美联社新闻一分钟 2007-05-10

1. A wildfire has burned more than 800 acres in downtown Los Angeles. Animals at the nearby city zoo were moved indoors and dozens of homes were evacuated¹.

2. There were more evacuations in Missouri where levees have been topped by rising flood waters. The state fears at least 20 levees have been compromised in low-lying communities along the Missouri River.

3. It was a surprise trip to Baghdad for Vice² President Dick Cheney. During his visit, he met with the Iraqi leaders who are under pressure to ease the country's escalating³ sectarian violence.

4. And after a week of complaints, this racy Chicago billboard⁴ has been removed from its downtown perch⁵. But it wasn't the photos or the wording that did it in. The firm that owns the ad didn't have a permit for it.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. levee: n-count
Levee is the embankment built to prevent a flooded river from overflowing⁶.

2. low-lying: adj
Low-lying land is at, near or below sea level.

3. racy: adj
Slightly improper⁷ or indecent.

4. wording: n-uncount
The wording of a piece of writing or a speech are the words used in it, especially they are chosen to have a particular effect.

1 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

2 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。

3 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

4 billboard   

n.布告板，揭示栏，广告牌

参考例句：

• He ploughed his energies into his father's billboard business.他把精力投入到父亲的广告牌业务中。
• Billboard spreads will be simpler and more eye-catching.广告牌广告会比较简单且更引人注目。

5 perch   

n.栖木，高位，杆；v.栖息，就位，位于

参考例句：

• The bird took its perch.鸟停歇在栖木上。
• Little birds perch themselves on the branches.小鸟儿栖歇在树枝上。

6 overflowing   

n. 溢出物,溢流 adj. 充沛的，充满的 动词overflow的现在分词形式

参考例句：

• The stands were overflowing with farm and sideline products. 集市上农副产品非常丰富。
• The milk is overflowing. 牛奶溢出来了。

7 improper   

adj.不适当的，不合适的，不正确的，不合礼仪的

参考例句：

• Short trousers are improper at a dance.舞会上穿短裤不成体统。
• Laughing and joking are improper at a funeral.葬礼时大笑和开玩笑是不合适的。