美联社一分钟新闻 2008-07-23（在线收听）

1. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama says security in Iraq is improving. Now it's time to talk about the country's other needs. Obama was speaking in Jordan during his highly-publicized trip abroad. He says there is military progress in Iraq but now it needs a political solution.

2. In Jerusalem, a construction truck slams into vehicles, injuring four people. Police say the Palestinian driver was shot and killed by a civilian. Two other suspects fled. The attack happened near a hotel where Barack Obama is to stay.

3. Tropical Storm Dolly is gaining strength over the Gulf of Mexico and could become a hurricane before hitting land. Texas is mobilizing National Guard troops and residents near the Mexican border. Landfall is expected late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

4. In Russia, add pigs to the list of popular pets. These mini-pigs are all the rage in St. Petersburg with people taking them for walks and even to work. But a pig with pedigree can cost between 500 and 1000 dollars.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. landfall: n.

Landfall is the act of arriving somewhere after a journey at sea, or the land that you arrive at.

2. be all the rage:

to be very popular or fashionable.

3. pedigree: n.

If a dog, cat, or other animal has a pedigree, its ancestors are known and recorded. An animal is considered to have a good pedigree when all its known ancestors are of the same type.