美联社新闻一分钟 2007-07-05

1. BBC reporter Alan Johnston was released after four months as a prisoner of a Palestinian group. Leaders in Gaza say the release ushers² in a new era of law and order, saying they'll now go after vigilante gunmen.

2. The son of former Vice³ President Al Gore⁴ was arrested in California. After pulling him over for speeding, police arrested 24-year-old Al Gore III for possessing marijuana and prescription⁵ drugs. He lives in Los Angeles and works at a magazine.

3. America celebrated⁶ the fourth of July with parades like this one in Washington. On this midweek holiday, about a thousand people became US citizens at Walt Disney World in Florida, raising their right hands in front of a Cinderella's castle.

4. A new top dog emerged on New York’s Coney Island as the World's Hot Dog Eating Champion. Joey Chestnut⁷, from California, inhaled⁹ 66 hot dogs in 12 minutes, shooing past six-time winner, Takeru Kobayashi from Japan.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. usher¹ in: PHRASAL VERB V P n (not pron)
If one thing ushers in another thing, it indicates that the other thing is about to begin. (FORMAL)

2. vigilante: N-COUNT
Vigilantes are people who organize themselves into an unofficial group to protect their community and to catch and punish criminals.

3. pull over: PHRASAL VERB V n P, V P n (not pron)
If the police pull over a driver or vehicle, they make the driver stop at the side of the road, usually because the driver has been driving dangerously.

4. marijuana: N-UNCOUNT
marijuana is a drug which is made from the dried leaves and flowers of the hemp¹⁰ plant, and which can be smoked.

5. prescription: N-COUNT
A prescription is the piece of paper on which your doctor writes an order for medicine and which you give to a chemist or pharmacist to get the medicine.

6. midweek: ADJ ADJ n
Midweek describes something that happens in the middle of the week.

7. Cinderella: N-COUNT usu sing, oft N n
If you describe a person or organization as a Cinderella, you mean that they receive very little attention and that they deserve to receive more.

8. top dog: N-COUNT
If a person or organization is top dog , they are the most successful or powerful one in a particular group. (INFORMAL)

9. inhale⁸: VERB V, V n
When you inhale, you breathe in. When you inhale something such as smoke, you take it into your lungs when you breathe in.

10. hot dog: N-COUNT
A hot dog is a long bread roll with a hot sausage inside it.

11. shoo :
To drive or frighten away by or as if by crying “shoo.”

1 usher   

n.带位员，招待员；vt.引导，护送；vi.做招待，担任引座员

参考例句：

• The usher seated us in the front row.引座员让我们在前排就座。
• They were quickly ushered away.他们被迅速领开。

2 ushers   

n.引座员( usher的名词复数 )；招待员；门房；助理教员v.引，领，陪同( usher的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Seats clicked, ushers bowed while he looked blandly on. 座位发出啪啦啪啦的声响，领座员朝客人们鞠躬，而他在一边温和殷勤地看着。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• The minister then offers a brief prayer of dedication, and the ushers return to their seats. 于是牧师又做了一个简短的奉献的祈祷，各招待员也各自回座位。 来自辞典例句

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 gore   

n.凝血，血污；v.（动物）用角撞伤，用牙刺破；缝以补裆；顶

参考例句：

• The fox lay dying in a pool of gore.狐狸倒在血泊中奄奄一息。
• Carruthers had been gored by a rhinoceros.卡拉瑟斯被犀牛顶伤了。

5 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

6 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

7 chestnut   

n.栗树，栗子

参考例句：

• We have a chestnut tree in the bottom of our garden.我们的花园尽头有一棵栗树。
• In summer we had tea outdoors,under the chestnut tree.夏天我们在室外栗树下喝茶。

8 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。

9 inhaled   

v.吸入( inhale的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. 她合上双眼，深深吸了一口气。
• Janet inhaled sharply when she saw him. 珍妮特看到他时猛地吸了口气。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 hemp   

n.大麻；纤维

参考例句：

• The early Chinese built suspension bridges of hemp rope.古代的中国人建造过麻绳悬索桥。
• The blanket was woven from hemp and embroidered with wool.毯子是由亚麻编织，羊毛镶边的。