美联社新闻一分钟 2007-04-23

1. Churches around Virginia Tech were packed Sunday as students and residents turned to the pulpit for guidance and reassurance¹. Classes are set to resume at the university Monday, a full week after 32 people were killed by a gunman.

2. An air show in Beaufort, South Carolina started today with a somber² tribute to a pilot killed Saturday while performing there. The pilot was a member of the Navy's elite³ Blue Angels. Investigators⁴ say it could take several weeks to determine what caused the crash.

3. It appears voters in France have narrowed down the field of presidential candidates to two. Projections⁵ from polls on Sunday show Conservative Nicolas Sarkozy and Socialist⁶ Segolene Royal leading the 12 contender field. If this hold, they'll both advance to a May runoff.

4. In rural Georgia, black and white high school students are coming together for prom for the first time. Turner County High School held its first integrated prom Saturday.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. pulpit: n-count
A pulpit is a small raised platform with a rail or barrier around it in a church, where a member of the clergy⁷ stands to speak.

2. somber: adj
If someone is somber, they are serious or sad.
=sombre

3. narrow down: phrase
If you narrow down a range of things, you reduce the number of things included in it.

4. runoff: n-count
A runoff is an extra vote or contest which is held in order to decide the winner of an election or competition because no one has yet clearly won.

5. prom: n-count
A prom is a formal dance at a school or college which is usually held at the end of academic year.

1 reassurance   

n.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• He drew reassurance from the enthusiastic applause.热烈的掌声使他获得了信心。
• Reassurance is especially critical when it comes to military activities.消除疑虑在军事活动方面尤为关键。

2 somber   

adj.昏暗的，阴天的，阴森的，忧郁的

参考例句：

• He had a somber expression on his face.他面容忧郁。
• His coat was a somber brown.他的衣服是暗棕色的。

3 elite   

n.精英阶层；实力集团；adj.杰出的，卓越的

参考例句：

• The power elite inside the government is controlling foreign policy.政府内部的一群握有实权的精英控制着对外政策。
• We have a political elite in this country.我们国家有一群政治精英。

4 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

6 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。

7 clergy   

n.[总称]牧师，神职人员

参考例句：

• I could heartily wish that more of our country clergy would follow this example.我衷心希望，我国有更多的牧师效法这个榜样。
• All the local clergy attended the ceremony.当地所有的牧师出席了仪式。