美联社新闻一分钟 2006-01-08

（单词翻译）

1. Embattled Congressman¹ Tom Delay abandons his bid to remain as House majority leader, clearing the way for Republicans to shed the taint² of scandal.

2. One of Ariel Sharon's surgeons says the Israeli leader has a good chance of surviving his stroke, but his ability to think and reason has been damaged.

3. Doctors in West Virginia say the lone³ survivor⁴ of the coal mine disaster is showing dramatic improvement and remains⁵ in a medically induced coma⁶.

4. The UN Health Agency says 2 teens in Turkey who died of bird flu were the first human victims of the deadly H5N1 strain outside East Asia.

5. And in Britain, doctors in an animal hospital of Liverpool University are teaching pet owners how to help their overweight cats and dogs get back in shape

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. shed :v. shedding, shed, shed
(often used in newspapers) to get rid of something you do not need or want:
e.g. I'm going on a diet to see if I can shed a few kilos.

2. taint :n. A moral defect considered as a stain or spot.
e.g. The enquiry cleared him of any taint of suspicion/dishonesty