美联社新闻一分钟 2006-10-23

1. October is the deadliest month this year for US troops in Iraq. A soldier and a marine¹ were killed yesterday, bringing the death toll² to 80 this month. With less than 10 days to go, October could become the deadliest month in 2 years.

2. Another Democrat³ could soon throw his hat into the presidential race. Democrat Senator Barack Obama said today he is considering a run for the White House. He says the mid-term elections could have an influence on his decision.

3. Madonna's facing more trouble trying to adopt a boy from Malawi this time from the boy's father. He tells the Associated Press that he gave up his 13-month-old son to Madonna, but never was told it would be permanent. He says he thought the material girl would just educate and care for David Banda. But he thought the boy would then return home.

4. A crime by thieves paid off for archaeologist in Egypt. Grave robbers found 3 tombs but were arrested before the tombs could be opened. Egyptian archaeologists took up the dig and discovered the graves of 3 dentists to ancient kings.

WORDS IN THE NEWS


1. throw one's hat in the ring : PHR =toss one's hat in the ring.
Announce one's candidacy or enter a contest, as in The governor was slow to throw his hat in the ring in the senatorial race. This term comes from boxing, where throwing a hat in the ring formerly⁴ indicated a challenge; today the idiom nearly always refers to political candidacy.

2. pay off : PHR-V
Produce a profit, as in That gamble did not pay off.

3. archaeologist : N-COUNT
Scientists who study the societies and peoples of the past by examining the remains⁵ of their buildings, tools, and other objects.

4. take up : PHR-V
If you take up an activity or a subject, you become interested in it and spend time doing it.

1 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

2 toll   

n.过路(桥)费；损失，伤亡人数；v.敲(钟)

参考例句：

• The hailstone took a heavy toll of the crops in our village last night.昨晚那场冰雹损坏了我们村的庄稼。
• The war took a heavy toll of human life.这次战争夺去了许多人的生命。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 formerly   

adv.从前，以前

参考例句：

• We now enjoy these comforts of which formerly we had only heard.我们现在享受到了过去只是听说过的那些舒适条件。
• This boat was formerly used on the rivers of China.这船从前航行在中国内河里。

5 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。