美联社新闻一分钟 2007-08-20

1. This rescue caught on tape is a result of heavy rain and high winds. Floodwaters now cover much of central Oklahoma. Scenes like this one have been playing out all day as rescue crews search for residents trapped because of the rising water.

2. If you look at the size of Jamaica in comparison to this radar¹ image showing Hurricane Dean, you can see that the island nation is bracing² for a serious storm. Tourists have been fleeing while residents stock up for the days ahead.

3. Just months after the massacre³ that took place on the campus of Virginia Tech, students, faculty⁴ and family members of the victims are remembering the 32 lost by placing these stones in a permanent memorial. Classes begin again tomorrow.

4. Democrats⁵ had their chance to debate this Sunday. Visibly under fire from his rivals, Barack Obama is trying to turn that into an asset. During this Iowa debate, he accused his fellow candidates of "conventional thinking" that led the country into war in Iraq.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. brace⁶ for:
to mentally or physically⁷ prepare yourself or someone else for something unpleasant that is going to happen

2. flee: verb
to leave somewhere very quickly, in order to escape from danger

3. stock up:
to buy a lot of something in order to keep it for when you need to use it later

4. asset: noun
something or someone that is useful because they help you succeed or deal with problems

1 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

2 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

3 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

4 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

5 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 brace   

n. 支柱,曲柄,大括号; v. 绷紧,顶住,(为困难或坏事)做准备

参考例句：

• My daughter has to wear a brace on her teeth. 我的女儿得戴牙套以矫正牙齿。
• You had better brace yourself for some bad news. 有些坏消息,你最好做好准备。

7 physically   

adj.物质上，体格上，身体上，按自然规律

参考例句：

• He was out of sorts physically,as well as disordered mentally.他浑身不舒服，心绪也很乱。
• Every time I think about it I feel physically sick.一想起那件事我就感到极恶心。