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A wave of NATO airstrikes battered Tripoli early on Wednesday, piling pressure on embattled Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi who said he was "near" the bombing but vowed to never surrender.

The strikes, which hit on Tuesday afternoon, continued overnight and some 10 explosions shook the capital early on Wednesday.

The main target was Gadhafi's compound, which has been blasted regularly since the start of the NATO-led military intervention on March 19. Most of the buildings in the Bab al-Aziziya complex have been flattened.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Wednesday told the visiting special envoy of the Libyan government that Beijing wants to see a cease-fire in the country as soon as possible and believes that should be the highest priority.

Wednesday's raid was one of the heaviest bombardments of the airstrikes. NATO-led warplanes carried out some 60 strikes on Tripoli, killing 31 people, Libyan government spokesman Mussa Ibrahim said.

In an audio message broadcast late on Tuesday, Gadhafi said that he was close to the bombing but was still resisting and called on his people to resist. "Despite the bombings, we will never submit," Gadhafi said in the nine-minute broadcast. "I am near the bombing but I am still resisting."

"We will not surrender! We only have one choice to the end! Death, victory, it does not matter, we are not surrendering!" he said in his first intervention since he appeared on state television on May 19.

Shortly after the recording was broadcast, more airstrikes hit the Libyan capital, continuing a bombardment that had gone on throughout the day.

Questions:

1. How many explosions shook the capital on Wednesday?

2. How many people died in Wednesday’s raid?

3. When did Gadhafi last appear on state television?

Answers:

1. 10.

2. 31.

3. May 19.

（中国日报网英语点津 Helen 编辑）

About the broadcaster:

Lee Hannon is Chief Editor at China Daily with 15-years experience in print and broadcast journalism. Born in England, Lee has traveled extensively around the world as a journalist including four years as a senior editor in Los Angeles. He now lives in Beijing and is happy to move to China and join the China Daily team.