美联社新闻一分钟 2005-12-25

1. In Thailand, low-key ceremonies mark the start of the one-year anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami¹ that killed at least 216,000 people.

2. Holiday spirit returns to Bethlehem for the first time in 6 years, as thousands of pilgrims pack the town for Christmas celebrations.

3. Defense² Secretary Rumsfeld serves Christmas Eve dinner to U.S. troops in Iraq, telling them they will persevere³ and win the war there.

4. The U.S criticizes Egypt for the conviction of Ayman Nour, runner-up to Hosni Mubarak in that country's presidential vote this fall.

5. And finally, Russian President Putin shows off his judo⁴ skills, giving a master class to students in his hometown of St. Petersburg.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. low-key
low-key
If you say that something is low-key, you mean that it is on a small scale rather than involving a lot of activity or being made to seem impressive or important.
The wedding will be a very low-key affair.
He wanted to keep the meetings low-key.
ADJ-GRADED
= muted, understated

2. pack
3 pack packs packing packed
If people or things pack into a place or if they pack a place, there are so many of them that the place is full.
Hundreds of thousands of people packed into the mosque⁵.
Seventy thousand people will pack the stadium.
VB
= cram⁶

3. runner-up
runner-up runners-up
A runner-up is someone who has finished in second place in a race or competition.
The ten runners-up will receive a case of wine.
...Paul Azinger, the American who was runner-up to Faldo at Muirfield in 1987.
N-COUNT: oft N to n

4. judo
judo
Judo is a sport in which two people fight and try to throw each other to the ground.
N-UNCOUNT

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 persevere   

v.坚持，坚忍，不屈不挠

参考例句：

• They are determined to persevere in the fight.他们决心坚持战斗。
• It is strength of character enabled him to persevere.他那坚强的性格使他能够坚持不懈。

4 judo   

n.柔道

参考例句：

• The judo is a kind of fighting sport.柔道是一种对抗性体育活动。
• Which is more important in judo, strength or techniques?柔道运动中，力量和技术哪个更重要？

5 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

6 cram   

v.填塞，塞满，临时抱佛脚，为考试而学习

参考例句：

• There was such a cram in the church.教堂里拥挤得要命。
• The room's full,we can't cram any more people in.屋里满满的，再也挤不进去人了。