2014届高考英语考前突破阅读理解能力：国际时事要闻《叙利亚和平会谈将在瑞士召开》.docVIP

叙利亚和平会谈将在瑞士召开 A major conference aimed at finding a political solution to the three-year conflict in Syria that has left 130,000 dead is due to start in Switzerland. 一次旨在解决叙利亚冲突的重要会议将在瑞士召开，该冲突已持续三年时间，造成13万人死亡。 ? The Syrian government and the main opposition are attending the Geneva II summit along with international allies. ? The key issue, on which neither side appears willing to budge, is the future of President Bashar al-Assad. ? Differences were also laid bare on the eve of the summit, in a report accusing Syria of mass torture and executions. Patience and persistence ? The conference will begin in Montreux on Wednesday, and continue in Geneva two days later. ? This would be the first time the Syrian government and the opposition have met face-to-face since the start of the conflict which, in addition to the dead, has left millions of Syrians displaced. ? The first day will see speeches from some of the 40 or so foreign ministers who have gathered in Montreux. ? But as the delegations arrived, the main opposition National Coalition and the Syrian government were quick to set out their agendas on the future of Mr Assad. ? Syrian Foreign Minister Walid Muallem was quoted by Syrias Sana news agency as saying: The issues of the president and the regime are red lines for us and for the Syrian people. Nobody can touch the presidency. ? On his arrival in Switzerland, Badr Jamous, secretary-general of the National Coalition, told Reuters: We will not accept less than the removal of the criminal Bashar al-Assad and changing the regime and holding the murderers accountable. ? BBC diplomatic correspondent Bridget Kendall says the UN secretary general will not want his peace talks to collapse into a shouting match, so the UNs main concern will be to get some sort of initial dialogue going on steps that will help beleaguered（围困的） Syrians.