美联社新闻一分钟 2006-09-02

1. As Ernesto moves north, tourists are returning to the beaches along the Carolinas where the surf is now calm. But further up the coast, communities are raising floodwalls and preparing for heavy rains from the tropical depression.

2. On the west coast, Hurricane John is now somewhat weaker, a Category 2 storm advancing on the tourist mecca of the southern tip of Baja California. For those who couldn't get the last flights out, hotels there were the only shelter to wait out the storm.

3. The teenager charged with murdering his father and firing shots at a school in North Carolina has released a videotape. "Once again I am sorry for what I did, but he's gone, he's dead." Alvaro Castillo talks about the incident on the tape and tries to explain his actions.

4. He's only 20 inches tall but he's 14 years old. This boy from Nepal is hoping his size makes him a Guinness World Record holder¹. Khagendra Thapa Magar weighs only 10 pounds. He and his family are currently² touring south Nepal

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. surf: n-uncount
Surf is the the waves of the sea as they break upon a shore or reef³.

2. floodwall: n-count
A floodwall is a wall built along a shore or bank to protect an area from floods.

3. depression: n-count 低压带：气压低的地区
A depression is a region of low barometric⁴ pressure.[Meteorology]

4. mecca: n-count
If you describe a place as a mecca or Mecca for a particular thing or activity, you mean that many people who are interested in it go there.

5. wait out: phrase
If you wait out an event, you wait till it ends.

1 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

2 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

3 reef   

n.礁，礁石，暗礁

参考例句：

• The ship and its crew were lost on the reef.那条船及船员都触礁遇难了。
• The ship was wrecked on a coral reef.这条船在珊瑚暗礁上撞毁了。

4 barometric   

大气压力

参考例句：

• Electricity compensates for barometric pressure as well as system pressure variations. 用电补偿大气压和系统压力的变化。
• A barometric altimeter indicates height above sea level or some other selected elevation. 气压高度表用以指示海平面或另外某个被选定高度以上的高度。