美联社新闻一分钟 2008-05-01_在线英语听力室

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1. The Fed is hoping to give the economy a boost. This afternoon, it lowered a key interest rate. Officials thought this will encourage more borrowing amongst consumers which may then lift the sagging¹ economy.

2. State police in New Mexico have removed four children from an apocalyptic² church whose leader claims to be the Messiah. Officials say the children were taken because of allegations there may have been inappropriate contact between them and the leader of the church.

3. A celebrity³ hangout in Hollywood has been damaged by fire. It took about 180 firefighters to extinguish the blaze at the Basque Nightclub and Restaurant. That’s the same place Linsey Lohan celebrated⁴ her 21st birthday and where Kanye West partied just last week.

4. President Bush stood among giants today, the New York Giants that is. The reigning⁵ NFL champions visited the White House to receive the official congratulations from the commander in chief.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. apocalyptic : adj.

Apocalyptic means relating to or involving predictions about future disasters and the destruction of the world.

2. hangout : n. informal

If a place is a hangout for a particular group of people, they spend a lot of time there because they can relax and meet other people there.

3. reigning campion: n.

The reigning champion is the most recent winner of a contest or competition at the time you are talking about.

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收听单词发音

1 sagging
下垂[沉，陷]，松垂，垂度
参考例句：
The morale of the enemy troops is continuously sagging. 敌军的士气不断低落。 We are sagging south. 我们的船正离开航线向南漂流。

2 apocalyptic
adj.预示灾祸的，启示的
参考例句：
The air is chill and stagnant,the language apocalyptic.空气寒冷而污浊，语言则是《启示录》式的。 Parts of the ocean there look just absolutely apocalyptic.海洋的很多区域看上去完全像是世界末日。

3 celebrity
n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望
参考例句：
Tom found himself something of a celebrity. 汤姆意识到自己已小有名气了。 He haunted famous men, hoping to get celebrity for himself. 他常和名人在一起, 希望借此使自己获得名气。

4 celebrated
adj.有名的，声誉卓著的
参考例句：
He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。 The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

5 reigning
adj.统治的，起支配作用的
参考例句：
The sky was dark, stars were twinkling high above, night was reigning, and everything was sunk in silken silence. 天很黑，星很繁，夜阑人静。 Led by Huang Chao, they brought down the reigning house after 300 years' rule. 在黄巢的带领下，他们推翻了统治了三百年的王朝。

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美联社新闻一分钟 2008-05-01