArab, African, Latin American and Asian nations, including China and India.

Israel, the United States, Canada, Australia and Germany voted against, while Japan and Britain abstained.

The United States and Israel are set now to withdraw their funding from the UN cultural body,while other UN agencies may have to debate the thorny issue.

Washington has slammed the move as counterproductive and premature.

Israel's ambassador Nimrod Barkan admitted before the vote that he was resigned to the Palestinians gaining entry.

Staunch Israel ally the United States in the 1990s banned the financing of any United Nations organization that accepts Palestine as a full member, meaning the body would lose $70 million, or 22 percent of its annual budget.

US ambassador to UNESCO David Killion said after the vote that "this action today will complicate our ability to support UNESCO programs".

Barkan warned that those who voted for the resolution would lose influence over Israel.

"It certainly will weaken their ability to have any influence on the Israeli position," he told AFP.

Questions:

1. What is the symbolic victory for Palestine?

2. How many voted against Palestine’s membership?

3. How much does the UN body lose without US funding?

Answers:

1. Entering UNESCO as a full member.

2. 14.

3. $70 million.

（中國日報網英語點津 Helen 編輯）

About the broadcaster:

Emily Cheng is an editor at China Daily. She was born in Sydney, Australia and graduated from the University of Sydney with a degree in Media, English Literature and Politics. She has worked in the media industry since starting university and this is the third time she has settled abroad - she interned with a magazine in Hong Kong 2007 and studied at the University of Leeds in 2009.