美联社一分钟新闻 2008-07-05（在线收听）

1. Thousands of Americans are celebrating the Fourth of July in the nation's capital. Washington's annual celebration takes place on the National Mall.

2. Former North Carolina Senator Jesse Helms has died at the age of 86. Helms was a favorite of conservatives and a nemesis of liberals. Helms served in Congress for 30 years.

3. Robert Mugabe says the world must deal with the reality that he is Zimbabwe's president. Mugabe was reelected last week after the opposition withdrew from the election.

4. The annual hot dog eating contest in Coney Island came down to an eat-off．American Joey Chestnut successfully defended his title defeating his rival Takeru Kobayashi.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. the Fourth of July

In the United States, Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. Independence Day is commonly associated with fireworks, parades, barbecues, carnivals, picnics, concerts, baseball games, political speeches and ceremonies, and various other public and private events celebrating the history, government, and traditions of the United States.

2.the National Mall

The National Mall is an open-area national park in downtown Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Officially termed by the National Park Service the National Mall & Memorial Parks, the term commonly includes the areas that are officially part of West Potomac Park and Constitution Gardens to the west, and often is taken to refer to the entire area between the Lincoln Memorial and the Capitol, with the Washington Monument providing a division slightly west of the center.

3.Jesse Helms

Jesse Alexander Helms, Jr. (October 18, 1921 – July 4, 2008) was a five-term United States Senator from North Carolina, and a member of the Republican Party. He served as chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was an outspoken conservative who opposed communism, tax increases, abortion, homosexuality, and affirmative action.

4.favorite/favourite n.

one that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking; especially : a person who is specially loved, trusted, or provided with favors by someone of high rank or authority.

5.nemesis[singular]n.

an opponent or enemy that is likely to be impossible for you to defeat, or a situation that is likely to be impossible for you to deal with
e.g.meet/face your nemesis

6.come down to (something) idiom

to be recognized as the most important thing.
e.g. It comes down to simply teaching the basics to these kids--they don't know anything.