美联社新闻一分钟 2006-06-02

1. Hurricane season begins today, but there are lingering doubts about whether the federal government is ready for what's ahead. New Orleans and other coastal¹ communities are still recovering from last year's Hurricane Katrina.

2. In the wake of allegations that Iraqi civilians² were murdered by US forces, Iraq's prime minister is calling for ground rules for raids and detentions³. He is also denouncing the alleged⁴ killings⁵ at Haditha last November.

3. This deadly crash five weeks ago has families and friends in Indiana now reeling from a case of mistaken identity. Two young women with a striking resemblance were in the crash, one died, the other has been in a coma⁶. But authorities mixed up their identities. The mistake was made public this week.

4. And Batwoman is making a comeback as a lesbian. The popular comic book character was killed off back in 1979. DC Comics is bringing her back in July as a gay crime fighter, an effort to reinvigorate the franchise⁷ and bring some diversity to the storyline.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. wake : n-count
The wake of a boat or other object moving in water is the track of waves that it makes behind it as it moves through the water.
e.g. Dolphins sometimes play in the wake of the boats.
in the wake of : prep-phrase
If one thing follows in the wake of another, it happens after the other thing is over, often as a result of it.
e.g. The governor has enjoyed a huge surge in the polls in the wake of last week's convention.
= following

2. reel : verb
If you are reeling from a shock, you are feeling extremely surprised or upset because of it.
e.g. I'm still reeling from the shock of hearing of it.

3. resemblance : n-var
If there is a resemblance between two people or things, they are similar to each other.
e.g. There was a remarkable⁸ resemblance between him and Pete...
= similarity

4. lesbian : adj, n-count
Lesbian is used to describe homosexual women.
e.g. Many of her best friends were lesbian.

5. Batwoman : n-count
Batwoman, or (less commonly) Bat-Woman, is the name of a fictional⁹ character, the female counterpart to DC Comics' popular superhero Batman. Her secret identity is Kathy Kane.

6. comeback : n-count
If something makes a comeback, it becomes fashionable again.
e.g. Tight fitting T-shirts are making a comeback.

7. comic : adj
If you describe something as comic, you mean that it makes you laugh, and is often intended to make you laugh.
e.g. The novel is comic and tragic¹⁰.
comic book : n-count
A comic book is a magazine that contains stories told in pictures. (mainly AM; in BRIT, usually use comic)

8. kill off : phrasal verb
If you say that a group or an amount of something has been killed off, you mean that all of them or all of it have been killed or destroyed.
e.g. Their natural predators¹¹ have been killed off.

9. gay : adj, usu adj n
A gay person is homosexual.
e.g. The quality of life for gay men has improved over the last two decades.

10. reinvigorate : verb
to give new energy or strength to something
e.g. We need to reinvigorate the economy of the area.

11. storyline : n-count
The storyline of a book, film, or play is its story and the way in which it develops.
e.g. The surprise twists in the storyline are the film's greatest strength.
= plot

1 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

2 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

3 detentions   

拘留( detention的名词复数 )； 扣押； 监禁； 放学后留校

参考例句：

• Teachers may assign detention tasks as they wish and some detentions have been actually dangerous. 老师可能随心所欲指派关禁闭的形式，有些禁闭事实上很危险。
• Intimidation, beatings and administrative detentions are often enough to prevent them from trying again. 恐吓，拷打和行政拘留足以阻止请愿者二次进京的脚步。

4 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

5 killings   

谋杀( killing的名词复数 )； 突然发大财，暴发

参考例句：

• His statement was seen as an allusion to the recent drug-related killings. 他的声明被视为暗指最近与毒品有关的多起凶杀案。
• The government issued a statement condemning the killings. 政府发表声明谴责这些凶杀事件。

6 coma   

n.昏迷，昏迷状态

参考例句：

• The patient rallied from the coma.病人从昏迷中苏醒过来。
• She went into a coma after swallowing a whole bottle of sleeping pills.她吃了一整瓶安眠药后就昏迷过去了。

7 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

8 remarkable   

adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的

参考例句：

• She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
• These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。

9 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

10 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

11 predators   

n.食肉动物( predator的名词复数 )；奴役他人者（尤指在财务或性关系方面）

参考例句：

• birds and their earthbound predators 鸟和地面上捕食它们的动物
• The eyes of predators are highly sensitive to the slightest movement. 捕食性动物的眼睛能感觉到最细小的动静。 来自《简明英汉词典》