美联社新闻一分钟 2005-12-29

（单词翻译）

1. A UN official calls Iraq’s recent elections credible¹, saying there's no need to re-run the vote that gave a lead to the Shiite religious bloc² dominating the government.

2. At least 4 people are dead and dozens of homes destroyed in wildfires racing³ across thousands of acres of grassland⁴ dried out by the worst Texas drought in decades.

3. Israeli jets blast a Palestinian militant⁵ group base outside the Lebanese capital Beirut, hours after rockets fired from Lebanon hit a northern Israeli border town.

4. Consumer confidence surges in December as declining gas prices and improving job opportunities raise spirits, boding⁶ well for spending in the new year.

5. Officials now say it was wear and tear not a collision with a bird that damaged Oprah Winfrey’s private jet, forcing it to return to the airport.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. bloc : n.
a group of countries or people that have similar political interests:
e.g.The European Union is a powerful trading/trade bloc.

2. bode⁷ : v. bode bodes⁸ boding boded
to be a sign of something that will happen in the future, usually something particularly good or bad:
e.g.These recently published figures bode ill for the company's future.

3. wear and tear :
the damage which happens to an object in ordinary use during a period:
e.g.Seat covers on trains take a lot of wear and tear.