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1. As ahead of meetings with Chinese leaders, President Bush hails Taiwan as a model of freedom, raising a thorny issue in Sino-US relations.
2. Inflation pressures moderated significantly last month as energy prices retreated after hitting recorded highs in September.
3. Iraq's main Sunni Arab political party demands an international probe into alleged torture of suspected insurgents held by Iraqi forces.
4. China reports its first three human cases of bird flu as the government races to vaccinate poultry in an effort to stop the spread of the virus.
5. Paul McCartney and wife Heather Mills McCartney host a Benefit Gala in Beverly Hills to raise money to do away with landmines.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. thorny
2 thorny thornier thorniest
If you describe a problem as thorny, you mean that it is very complicated and difficult to solve, and that people are often unwilling to discuss it.
...the thorny issue of immigration policy...
It is essential that we tackle this thorny problem.
ADJ-GRADED: usu ADJ n
= knotty
2. moderate
5 moderate moderates moderating moderated
If you moderate something or if it moderates, it becomes less extreme or violent and easier to deal with or accept.
They are hoping that once in office he can be persuaded to moderate his views.
Amongst relief workers, the immediate sense of crisis has moderated somewhat.
Without Westcott's moderating influence, Mathers's autocratic manner became unbearable.
V-ERG
= attenuate
3. gala
gala galas
A gala is a special public celebration, entertainment, performance, or festival.
...a gala evening at the Royal Opera House.
N-COUNT: oft N n
4. do away with
1 do away does away; doing away; did away; done away
To do away with something means to remove it completely or put an end to it.
The long-range goal must be to do away with nuclear weapons altogether.
PHR-V
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