美联社新闻一分钟 2006-04-09

（单词翻译）

1. Widespread destruction after a deadly tornado¹ ripped through the Nashville area. Crews are busy Saturday clearing away wreckage² and restoring services. 12 people were killed. It’s the second time in less than a week Tennessee was slammed by tornadoes³ and violent storms.

2. A senior Iraqi official says an undeclared civil war is raging in that country. It's been another day of sectarian violence. A car bomb went off today near a Shiite shrine⁴ south of Baghdad killing⁵ 6. The attack came one day after 85 people were killed and 150 others were hurt during an attack at a Baghdad mosque⁶.

3. Brett Favre held a news conference today to let everyone know he was still weighing retirement⁷ against one more season with the Green Bay Packers. The 36-year-old quarterback says there is a chance he could make up his mind sometime in the next week.

4. Something is brew⁸ing at this convention. Espresso and cappuccino makers¹⁰ from across the country are competing at the US Barista Championships. The winner gets a chance to compete in the world championship later this year in Switzerland

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. rip through sth :phrasal verb
to move very powerfully through a place or building, destroying it quickly:
e.g. A hurricane ripped through the Caribbean.

2. weigh :verb [T]
to carefully consider, especially by comparing facts or possibilities, in order to make a decision:
e.g. Only when we have weighed all the factors involved can we decide when would be the best time to start.

3. quarterback :noun [C] MAINLY US
(in American football) the player who receives the ball at the start of every play and tries to move it along the field [橄榄球] 四分卫

4. brew: verb[I or T]
If you brew tea or coffee, you add boiling water to it to make a hot drink, and if it brews¹¹, it gradually develops flavour in the container in which it was made:
e.g. He brewed¹² some coffee for us.

5. convention :noun [C]
a large formal meeting of people who do a particular job or have a similar interest, or a large meeting for a political party:
e.g. Where are they holding their party convention?

6. espresso :noun [C or U] plural¹³ espressos
strong coffee, or a cup of this, made by forcing hot water through crushed coffee beans and served without milk:

7. cappuccino :noun [C or U] plural cappuccinos
(a cup of) coffee made with heated milk which is served with a thick mass of bubbles and often powdered chocolate on the top