美联社新闻一分钟 AP NEWS 2007-10-14

1. Hours after a fiery¹ big-rig pileup on a Los Angeles interstate, the roadway is still closed. At least 15 big rigs collided Friday night on a rain-slicked road. The fire shut down a main connector between LA, its northern suburbs and San Francisco. It could be closed for at least another day.

2. The town of Blacksburg Virginia could face lawsuits² stemming from a university shooting rampage last spring. A lawyer representing 20 people killed or injured in the Virginia Tech shootings notified city and state leaders of possible lawsuits. The city manager says the suits may claim negligence³ by the town and its employees. Thirty-two people were killed by a student gunman who committed suicide.

3. The Vatican has suspended a monsignor after an Italian television show used a hidden camera to videotape the man making advances to another male. The priest held a senior post at the Vatican. The case is under investigation⁴.

4. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice squeezed in some ice time while in Russia. Rice used to be a competitive skater but gave it up at 17. She met with a group of young girls practicing their spins and jumps but wouldn't lace up skates. She said she didn't want to embarrass herself.

1 fiery   

adj.燃烧着的，火红的；暴躁的；激烈的

参考例句：

• She has fiery red hair.她有一头火红的头发。
• His fiery speech agitated the crowd.他热情洋溢的讲话激动了群众。

2 lawsuits   

n.诉讼( lawsuit的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Lawsuits involving property rights and farming and grazing rights increased markedly. 涉及财产权，耕作与放牧权的诉讼案件显著地增加。 来自辞典例句
• I've lost and won more lawsuits than any man in England. 全英国的人算我官司打得最多，赢的也多，输的也多。 来自辞典例句

3 negligence   

n.疏忽，玩忽，粗心大意

参考例句：

• They charged him with negligence of duty.他们指责他玩忽职守。
• The traffic accident was allegedly due to negligence.这次车祸据说是由于疏忽造成的。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。