美联社新闻一分钟 2005-10-16

1. Sunni Arabs voted in surprisingly high numbers on Iraq's new constitution, many of them hoping to defeat it in an intense competition with Shiites and Kurds over the shape of the nation's young democracy after decades of dictatorship.

2. The death toll² from Pakistan's killer³ quake rose sharply to nearly 40,000 Saturday, with the president warning the numbers could jump still higher while homeless survivors⁴, struggling against rain and plunging⁵ temperatures, searched desperately⁶ for blankets and tents.

3. Romanian authorities called for calm Saturday, as they quarantined an eastern region where test confirmed Europe's first appearance of a deadly strain of bird flu that has devastated⁷ flocks and killed dozens of people in Asia.

4. Two bombs exploded at a shopping center in Ahvaz near Iran's southwestern border with Iraq, killing⁸ 4 people and wounding at least 102 others. An official said the bombs had been planted inside two trash bins⁹.

5. China announced the official completion of the first railway to Tibet, a controversial engineering feat¹ that is one of the world's highest train lines, crossing mountain passes up to 16,500 feet high

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. dictatorship
1 dictatorship dictatorships
Dictatorship is government by a dictator.
...a new era of democracy after a long period of military dictatorship in the country.
...countries which are ruled by dictatorships.
N-VAR

2. plunge¹⁰
5 plunge plunges¹¹ plunging plunged¹²
If an amount or rate plunges, it decreases quickly and suddenly.
His weight began to plunge.
The Pound plunged to a new low on the foreign exchange markets yesterday.
Shares have plunged from s17 to s7.55.
The bank's profits plunged by 87 per cent.
Its net profits plunged 73% last year.
VB
= plummet¹³
+ plunge plunges
Also a noun.
Japan's banks are in trouble because of bad loans and the stock market plunge.
N-COUNT

3. quarantine
2 quarantine quarantines quarantining quarantined
If people or animals are quarantined, they are stopped from having contact with other people or animals. If a place is quarantined, people and animals are prevented from entering or leaving it.
Dogs have to be quarantined for six months before they'll let them in.
VB: usu passive

4. controversial
controversial
If you describe something or someone as controversial, you mean that they are the subject of intense public argument, disagreement, or disapproval¹⁴.
Immigration is a controversial issue in many countries.
...Morton's controversial book, `Diana, Her True Story.'...
The changes are bound to be controversial.
...the controversial 19th century politician Charles Parnell.
ADJ-GRADED

controversially
More controversially, he claims that these higher profits cover the cost of finding fresh talent.
David Hirst was controversially sent off on his European debut¹⁵ for Sheffield Wednesday last night.
ADV-GRADED: usu ADV with cl, also ADV with v

1 feat   

n.功绩；武艺，技艺；adj.灵巧的，漂亮的，合适的

参考例句：

• Man's first landing on the moon was a feat of great daring.人类首次登月是一个勇敢的壮举。
• He received a medal for his heroic feat.他因其英雄业绩而获得一枚勋章。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 killer   

n.杀人者，杀人犯，杀手，屠杀者

参考例句：

• Heart attacks have become Britain's No.1 killer disease.心脏病已成为英国的头号致命疾病。
• The bulk of the evidence points to him as her killer.大量证据证明是他杀死她的。

4 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

5 plunging   

adj.跳进的，突进的v.颠簸( plunge的现在分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• War broke out again, plunging the people into misery and suffering. 战祸复发，生灵涂炭。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• He is plunging into an abyss of despair. 他陷入了绝望的深渊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 desperately   

adv.极度渴望地，绝望地，孤注一掷地

参考例句：

• He was desperately seeking a way to see her again.他正拼命想办法再见她一面。
• He longed desperately to be back at home.他非常渴望回家。

7 devastated   

v.彻底破坏( devastate的过去式和过去分词)；摧毁；毁灭；在感情上（精神上、财务上等）压垮adj.毁坏的；极为震惊的

参考例句：

• The bomb devastated much of the old part of the city. 这颗炸弹炸毁了旧城的一大片地方。
• His family is absolutely devastated. 他的一家感到极为震惊。

8 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

9 bins   

n.大储藏箱( bin的名词复数 )；宽口箱（如面包箱，垃圾箱等）v.扔掉，丢弃( bin的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Garbage from all sources was deposited in bins on trolleys. 来自各方的垃圾是装在手推车上的垃圾箱里的。 来自辞典例句
• Would you be pleased at the prospect of its being on sale in dump bins? 对于它将被陈列在倾销箱中抛售这件事，你能欣然接受吗？ 来自辞典例句

10 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

11 plunges   

n.跳进，投入vt.使投入，使插入，使陷入vi.投入，跳进，陷入v.颠簸( plunge的第三人称单数 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• Even before he plunges into his program, he has his audience in his pocket. 他的节目甚至还没有出场，就已控制住了观众。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• 'Monseigneur, he precipitated himself over the hill-side, head first, as a person plunges into the river.' “大人，他头冲下跳下山坡去了，像往河里跳一样。” 来自英汉文学 - 双城记

12 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

13 plummet   

vi.(价格、水平等)骤然下跌；n.铅坠；重压物

参考例句：

• Mengniu and Yili have seen their shares plummet since the incident broke.自事件发生以来，蒙牛和伊利的股票大幅下跌。
• Even if rice prices were to plummet,other brakes on poverty alleviation remain.就算大米价格下跌，其它阻止导致贫困的因素仍然存在。

14 disapproval   

n.反对，不赞成

参考例句：

• The teacher made an outward show of disapproval.老师表面上表示不同意。
• They shouted their disapproval.他们喊叫表示反对。

15 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。