BBC News Review: Migrants rescued off the coast of Libya

source: BBC Learning English    2016年8月30日
Thousands of migrants have been rescued off the coast of Libya. Join Sian and Catherine in News Review as they bring you this story and the language you need to understand it.
For more, visit our website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningenglish/...

The story
The Italian coastguard says it coordinated the rescue of six and a half thousand migrants from the Mediterranean on Monday. It made more than 40 separate sorties across the day, making it one of the busiest days in years for the multi national rescue effort.

Tim Allman - BBC News
Around 20 rickety wooden boats, packed full with men, women and children, mostly from Eritrea and Somalia. Some cheered when help arrived, throwing themselves into the water and swimming to the rescue vessels. They were found off the northern coast of Libya, a country that's become a hub for people trafficking. The migrants are now likely to be sent to the Italian mainland or Sicily.

Key words and phrases

flee
to quickly leave a place, normally because it is dangerous or unpleasant

some
used here as an adverb before a number to mean 'approximately'

hub
a place which is the the centre of a particular activity

sorties
short missions

rickety
not stable; likely to break