美联社新闻一分钟 2007-01-13（在线收听）

1. It was Day 2 for Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Capitol Hill. ''We would probably have to be in Iraq to provide help of one kind or another to the Iraqis for quite some time.'' He was defending the president's new Iraq war strategy before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

2. The Pentagon has abandoned its time limit for citizen-soldier serving on active military duty. Until now, cumulative duty time for Guard and Reserve troops serving in Iraq or Afghanistan couldn't exceed 24 months.

3. An anti-tank rocket hit the US embassy in Athens just before 6 a.m. local time this morning. There were no injuries and minimal structural damage.

4. And this child in Baltimore proved unimpressed with the ceremony for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Bored, this youngster took matters into his own hands or mouth.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. active duty: n-uncount
Someone who is on active duty is taking part in a war as a member of the armed forces. (mainly AM)
Active duty means the same as active service. (mainly BRIT)