美联社新闻一分钟 2006-09-09

1. NASA has rescheduled the launch of Atlantis for late Saturday morning. It will be the space agency's fifth attempt to get the shuttle off the ground. A malfunction¹ing fuel tank's sensor³ foiled NASA's plans for lift-off Friday.

2. President Bush is set to deliver a prime-time address from the Oval Office Monday in memory of the victims of the September 11th attacks. The president also plans to visit the attack sites.

3. A former government official says he is sorry for outing CIA operative Valerie Plame. Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage admitted that he accidentally leaked Plame's identity during conversations with two journalists.

4. Lindsay Lohan's got her bag back. According to British police, someone found it and turned it in. The star's representative said the bag contained asthma⁴ medicine and some jewelry⁵. It disappeared from a luggage cart at London's Heathrow Airport. No one has confirmed what's in the bag now.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. malfunction: verb
If a machine or part of the body malfunctions⁶, it fails to work properly. (FORMAL)

2. foil: verb
If you foil someone's plan or attempt to do something, you succeed in stopping them from doing what they want. (JOURNALISM)

3. prime-time: adj.
Prime-time television or radio programmes are broadcasted when the greatest number of people are watching or listening to the radio, usually in the evenings.

4. asthma : n-uncount
Asthma is a lung condition which causes difficult in breathing.

1 malfunction   

vi.发生功能故障，发生故障，显示机能失常

参考例句：

• There must have been a computer malfunction.一定是出了电脑故障。
• Results have been delayed owing to a malfunction in the computer.由于电脑发生故障，计算结果推迟了。

2 malfunctioning   

出故障

参考例句：

• But something was malfunctioning in the equipment due to human error. 但由于人为的错误，设备发生故障了。 来自超越目标英语 第4册
• Choke coils are useful for prevention of malfunctioning electronic equipment. 扼流圈对于防止电器设备的故障很有帮助。 来自互联网

3 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

4 asthma   

n.气喘病，哮喘病

参考例句：

• I think he's having an asthma attack.我想他现在是哮喘病发作了。
• Its presence in allergic asthma is well known.它在过敏性气喘中的存在是大家很熟悉的。

5 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

6 malfunctions   

n.故障，功能障碍（malfunction的复数形式）vi.失灵（malfunction的第三人称单数形式）

参考例句：

• The mood of defeat was as pervasive as the odor of malfunctions and decay. 失败的情绪就象损坏腐烂的臭味一样弥漫全艇。 来自辞典例句
• Possibility of engine malfunctions due to moisture, are lessened. 发动机故障的可能性，由于水分，也将减少。 来自互联网