美联社新闻一分钟 2005-07-14

1. NASA calls off Wednesday's launch of space shuttle Discovery because of a faulty fuel-tank sensor¹, delaying America's first manned space shuttle since the Columbia disaster 2 and a half years ago.

2. Police removed materials from tidy single-family houses Wednesday in the northern city of Leeds that is a home to a large Muslim community, searching for evidence in the neighborhoods where 3 of the 4 suspected London suicide bombers² lived.

3. A suicide car bomb explodes near US troops distributing candy to Iraqi children, killing³ 28 people including an American soldier and a dozen children aged⁴ 8 to 12 years old.

4. Israeli troops reoccupied the West Bank city of Tulkarem early Wednesday, shooting dead a Palestinian policeman in a fire fight and arresting 5 Islamic Jihad activists after the militant⁶ group killed 4 Israelis in a suicide bombing at a shopping mall.

5. Bernard Ebbers who as CEO of WorldCom oversaw⁷ the largest corporate⁸ fraud in US history is sentenced to 25 years in prison, 3 years after WorldCom collapsed⁹, Ebbers reportedly wept as the judge handed down the sentence.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1.call off:to decide that a planned event will not take place.

2.faulty:n.not working properly, or not made correctly.
eg.Customers may ask for a refund¹⁰ if the goods are faulty.

3.sensor:n.a piece of equipment used for discovering the presence of light, heat, movement etc.

4.manned:adj.manipulating by someone.

5.tidy(=neat):adj.a room, house, desk etc that is tidy is neatly¹¹ arranged with everything in the right place.
eg.I try to keep the garden tidy .

6.candy.n.a sweet food made from sugar or chocolate.

7.activist:n.someone who works hard doing practical things to achieve social or political change.

8.oversee¹²(=supervise):v.to be in charge of a group of workers and check that a piece of work is done satisfactorily.
eg.A team leader was appointed to oversee the project.

9.weep:v.formal or literary to cry, especially because you feel very sad
James broke down and wept.
eg.He wept bitterly (=cried a lot) when it was time for us to leave.

10.hand down:to officially announce a decision, punishment etc.

1 sensor   

n.传感器，探测设备，感觉器（官）

参考例句：

• The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
• He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。

2 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 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。

4 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

5 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

7 oversaw   

v.监督，监视( oversee的过去式 )

参考例句：

• He will go down as the president who oversaw two historic transitions. 他将作为见证了巴西两次历史性转变的总统，安然引退。 来自互联网
• Dixon oversaw the project as creative director of Design Research Studio. 狄克逊监督项目的创意总监设计研究工作室。 来自互联网

8 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

9 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。

10 refund   

v.退还，偿还；n.归还，偿还额，退款

参考例句：

• They demand a refund on unsatisfactory goods.他们对不满意的货品要求退款。
• We'll refund your money if you aren't satisfied.你若不满意，我们愿意退款给你。

11 neatly   

adv.整洁地，干净地，灵巧地，熟练地

参考例句：

• Sailors know how to wind up a long rope neatly.水手们知道怎样把一条大绳利落地缠好。
• The child's dress is neatly gathered at the neck.那孩子的衣服在领口处打着整齐的皱褶。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。