美联社新闻一分钟 2006-04-01

1. A desperate search for survivors¹ after 3 strong earthquakes and 9 aftershocks rattle²d the western Iran early this morning. The quakes ranged in magnitude from 4.7 to 6.1. At least 70 people were killed, 1200 hurt, and thousands were left homeless.

2. Severe storms also rolled through the Midwest. Here, in central Kansas, a tornado⁴ touched down. Lightning or downed power lines spark this prairie fire. There are reports 3 people were injured.

3. Still no definite word on when released hostage Jill Carrol will head home. The editor of the Christian⁵ Science Monitor says she's emotionally fragile right now and her family wants to be sure she's ready for the trip. Carroll, a reporter for the Monitor, was kidnapped in Iraq in January.

4. Watch out below! Residents are trying to dodge⁶ bird droppings as they get around Orlando, Florida. Foul⁷ smelling white film is also caking lamp posts, sidewalks and park benches. It's so bad the city posted signs to warn passers-by.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. rattle :verb [I or T]
if you rattle something, or if it rattles⁸, it shakes and makes a quick series of short sounds
e.g. The window rattled³ in the wind.

2. touch down :phrasal verb
When an aircraft touches down, it lands.

3. prairie:noun [C or U]
a wide area of flat land without trees in Canada and the northern US

4. dodge :verb
to avoid being hit by something by moving quickly to one side:
e.g. He dodged⁹ to avoid the hurtling bicycle.

65 foul :adjective
extremely unpleasant:
e.g. Those toilets smell foul!

6. film : noun [C]
a thin layer of something on a surface:
e.g. a film of dust/oil/grease

7. cake :verb [T usually passive]
to cover something or someone thickly with a substance that then dries out:
e.g. The men were caked in layers of filth¹⁰ and grime.

8. passer-by : noun [C] plural¹¹ passers-by
someone who is going past a particular place, especially when something unusual happens:
e.g. The gunmen opened fire, killing¹² a policeman and a passer-by.

1 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

2 rattle   

v.飞奔，碰响；激怒；n.碰撞声；拨浪鼓

参考例句：

• The baby only shook the rattle and laughed and crowed.孩子只是摇着拨浪鼓，笑着叫着。
• She could hear the rattle of the teacups.她听见茶具叮当响。

3 rattled   

慌乱的，恼火的

参考例句：

• The truck jolted and rattled over the rough ground. 卡车嘎吱嘎吱地在凹凸不平的地面上颠簸而行。
• Every time a bus went past, the windows rattled. 每逢公共汽车经过这里，窗户都格格作响。

4 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

5 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 dodge   

v.闪开，躲开，避开；n.妙计，诡计

参考例句：

• A dodge behind a tree kept her from being run over.她向树后一闪，才没被车从身上辗过。
• The dodge was coopered by the police.诡计被警察粉碎了。

7 foul   

adj.污秽的；邪恶的；v.弄脏；妨害；犯规；n.犯规

参考例句：

• Take off those foul clothes and let me wash them.脱下那些脏衣服让我洗一洗。
• What a foul day it is!多么恶劣的天气！

8 rattles   

（使）发出格格的响声， （使）作嘎嘎声( rattle的第三人称单数 )； 喋喋不休地说话； 迅速而嘎嘎作响地移动，堕下或走动； 使紧张，使恐惧

参考例句：

• It rattles the windowpane and sends the dog scratching to get under the bed. 它把窗玻璃震得格格作响，把狗吓得往床底下钻。
• How thin it is, and how dainty and frail; and how it rattles. 你看它够多么薄，多么精致，多么不结实；还老那么哗楞哗楞地响。

9 dodged   

v.闪躲( dodge的过去式和过去分词 )；回避

参考例句：

• He dodged cleverly when she threw her sabot at him. 她用木底鞋砸向他时，他机敏地闪开了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He dodged the book that I threw at him. 他躲开了我扔向他的书。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 filth   

n.肮脏，污物，污秽；淫猥

参考例句：

• I don't know how you can read such filth.我不明白你怎么会去读这种淫秽下流的东西。
• The dialogue was all filth and innuendo.这段对话全是下流的言辞和影射。

11 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。

12 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。