美联社新闻一分钟 2006-07-23

1. Thick black smoke was pouring out after Israeli warplanes hit TV transmission towers in northern and central Lebanon. One person was killed in the attack which knocked Lebanon's leading private network off the air. It's the first major airstrike in the country's Christian¹ heartland.

2. At least one hundred Hezbollah rockets have struck northern Israel so far today. Here in Haifa, air sirens continue to sound. Some explosions would be heard but there are no reports of damage or injuries.

3. There's still no word on when power will be restored in New York's borough² of Queens. Up to 20, 000 customers, including homes and apartment buildings, are without power. That blackout is now in its sixth day.

4. And it looks like the Tour de France will be won by another American. Floyd Landis has regained³ the overall lead by finishing third in today's time trial. Spain's Oscar Pereiro has dropped to second overall, just 59 seconds behind Landis

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. heartland: n-count
Journalists use heartland to refer to the area or region where a particular set of activities or beliefs is most significant.

2. siren: n-count
A siren is a warning device which makes a long, loud noisy.

3. borough: n-count
A borough is a town or a district of within a large town, which has its own council.

4. time trial: n-count
A competitive event in which participants are timed, as in covering a set distance, often used to select qualifiers for another event.

1 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。

2 borough   

n.享有自治权的市镇；(英)自治市镇

参考例句：

• He was slated for borough president.他被提名做自治区主席。
• That's what happened to Harry Barritt of London's Bromley borough.住在伦敦的布罗姆利自治市的哈里.巴里特就经历了此事。

3 regained   

复得( regain的过去式和过去分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• The majority of the people in the world have regained their liberty. 世界上大多数人已重获自由。
• She hesitated briefly but quickly regained her poise. 她犹豫片刻，但很快恢复了镇静。