美联社新闻一分钟 2006-04-09

1. Widespread destruction after a deadly tornado¹ ripped through the Nashville area. Crews are busy Saturday clearing away wreckage² and restoring services. 12 people were killed. It’s the second time in less than a week Tennessee was slammed by tornadoes³ and violent storms.

2. A senior Iraqi official says an undeclared civil war is raging in that country. It's been another day of sectarian violence. A car bomb went off today near a Shiite shrine⁴ south of Baghdad killing⁵ 6. The attack came one day after 85 people were killed and 150 others were hurt during an attack at a Baghdad mosque⁶.

3. Brett Favre held a news conference today to let everyone know he was still weighing retirement⁷ against one more season with the Green Bay Packers. The 36-year-old quarterback says there is a chance he could make up his mind sometime in the next week.

4. Something is brew⁸ing at this convention. Espresso and cappuccino makers¹⁰ from across the country are competing at the US Barista Championships. The winner gets a chance to compete in the world championship later this year in Switzerland

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. rip through sth :phrasal verb
to move very powerfully through a place or building, destroying it quickly:
e.g. A hurricane ripped through the Caribbean.

2. weigh :verb [T]
to carefully consider, especially by comparing facts or possibilities, in order to make a decision:
e.g. Only when we have weighed all the factors involved can we decide when would be the best time to start.

3. quarterback :noun [C] MAINLY US
(in American football) the player who receives the ball at the start of every play and tries to move it along the field [橄榄球] 四分卫

4. brew: verb[I or T]
If you brew tea or coffee, you add boiling water to it to make a hot drink, and if it brews¹¹, it gradually develops flavour in the container in which it was made:
e.g. He brewed¹² some coffee for us.

5. convention :noun [C]
a large formal meeting of people who do a particular job or have a similar interest, or a large meeting for a political party:
e.g. Where are they holding their party convention?

6. espresso :noun [C or U] plural¹³ espressos
strong coffee, or a cup of this, made by forcing hot water through crushed coffee beans and served without milk:

7. cappuccino :noun [C or U] plural cappuccinos
(a cup of) coffee made with heated milk which is served with a thick mass of bubbles and often powdered chocolate on the top

1 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。

3 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

4 shrine   

n.圣地，神龛，庙；v.将...置于神龛内，把...奉为神圣

参考例句：

• The shrine was an object of pilgrimage.这处圣地是人们朝圣的目的地。
• They bowed down before the shrine.他们在神龛前鞠躬示敬。

5 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。

6 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

7 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

8 brew   

v.酿造，调制

参考例句：

• Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。
• The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。

9 brewing   

n. 酿造, 一次酿造的量 动词brew的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• It was obvious that a big storm was brewing up. 很显然，一场暴风雨正在酝酿中。
• She set about brewing some herb tea. 她动手泡一些药茶。

10 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 brews   

n.（尤指某地酿造的）啤酒( brew的名词复数 )；酿造物的种类；（茶）一次的冲泡量；（不同思想、环境、事件的）交融v.调制( brew的第三人称单数 )；酝酿；沏（茶）；煮（咖啡）

参考例句：

• He brews beer at home. 他在家里酿造啤酒。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They produce the country's best brews of beer. 他们生产该国的佳酿啤酒。 来自辞典例句

12 brewed   

调制( brew的过去式和过去分词 )； 酝酿； 沏（茶）； 煮（咖啡）

参考例句：

• The beer is brewed in the Czech Republic. 这种啤酒是在捷克共和国酿造的。
• The boy brewed a cup of coffee for his mother. 这男孩给他妈妈冲了一杯咖啡。 来自《简明英汉词典》

13 plural   

n.复数；复数形式；adj.复数的

参考例句：

• Most plural nouns in English end in's '.英语的复数名词多以s结尾。
• Here you should use plural pronoun.这里你应该用复数代词。