美联社新闻一分钟 2007-04-09

1. Iraqi flags are flying throughout Baghdad as residents prepare to mark the 4th anniversary of the city's fall in the US-led invasion of Iraq. Supporters of radical¹ cleric Muqtada al-Sadr planned to mark the day with a demonstration² in Najaf.

2. Pope Benedict XVI used the Easter Mass to lament³ the continual slaughter⁴ in Iraq. The Pope told the Easter crowd nothing positive is coming from Iraq.

3. Northwest Airlines is apologizing to passengers after a pilot went on the obscenity-laden tirade⁵. The airline cancelled the flight, stranding⁶ 180 passengers booked on the Las Vegas-to-Detroit trip. Northwest will decide if the pilot is punished.

4. Germany's baby polar bear may be cute and cuddly⁷, but is also making big money for the Berlin Zoo. Visitors to the zoo have doubled since Knut made his public debut⁸. The zoo is also unveiling a line of Knut merchandise.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. cleric: n-count
A cleric is a member of the clergy⁹.

2. obscenity: n-uncount
Obscenity is behavior, art or language that is sexual and offends or shocks people.

3. -laden
-laden combines with nouns to form adjectives which indicate that something has a lot of a particular thing or quality.
e.g. a fat-laden meal, smoke-laden air

4. tirade: n-count
A tirade is a long angry speech in which someone criticizes a person or a thing.

5. cuddly: adj
A cuddly person or animal makes you want to cuddle them.

6. debut: n-count
The debut of a performer or sports player is their first public performance, appearance or recording¹⁰.

1 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

2 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

3 lament   

n.悲叹，悔恨，恸哭；v.哀悼，悔恨，悲叹

参考例句：

• Her face showed lament.她的脸上露出悲伤的样子。
• We lament the dead.我们哀悼死者。

4 slaughter   

n.屠杀，屠宰；vt.屠杀，宰杀

参考例句：

• I couldn't stand to watch them slaughter the cattle.我不忍看他们宰牛。
• Wholesale slaughter was carried out in the name of progress.大规模的屠杀在维护进步的名义下进行。

5 tirade   

n.冗长的攻击性演说

参考例句：

• Her tirade provoked a counterblast from her husband.她的长篇大论激起了她丈夫的强烈反对。
• He delivered a long tirade against the government.他发表了反政府的长篇演说。

6 stranding   

n.（船只）搁浅v.使滞留，使搁浅( strand的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The airport had to be closed, stranding tourists. 机场被迫关闭，造成游客滞留。 来自辞典例句
• The stream of history had changed course away from him, stranding him in failure. 历史潮流已经改变方向，与他背道而驰，使他陷于失败之中。 来自辞典例句

7 cuddly   

adj.抱着很舒服的，可爱的

参考例句：

• The beautiful crib from Mom and Dad is so cuddly.爸爸妈妈送的漂亮婴儿床真舒服。
• You can't call a hedgehog cuddly.你不能说刺猬逗人喜爱。

8 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

9 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。

10 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。