美联社新闻一分钟 2005-10-21

1. Hurricane Wilma's outer edge batters¹ beaches in Cancun Mexico as tourists are ordered to leave and thousands are evacuated² from Honduras to the Florida Keys.

2. Texas congressman³ Tom DeLay turns himself in at the Harris County sheriff's office and is released on bond on state conspiracy⁴ and money-laundering charges.

3. Congress gives the gun lobby its top legislative⁵ priority and passes a bill protecting the firearms industry from massive crime-victim lawsuits⁷.

4. The US military and the Afghan Government say they will investigate a TV report claiming US soldiers in Afghanistan burned the bodies of two Taliban fighters.

5. And authorities want Michael Jackson back in court. He's been summoned as a juror four months after being acquitted⁸ of child molestation¹⁰ charges.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. lobby
2 lobby lobbies
A lobby is a group of people who represent a particular organization or campaign, and try to persuade a government or council to help or support them.
Agricultural interests are some of the most powerful lobbies in Washington.
He set up this lobby of independent producers.
...the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, a housing lobby group.
N-COUNT: usu with supp, oft supp N, N of n

2. lawsuit⁶
lawsuit lawsuits
A lawsuit is a case in a court of law which concerns a dispute between two people or organizations. (FORMAL)
The dispute culminated¹¹ last week in a lawsuit against the government.
...a lawsuit brought by Barclays Bank.
N-COUNT

3. molest⁹
molest molests¹² molesting¹³ molested¹⁴
A person who molests someone, especially a woman or a child, interferes¹⁵ with them in a sexual way against their will.
He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague.
VB
= abuse
molestation
Any case of sexual molestation of a child should be reported to the police.
N-UNCOUNT
= abuse
molester¹⁶ molesters
He'd been publicly labeled a child molester.
N-COUNT
= abuser

1 batters   

n.面糊（煎料）( batter的名词复数 )；面糊（用于做糕饼）；（ 棒球） 正在击球的球员；击球员v.连续猛击( batter的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pitcher has beaned as many as three batters in this game. 在这？热？投手投球竟打中了三个击手的头。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• A storm batters the ship. 一场风暴袭击了这条船。 来自辞典例句

2 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

3 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

4 conspiracy   

n.阴谋，密谋，共谋

参考例句：

• The men were found guilty of conspiracy to murder.这些人被裁决犯有阴谋杀人罪。
• He claimed that it was all a conspiracy against him.他声称这一切都是一场针对他的阴谋。

5 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

6 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

7 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

8 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

9 molest   

vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏

参考例句：

• If the man continues to molest her,I promise to keep no measures with the delinquent.如果那人继续对她进行骚扰，我将对他这个违法者毫不宽容。
• If I were gone,all these would molest you.如果没有我，这一切都会来骚扰你。

10 molestation   

n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨

参考例句：

• Michael Jackson is arrested by police on charges of child molestation. 2003年的今天，迈克尔·杰克逊因被警方指控有儿童性骚扰行为而被捕。 来自互联网
• Jackson pleads not guilty on the molestation charges. 2004年：杰克逊认罪不认罪的性骚扰指控。 来自互联网

11 culminated   

v.达到极点( culminate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• a gun battle which culminated in the death of two police officers 一场造成两名警察死亡的枪战
• The gala culminated in a firework display. 晚会以大放烟火告终。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 molests   

n.骚扰( molest的名词复数 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵v.骚扰( molest的第三人称单数 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• A dog that molests sheep has to be killed. 骚扰羊群的狗要被杀掉。 来自辞典例句

13 molesting   

v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
• He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句

14 molested   

v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• The bigger children in the neighborhood molested the younger ones. 邻居家的大孩子欺负小孩子。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He molested children and was sent to jail. 他猥亵儿童，进了监狱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

15 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。

16 molester   

参考例句：

• A nationwide manhunt for an alleged child molester is over. 一个全国搜捕骚扰儿童的行动告一段落。 来自互联网
• Did the molester penetrate the child? 这名性骚扰者插进小孩的身体了吗？ 来自互联网