美联社新闻一分钟 2006-11-08

1. Voters have been casting ballots¹ all day at polling places across the nation. At sunrise from Crawford Texas, President Bush urged all Americans to make their voices heard. At stake in Tuesday's midterm election are all 435 House seats, 33 seats in the Senate and 36 races for governor. With many Americans frustrated² over the Iraq war and disappointed with misbehavior in Washington, Republican control of Congress may be on the line.

2. Heavy rains began to subside³ by early Tuesday in Washington State following several days of severe flooding that killed at least one person and stranded⁴ many others. Mud and rockslides have blocked a number of highways in the Northwest.

3. A London judge sentenced a confessed al-Qaeda operative to life in prison Tuesday for planning to attack landmarks⁵ in London, Washington and New York. Officials warn this case has proved that terrorism is still a real threat.

4. And pop superstar Britney Spears has filed for divorce from Kevin Federline. A court's spokeswoman says Spears has filed legal papers today in Los Angeles Superior Court, citing irreconcilable⁶ differences.

WORDS IN THE NEWS


1. stake : N-COUNT
You can use stakes to refer to something that is like a contest. For example, you can refer to the choosing of a leader as the leadership stakes.

2. on the line : PHR
If something such as your job, career, or reputation is on the line, you may lose or harm it as a result of what you are doing or of the situation you are in.

3. subside : VERB
If fighting subsides⁷, it becomes less intense or general.

1 ballots   

n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 subside   

vi.平静，平息；下沉，塌陷，沉降

参考例句：

• The emotional reaction which results from a serious accident takes time to subside.严重事故所引起的情绪化的反应需要时间来平息。
• The controversies surrounding population growth are unlikely to subside soon.围绕着人口增长问题的争论看来不会很快平息。

4 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

5 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

6 irreconcilable   

adj.（指人）难和解的，势不两立的

参考例句：

• These practices are irreconcilable with the law of the Church.这种做法与教规是相悖的。
• These old concepts are irreconcilable with modern life.这些陈旧的观念与现代生活格格不入。

7 subsides   

v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的第三人称单数 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上

参考例句：

• Emotion swells and subsides. 情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• His emotion swells and subsides. 他的情绪忽高忽低。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》