Packages explode at U.S. state government buildings

    WASHINGTON, Jan. 6 (Xinhua) -- Two packages detonated（爆炸） on Thursday at two government buildings in the U.S. state of Maryland, but caused no serious injuries, state authorities said.
    One package detonated at the Jeffrey Building in Annapolis, which houses agencies including the Governor's Office of Homeland Security, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the office of the Secretary of State, while the other was at the Maryland Department of Transportation headquarters in Hanover, Maryland State Police spokesman Greg Shipley told reporters.
    The incidents occurred at around noon. The book-size packages gave off smoke and odor when they were opened by employees in the mail rooms of the two buildings.
    Several employees at both sites of the incidents reported singed¹ fingers, said Shipley. Some of them were transported to hospital as a precaution（预防措施）, but no serious injuries were reported.
    This was no serious physical harm, no property damage, and could not be compared to significant explosion, Shipley said.
    No explosive material has been found at the current stage of investigation², he said, adding that all Maryland state buildings were quarantining mails.
    Authorities have shut down mail room operations in government offices across the state, and state police and the FBI were involved in the investigation, local media reported.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 singed   

v.浅表烧焦( singe的过去式和过去分词 )；（毛发）燎，烧焦尖端[边儿]

参考例句：

• He singed his hair as he tried to light his cigarette. 他点烟时把头发给燎了。
• The cook singed the chicken to remove the fine hairs. 厨师把鸡燎一下，以便去掉细毛。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 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。