美联社新闻一分钟 2005-12-01

1.（Setting an artificial deadline to withdraw）President Bush facing doubts of the war tries to bolster¹ support for his Iraq policy by offering a clear map of his strategy.

2. The outlook is unpredictable as the US Supreme² Court takes up its first abortion³ rights case under the leadership of Chief Justice John Roberts.

3. US and Iraqi troops launch a new operation in western Iraq to clear insurgents⁴ from a suspected safe area used to make car and roadside bombs.

4. Another town on a poisoned Chinese river shuts down its water system as a toxic⁵ slick caused by a chemical plant explosion arrives.

5. And video games that glamorize cannibalism⁶ are on a media watchdog group list of 12 games to avoid this holiday season.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. bolster
n.垫子
v.支持
v also bolster up
1 to help someone to feel better and more positive: --He is making a bold attempt to bolster the territory's confidence.
2 to improve something: --his efforts to bolster his career.

2. safe area
(DOD) A designated area in hostile territory that offers the evader⁷ or escapee a reasonable chance of avoiding capture and of surviving until he or she can be evacuated⁸.

3. glamorize
v.使有魔力, 使光荣
also glamorise // to make something seem more attractive than it really is. --TV has been accused of glamorizing crime.-glamorization

4. cannibalism
The act or practice of eating human flesh by mankind. Hence; Murderous cruelty; barbarity. Berke.


一些背景知识:
Cannibalism is the act or practice of eating members of one's own species and usually refers to humans eating other humans (sometimes called anthropophagy). Cannibalism has been attributed to many different tribes and races in the past, but the degree to which it has actually occurred and been socially sanctioned is an extremely controversial topic in anthropology⁹. Some anthropologists argue that cannibalism has been almost non-existent and view claims of cannibalism with extreme skepticism, others that the practice was common in pre-state societies.

1 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

2 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

3 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

4 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

5 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

6 cannibalism   

n.同类相食；吃人肉

参考例句：

• The war is just like the cannibalism of animals.战争就如同动物之间的互相残。
• They were forced to practise cannibalism in order to survive.他们被迫人吃人以求活下去。

7 evader   

逃避者，逃避物

参考例句：

• This new law amounts to a tax evader's charter. 这项新法律简直成了为逃税者开的许可证。

8 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

9 anthropology   

n.人类学

参考例句：

• I believe he has started reading up anthropology.我相信他已开始深入研究人类学。
• Social anthropology is centrally concerned with the diversity of culture.社会人类学主要关于文化多样性。