美联社新闻一分钟 2006-11-17

1. Numerous deaths are reported after severe thunderstorms and tornados¹ tore up homes and buildings in North Carolina last night and this morning. One official says he stepped across bodies in his search for other bodies.

2. Authorities will be checking for more damage today after a small tsunami² hit Crescent City Harbor, California yesterday. Triggered by an earthquake off the coast of Japan, it sent a five-foot surge into the harbor, causing up to 700,000 dollars in damages.

3. House Democrats³ have elected Nancy Pelosi as the next speaker of the House, but rejected Pennsylvania Congressman⁴ John Murtha, her choice for majority leader. Maryland Congressman Steny Hoyer won the position by a vote of 149 to 86.

4. For the first time since his acquittal on child molestation⁶ charges a year and a half ago, Michael Jackson gave a public performance. Surrounded by youthful singers, the 48-year-old pop star sang a rendition of "We Are the World" at the World Music Awards in London Wednesday.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. tear up: phrase
If something such as a road, railway or area of land is torn up, it is completely removed or destroyed.

2. surge: n-count
A surge is a sudden powerful movement of a physical force such as wind or water.

3. acquittal: noun
Acquittal is a formal declaration in a court of law that someone who has been accused of a crime is innocent.

4. molest⁵: verb
A person who molests⁷ someone, especially a woman or a child, interferes⁸ with them in a sexual way against their will.
molestation: noun

5. rendition: n-count
A rendition of a play, poem, or piece of music is a performance of it.

1 tornados   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• And the national weather service reports several tornados touch down. 国家气象中心报告预测龙卷风将来袭。 来自互联网
• They had stock footage of lightning, tornados, and hurricanes. 他们存有关于闪电、龙卷风和飓风的电影胶片。 来自互联网

2 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

5 molest   

vt.骚扰，干扰，调戏

参考例句：

• If the man continues to molest her,I promise to keep no measures with the delinquent.如果那人继续对她进行骚扰，我将对他这个违法者毫不宽容。
• If I were gone,all these would molest you.如果没有我，这一切都会来骚扰你。

6 molestation   

n.骚扰，干扰，调戏；折磨

参考例句：

• Michael Jackson is arrested by police on charges of child molestation. 2003年的今天，迈克尔·杰克逊因被警方指控有儿童性骚扰行为而被捕。 来自互联网
• Jackson pleads not guilty on the molestation charges. 2004年：杰克逊认罪不认罪的性骚扰指控。 来自互联网

7 molests   

n.骚扰( molest的名词复数 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵v.骚扰( molest的第三人称单数 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• A dog that molests sheep has to be killed. 骚扰羊群的狗要被杀掉。 来自辞典例句

8 interferes   

vi. 妨碍，冲突，干涉

参考例句：

• The noise interferes with my work. 这噪音妨碍我的工作。
• That interferes with my plan. 那干扰了我的计划。