美联社新闻一分钟 2006-05-25

1. A fast-burning fire destroyed most of the cargo¹ section in Istanbul's International Airport. Thousands of people had to be evacuated². Three suffered smoke inhalation. Authorities have ruled out terrorism as the cause, but can't say yet what started the blaze.

2. Crews searching for Teamsters leader Jimmy Hoffa demolished³ a barn on a horse farm near Detroit. Evidence crew members pulled out pieces of wood, but no word that they have found any evidence that Hoffa was killed or buried there. The farm was once owned by an associate of Hoffa's and not far from where he was last seen in 1975.

3. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert says his country is willing to be a partner in peace with the Palestinians but can't wait forever. Olmert spoke⁴ to a joint⁵ meeting of Congress on Capitol Hill today. He says Israel will draw its own borders if the Hamas-led government will not negotiate.

4. Kentucky Derby winner Barbaro is showing signs of progress. The three-year-old colt is moving about his stall and putting weight on his injured leg. Barbaro broke his leg Saturday during the Preakness Stakes --- an injury that's life-threatening to horses.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. inhalation : n-var
Inhalation is the process or act of breathing in, taking air and sometimes other substances into your lungs. (FORMAL)
e.g. They were taken to hospital suffering from smoke inhalation.

2. rule out : phrasal verb
If you rule out a course of action, an idea, or a solution, you decide that it is impossible or unsuitable.
e.g. The Prime Minister is believed to have ruled out cuts in child benefit or pensions.

3. barn : n-count
A barn is a building on a farm in which crops or animal food can be kept.

4. stall : n-count
A compartment⁶ in a stable where a single animal is confined and fed

5. life-threatening : adj
If someone has a life-threatening illness or is in a life-threatening situation, there is a strong possibility that the illness or the situation will kill them.
e.g. Caitlin was born with a life-threatening heart abnormality.

1 cargo   

n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物

参考例句：

• The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。
• A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

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 demolished   

v.摧毁( demolish的过去式和过去分词 )；推翻；拆毁（尤指大建筑物）；吃光

参考例句：

• The factory is due to be demolished next year. 这个工厂定于明年拆除。
• They have been fighting a rearguard action for two years to stop their house being demolished. 两年来，为了不让拆除他们的房子，他们一直在进行最后的努力。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 joint   

adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合

参考例句：

• I had a bad fall,which put my shoulder out of joint.我重重地摔了一跤，肩膀脫臼了。
• We wrote a letter in joint names.我们联名写了封信。

6 compartment   

n.卧车包房，隔间；分隔的空间

参考例句：

• We were glad to have the whole compartment to ourselves.真高兴，整个客车隔间由我们独享。
• The batteries are safely enclosed in a watertight compartment.电池被安全地置于一个防水的隔间里。