美联社新闻一分钟 2006-05-24

1. New violence across Iraq killed at least 40 people on Tuesday. Iraqi workers were the targets of shootings and car bombings from a Shiite mosque¹ to a police station. Several workers were killed in drive-by shootings as they rode to work in Mosul and Baqouba.

2. Former Senator and Treasury² Secretary Lloyd Bentsen is being hailed by members of both parties. The one-time vice³ presidential candidate died Tuesday at his Houston home. He was 85.

3. Social Security numbers and other personal data belonging to millions of veterans were stolen from a home of a Veterans Affairs employee, but there is no evidence that the burglars have used the personal data. The VA is setting up a call center for vet⁵s who think the personal information might have been misuse⁷d.

4. A dramatic escape from an apartment fire in Hamburg, Germany, and miraculous⁹ly nobody was seriously injured. This videotape shows a mother and her son trapped on their balcony as fire raged behind them, but the two managed to jump to safety suffering only minor¹¹ injuries.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. drive-by : adj
A drive-by shooting or a drive-by murder involves shooting someone from a moving car.

2. hail : verb
If a person, event, or achievement is hailed as important or successful, they are praised publicly.
e.g. Faulkner has been hailed as the greatest American novelist of his generation.

3. one-time : adj, also onetime
One-time is used to describe something such as a job, position, or role which someone used to have, or something which happened in the past. (JOURNALISM)
e.g. The legislative¹² body had voted to oust⁴ the country's onetime rulers.
= former

4. Veterans Affairs
The United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for administering programs of veterans benefits for veterans, their families, and survivors¹³. It is administered by the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs.

5. call center : n-count
A department within a company or a third-party organization that handles telephone sales and/or service. Call centers use automatic call distributors (ACDs) to route calls to the appropriate agent.

6. vet : n-count
A vet is someone who has served in the armed forces of their country, especially during a war. (AM INFORMAL)
e.g. All three are Vietnam vets⁶.
= veteran

7. misuse : verb
If someone misuses¹⁴ something, they use it incorrectly, carelessly, or dishonestly.
e.g. You are protected instantly if a thief misuses your credit card.

8. miraculous : adj
If you describe a good event as miraculous, you mean that it is very surprising and unexpected.
e.g. a miraculous escape

9. rage : verb
You say that something powerful or unpleasant rages when it continues with great force or violence.
e.g. Train services were halted as the fire raged for more than four hours.

1 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。

2 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 oust   

vt.剥夺，取代，驱逐

参考例句：

• The committee wanted to oust him from the union.委员会想把他从工会中驱逐出去。
• The leaders have been ousted from power by nationalists.这些领导人被民族主义者赶下了台。

5 vet   

n.兽医，退役军人；vt.检查

参考例句：

• I took my dog to the vet.我把狗带到兽医诊所看病。
• Someone should vet this report before it goes out.这篇报道发表之前应该有人对它进行详查。

6 vets   

abbr.veterans （复数）老手，退伍军人；veterinaries （复数）兽医n.兽医( vet的名词复数 )；老兵；退伍军人；兽医诊所v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的第三人称单数 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• I helped train many young vets and veterinary nurses too. 我还帮助培训了许多年青的兽医和护士。 来自互联网
• In fact, we've expanded mental health counseling and services for our vets. 实际上，我们已经扩大了退伍军人的心理健康咨询和服务。 来自互联网

7 misuse   

n.误用，滥用；vt.误用，滥用

参考例句：

• It disturbs me profoundly that you so misuse your talents.你如此滥用自己的才能，使我深感不安。
• He was sacked for computer misuse.他因滥用计算机而被解雇了。

8 misused   

v.使用…不当( misuse的过去式和过去分词 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misused his dog shamefully. 他可耻地虐待自己的狗。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He had grossly misused his power. 他严重滥用职权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 miraculous   

adj.像奇迹一样的，不可思议的

参考例句：

• The wounded man made a miraculous recovery.伤员奇迹般地痊愈了。
• They won a miraculous victory over much stronger enemy.他们战胜了远比自己强大的敌人，赢得了非凡的胜利。

10 miraculously   

ad.奇迹般地

参考例句：

• He had been miraculously saved from almost certain death. 他奇迹般地从死亡线上获救。
• A schoolboy miraculously survived a 25 000-volt electric shock. 一名男学生在遭受2.5 万伏的电击后奇迹般地活了下来。

11 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

12 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。

13 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

14 misuses   

n.用错，滥用( misuse的名词复数 )；误用者v.使用…不当( misuse的第三人称单数 )；把…派作不正当的用途；虐待；滥用

参考例句：

• He misuses his horses by giving them loads that are too heavy. 他给它们过重的负荷来虐待他的马。 来自互联网
• He often misuses his authority to tyrannize his underlings. 他常用手中的职权凌轹下属。 来自互联网