美联社新闻一分钟 2006-01-24

1. Major cost-cutting moves were announced Monday at Ford¹ Motor Company. As many as 30,000 jobs will be cut and 14 facilities closed in North America over the next few years in an effort to save billions of dollars.

2. President Bush says domestic spying is both legal and necessary. During a visit to Kansas State University, the president defended the eavesdropping² and gave it a new name - "the terrorist surveillance program".

3. A five-storey building collapsed³ in Nairobi, killing⁴ at least 11 people and injuring dozens of others. Rescuers are digging through piles of concrete and metals searching for survivors⁵. Workers say 280 people were inside when the building fell.

4. Unbeatable winter reality check in the Northeast Monday morning. Last week's unseasonably warm temperatures gave way to a blanket of snow and icy rain in several states.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. cost-cutting : noun [U]
actions which are taken to reduce the amount that is spent on a service or within an organization:
e.g. The recovery was achieved in the old-fashioned way with cost-cutting and price increases.

2. reality check : noun [C usually singular]
an occasion that causes you to consider the facts about a situation and not your opinions, ideas or beliefs:
e.g. The recent failure of so many Internet businesses has provided a reality check for those who predicted huge profits.

3. unseasonably : adverb
describes weather that is not usual or suitable for the time of year:

4. give way to : (ALSO make way for sth) UK
to be replaced by something, especially because it is better, cheaper, easier, etc:
e.g. In some areas, modern intensive farming is giving way to the re-introduction of traditional methods

1 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

2 eavesdropping   

n. 偷听

参考例句：

• We caught him eavesdropping outside the window. 我们撞见他正在窗外偷听。
• Suddenly the kids,who had been eavesdropping,flew into the room. 突然间，一直在偷听的孩子们飞进屋来。

3 collapsed   

adj.倒塌的

参考例句：

• Jack collapsed in agony on the floor. 杰克十分痛苦地瘫倒在地板上。
• The roof collapsed under the weight of snow. 房顶在雪的重压下突然坍塌下来。

4 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

5 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者