美联社新闻一分钟 2005-07-23

1. After the latest bombings in London, police there chase and shoot dead a man at a subway station, later announcing the arrest of two more.

2. As a part of stepped-up security following the London attacks, subway riders in the New York City area undergo random¹ bag searches.

3. Secretary of State Rice makes a surprise visit to Lebanon to encourage democracy there and better ties between that country and Syria.

4. North Korea offers to give up its nuclear weapons if both sides in the Korean War sign a peace agreement replacing the decades old ceasefire.

5. And former President Clinton pledges to help Kenya expand its HIV/AIDS care, particularly for children and people in rural areas.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. ceasefire :ceasefire;ceasefires
A ceasefire is an arrangement in which countries or groups of people that are fighting each other agree to stop fighting.
eg. They have agreed to a ceasefire after three years of conflict.
eg. UN officials are expressing cautious optimism that the latest cease-fire is holding.
N-COUNT also cease-fire .
= truce²
2. stepped-up :adj--www.answers.com
Increased in pace or intensity³; heightened.
eg. a stepped-up political campaign.

1 random   

adj.随机的；任意的；n.偶然的(或随便的)行动

参考例句：

• The list is arranged in a random order.名单排列不分先后。
• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。

2 truce   

n.休战，(争执，烦恼等的)缓和；v.以停战结束

参考例句：

• The hot weather gave the old man a truce from rheumatism.热天使这位老人暂时免受风湿病之苦。
• She had thought of flying out to breathe the fresh air in an interval of truce.她想跑出去呼吸一下休战期间的新鲜空气。

3 intensity   

n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度

参考例句：

• I didn't realize the intensity of people's feelings on this issue.我没有意识到这一问题能引起群情激奋。
• The strike is growing in intensity.罢工日益加剧。