美联社新闻一分钟 2006-02-23

1. The winners of the record-breaking Powerball jackpot step forward Wednesday to claim their prize. The eight co-workers from Nebraska will each receive about 22 million dollars before taxes.

2. Concerns of civil war in Iraq after a Shiite holy shrine¹ is bombed, dozens of Sunni mosques² have been attacked and burned in retaliation³. And at least 7 people have been killed.

3. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle⁴ are calling for increase(d) scrutiny⁵ of a deal that would allow an Arab company to take over operations of 6 major U.S. ports. The White House says there is nothing wrong with the deal and President Bush will veto any legislation against it.

4. Pope Benedict XVI named 15 new cardinals⁶ Wednesday. 12 of the 15 are under the age of 80, and thus eligible⁷ to vote in a conclave⁸ to select Benedict's successor. The new cardinals come from 11 different countries including North and South America, Europe, Africa and Asia.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. aisle : noun [C]
a long narrow space between rows of seats in an aircraft, cinema or church:
e.g. Would you like an aisle seat or would you prefer to be by the window?

2. thus : adverb
with this result:
e.g. They planned to reduce staff and thus to cut costs.

3. conclave : noun [C]
a meeting of cardinals (= Catholic priests) at which the Pope is elected

1 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

2 mosques   

清真寺； 伊斯兰教寺院，清真寺； 清真寺，伊斯兰教寺院( mosque的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Why make us believe that this tunnel runs underneath the mosques? 为什么要让我们相信这条隧洞是在清真寺下？
• The city's three biggest mosques, long fallen into disrepair, have been renovated. 城里最大的三座清真寺，过去年久失修，现在已经修复。

3 retaliation   

n.报复，反击

参考例句：

• retaliation against UN workers 对联合国工作人员的报复
• He never said a single word in retaliation. 他从未说过一句反击的话。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

5 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

6 cardinals   

红衣主教( cardinal的名词复数 )； 红衣凤头鸟（见于北美，雄鸟为鲜红色）； 基数

参考例句：

• cardinals in scarlet robes 身披红袍的枢机主教
• A conclave of cardinals was held to elect the new Pope. 红衣主教团举行了秘密会议来选举新教皇。

7 eligible   

adj.有条件被选中的；(尤指婚姻等)合适(意)的

参考例句：

• He is an eligible young man.他是一个合格的年轻人。
• Helen married an eligible bachelor.海伦嫁给了一个中意的单身汉。

8 conclave   

n.秘密会议，红衣主教团

参考例句：

• Signore,I ask and I prey,that you break this conclave.各位阁下，我请求，并祈祷，你们能停止这次秘密会议。
• I met my partner at that conclave and my life moved into a huge shift.我就是在那次大会上遇到了我的伴侣的，而我的生活就转向了一个巨大的改变。