美联社新闻一分钟 2006-11-24

1. A curfew was in effect in Baghdad after a deadly attack left more than 150 people dead. Suicide¹ car bombers² exploded devices³ in the Sadr City neighborhood. Police say Sunni militants⁴ are to blame.

2. In Chicago, police say an armed man has held 2 women hostage⁵ in an apartment building for more than 12 hours. Negotiators are trying to communicate with the gunman. Police can't say what started the situation.

3. Troops in Iraq and Afghanistan are celebrating Thanksgiving thousands of miles from home. The soldiers and sailors aren't with their families, but say even a little taste from home is a welcome distraction⁶ from the wars.

4. How even Mother Nature could ground the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade balloons? Snoopy, Scooby-Doo and others made their way down Broadway. Gusty⁷ winds had threatened to ground the famous balloons before New York emergency managers gave the go-ahead at the last minute although the balloons did fly lower than usual.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. distraction: n-count
A distraction is something that turns your attention away from something you want to concentrate on.

2. Mother Nature: n-uncount
Mother Nature is sometimes used to refer to nature, especially when it is being considered as a force that affects human beings.

3. ground: verb
If something is grounded, they are made to stay on the ground and are not allowed to take off.

4. gusty: adj.
Gusty winds are very strong and irregular.

5. go-ahead: n
If you give someone or something the go-ahead, you give them permission to start doing something.

1 suicide   

n.自杀，自毁，自杀性行为

参考例句：

• The number of suicide has increased.自杀案件的数量增加了。
• The death was adjudged a suicide by sleeping pills.该死亡事件被判定为服用安眠药自杀。

2 bombers   

n.轰炸机( bomber的名词复数 )；投弹手；安非他明胶囊；大麻叶香烟

参考例句：

• Enemy bombers carried out a blitz on the city. 敌军轰炸机对这座城市进行了突袭。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Royal Airforce sill remained dangerously short of bombers. 英国皇家空军仍未脱离极为缺乏轰炸机的危境。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 devices   

n.设备；装置( device的名词复数 )；花招；（为实现某种目的的）计划；手段

参考例句：

• electrical labour-saving devices around the home 节省劳力的各种家用电器
• modern labour-saving devices such as washing machines and dishwashers 诸如洗衣机和洗碗机之类的现代化省力设备

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 hostage   

n.人质，抵押品

参考例句：

• One group claimed to have executed the American hostage.一个组织声称已经处决了那名美国人质。
• Have you read the article about the rescue of the hostage?你看了关于营救人质的文章了吗？

6 distraction   

n.精神涣散，精神不集中，消遣，娱乐

参考例句：

• Total concentration is required with no distractions.要全神贯注，不能有丝毫分神。
• Their national distraction is going to the disco.他们的全民消遣就是去蹦迪。

7 gusty   

adj.起大风的

参考例句：

• Weather forecasts predict more hot weather,gusty winds and lightning strikes.天气预报预测高温、大风和雷电天气将继续。
• Why was Candlestick Park so windy and gusty? 埃德尔斯蒂克公园里为什么会有那么多的强劲阵风？