美联社一分钟新闻 2008-07-02（在线收听）

1. Police in Illinois say they have evidence linking this man to eight murders over the past week. They are warning the public that Nicholas Sheley is armed and dangerous. And they are offering a 25-thousand-dollar reward for information leading to his arrest.

2. General Motors is still the nation's leading automobile seller but its perch has been greatly lowered. GM beat out Toyota to maintain the top spot but at the same time, suffered an 18% drop in sales for the month of June.

3. Mongolia is under a four-day state of emergency after thousands of protesters stormed the headquarters of the ruling party. They were demonstrating against alleged fraud in this past weekend's parliamentary elections. Police used tear gas and water cannons to beat them back.

4. A couple of stars may be born soon. Angelina Jolie has checked into a French hospital where she's due to give birth to twins. She and partner Brad Pitt already have four children.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. perch: n.

You can refer to a high place where someone is sitting as their perch.

2. storm: v.

to suddenly attack and enter a place using a lot of force.

3. State of emergency: 紧急状态

A state of emergency is a governmental declaration that may suspend certain normal functions of government, alert citizens to alter their normal behaviors, or order government agencies to implement emergency preparedness plans. It can also be used as a rationale for suspending civil liberties. Such declarations usually come during a time of natural disaster, during periods of civil unrest, or following a declaration of war.