美联社新闻一分钟 2006-02-19

（单词翻译）

1. Rescuers say all 10 troops whose helicopters crashed off the coast of Africa have been accounted for, but they won’t say if they survived. Officials say they will not release information until next of kin¹ is notified. The choppers crashed yesterday.

2. In the Philippines, darkness forced rescue crews to stop searching for any more survivors² of yesterday’s mudslide. Hopes are dim that any more people will be found alive. As many as 1,800 are feared dead. American warships³ and marines are heading to the region to help in the search.

3. The temperature dipped below zero in the Windy City and that doesn’t include the wind show. Across the country, frigid⁴ temperatures, ice and snow are wreak⁵ing havoc⁷. In the northeast at least 4 deaths have been blamed on a windstorm that knocked out power to thousands of homes.

4. And Powerball fever is rising. Tonight’s jackpot is a record 365,000,000 dollars. People are waiting in long lines for their chance to be a multimillionaire. Lottery⁸ officials in one state say sales reached 11,000 dollars a minute. Powerball is played in 28 states, the District of Columbia and the US Virgin⁹ Islands.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. nect of kin :noun [C] plural¹⁰ next of kin
the person or group of people you are most closely related to:
e.g. We cannot release the names of the soldiers who were killed until we having informed their next of kin.

2. chopper :noun [C]
INFORMAL FOR helicopter

3. dim :adjective dimmer, dimmest
not likely to succeed:
e.g. The company's prospects¹¹ for the future are rather dim.

4. wreak : verb [T] wrought¹² or wreaked¹³, wrought or wreaked
to cause something to happen in a violent and often uncontrolled way:
e.g. The recent storms have wreaked havoc on crops.

5. havoc : noun [U]
confusion and lack of order, especially causing damage or trouble:
e.g. The delay played (= caused) havoc with their travel arrangements.

6. jackpot : noun [C]
the largest prize offered in a competition:
e.g. We won the jackpot.