美联社新闻一分钟 2006-08-01

1. Israel has launched several more airstrikes on southern Lebanon today, cutting short a two-day pause in the attacks after Hezbollah guerrillas blew up an Israeli tank.

2. President Bush insists any Mideast ceasefire must be conditioned on a wider global agreement. "Iran must end its financial support and supply of weapons to terrorist groups like Hezbollah; Syria must end its support for terror and respect the sovereignty of Lebanon."

3. A heat emergency has been declared in New York City where temperatures have gotten so high. Three hundred eighty-three cooling centers have been opened. Public pools are also operating under extended hours as temperatures soar into the 90s.

4. And in a surprising announcement, the government says it's reconsidering over-the-counter sale of the morning-after pill, but only to women 18 and older.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. sovereignty: n-uncount
Sovereignty is the power that a country has to govern itself or another country or state.

2. soar: verb
If the amount, level, value or volume of something soars, it quickly increases by a great deal.

3. over-the-counter: phrase
If a medicine can be bought over the counter, you do not need a prescription¹ to buy it.
常见缩写为OTC,即非处方药.

4. morning-after pill: n-count
A morning-after pill is a pill that a woman can take some hours after having sex to prevent herself from becoming pregnant

1 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。