美联社新闻一分钟 2007-01-05

1. You can forget the glass ceiling. Nancy Pelosi says she broke through a marble one today when she was sworn in as the Speaker of the House. She is the first woman to hold that position and promises to embrace a spirit of partnership¹.

2. Pelosi wasn't the only one making history in the Capitol today. Keith Ellison became the first Muslim member of Congress when he was sworn in. Ellison took his ceremonial oath of office using Thomas Jefferson's copy of the Koran, the Muslim holy book.

3. White House says President Bush and Iraq's prime minister agree it will take more military force to calm the violence in Baghdad. However, US officials say Bush hasn't decided² whether to send in more US troops.

4. A federal judge is freezing any proceeds that O.J. Simpson may have received from his canceled book and TV deal about his ex-wife and Ronald Goldman. Simpson says he's already spent the money.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. glass ceiling: n-count
When people refer to a glass ceiling, they are talking about the attitudes and traditions in a society that prevent woman from rising to the top jobs.

2. swear in: phrase
When someone is sworn in, they formally promise to fulfill³ the duties of a new job or appointment.

3. Koran: noun
The Koran is the sacred book on which the religion of Islam is based.

4. calm: verb
To calm a situation means to reduce the amount of trouble, violence, or panic there is.

5. freeze: verb
If someone in authority freezes something such as a bank account, fund, or property, they obtain a legal order which states thet it cannot be used or sold for a particular period of time.

6. proceeds: n-plural
The proceeds of an event or activity are the money that has been obtained from it.

1 partnership   

n.合作关系，伙伴关系

参考例句：

• The company has gone into partnership with Swiss Bank Corporation.这家公司已经和瑞士银行公司建立合作关系。
• Martin has taken him into general partnership in his company.马丁已让他成为公司的普通合伙人。

2 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 fulfill   

vt.履行，实现，完成；满足，使满意

参考例句：

• If you make a promise you should fulfill it.如果你许诺了，你就要履行你的诺言。
• This company should be able to fulfill our requirements.这家公司应该能够满足我们的要求。