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1. The U.S. military says the bodies of two soldiers found in Iraq are believed to be those of 23-year-old Kristian Menchaca and 25-year-old Thomas Tucker. The remains were found amid explosives. An Internet statement claims the soldiers were slaughtered by the new leader of al-Qaeda-in-Iraq.
2. The Houston-area floods appear to be over, but potential flood dangers remain following Monday's torrential rains. Parts of Houston had sporadic rain Tuesday, but no storms like the ones that swamped the area the day before.
3. "I'm bleeping mad, yes". AirTran Airways passengers experienced major delays in Atlanta Tuesday because the airline switched computer systems. Passengers waited in line for hours while agents processed their tickets by hand.
4. A young calf made a run for it on a Texas highway, but its bid for freedom was short-lived with the animal's owner managing to lasso the runaway in the parking lot of a shopping center
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. slaughter : verb
If large numbers of people or animals are slaughtered, they are killed in a way that is cruel or unnecessary.
e.g. Thirty four people were slaughtered while queuing up to cast their votes.
2. sporadic : adj
Sporadic occurrences of something happen at irregular intervals.
e.g. a year of sporadic fighting over northern France
3. swamp : verb
If something swamps a place or object, it fills it with water.
e.g. A rogue wave swamped the boat.
4. airways : n-plural
The airways are all the routes that planes can travel along.
e.g. How does a private pilot get access to the airways?
AirTran Airways
AirTran Airways is a low-cost airline based in Orlando, Florida, USA and is a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings. AirTran operates over 500 daily flights throughout the eastern USA and the Midwest, including over 130 daily departures from Atlanta. It is the world's largest Boeing 717 operator. Its main base is Orlando International Airport, with a principal hub at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.
5. calf : n-count
A calf is a young cow.
6. make a run for it : phrase
If you make a run for it or if you run for it, you run away in order to escape from someone or something.
e.g. A helicopter hovered overhead as one of the gang made a run for it.
7. bid : n-count
A bid for something or a bid to do something is an attempt to obtain it or do it. (JOURNALISM)
e.g. The Government has already closed down two newspapers in a bid to silence its critics.
= attempt
8. short-lived : adj
Something that is short-lived does not last very long.
e.g. Any hope that the speech would end the war was short-lived.
9. manage : verb
If you manage to do something, especially something difficult, you succeed in doing it.
e.g. Somehow, he'd managed to persuade Kay to buy one for him.
10. lasso : n-count
A lasso is a long rope with a loop at one end, used especially by cowboys for catching cattle.
lasso : verb
If you lasso an animal, you catch it by throwing a lasso round its neck and pulling it tight.
e.g. Cowboys drove covered wagons and rode horses, lassoing cattle.
11. runaway : adj
(of an animal or a vehicle) not under the control of its owner, rider or driver
e.g. a runaway horse/car
12. parking lot : n-count
A parking lot is an area of ground where people can leave their cars. (AM; in BRIT, use car park)
e.g. A block up the street I found a parking lot.
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