AP美联社一分钟新闻 2008-12-27（在线收听）

1.It's still looking like a miserable end of a miserable year for retailers, with a lot of shoppers today turning up their noses at deep discounts and simply returning unwanted gifts. One analyst says after an early surge, mall turnout is lighter than expected today.

2.A Los Angeles County coroner official says a ninth body has been recovered from a home where a gunman shot up a Christmas Eve party and set the house ablaze. The ninth body was found this morning in the gutted structure.

3.Intelligence officials say Pakistan has started to redeploy thousands of troops to the Indian border from the tribal areas near Afghanistan. The move is frustrating officials in India as well as the U.S. where there are fears Pakistan is letting its guard down in the fight against Al-Qaeda.

4.Santa Claus is back in action. Father Frost as he is known in Russia made his traditional appearance in Moscow today where he handed out some gifts and helped kick off the New Year celebrations.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1.gutted: adj

It’s used to describe the situation in which the interior of a building has been badly destroyed.

2.kick off: phrase

Informal to kick off sth is to start sth or announce the beginning of certain activities