AP美联社一分钟新闻 2009-02-17（在线收听）

1.The families of those who died in the crash of flight 3407 are getting a look at the site where their loved ones perished.50 people were killed last week when the plane dropped out of the sky onto a house near Buffalo.

2.President Barack Obama and the first family have returned to the White House from a weekend in Chicago. The spokesman says decision on troop deployments to Afghanistan should come soon. Obama will also sign the stimulus bill this week and it is expected to appoint a task force on the auto industry.

3.Heavy rain and storm are hitting California today. The National Weather Services posted a winter storm warning for the Sierra Nevada and issued flood advisories in the Bay area to Los Angeles. The storm is raising fears of mudslides in areas hit by wildfires last year.

4.Wildlife official are celebrating the sighting of a beaver in the Detroit River for the first time in at least 75 years, signaling that efforts to clean up the waterway are paying off. The critter was caught on camera at a Detroit Edison riverfront plant.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1.task force: n.

A task force (TF) is a temporary unit or formation established to work on a single defined task or activity.

2.beaver: n.海狸

Beavers are two primarily nocturnal, semi-aquatic species of rodent, one native to North America and one to Europe. They are known for building dams, canals, and lodges.