美联社新闻一分钟 2006-05-11

1. Authorities went door to door to search for victims after twisters ripped through rural Texas overnight, killing¹ at least 3 people. The tornadoes³ reduced dozens of homes to concrete slab⁴s and left a path of damage a half-mile wild and up to 7 miles long.

2. Firefighters are battling dozens of brush fires in central Florida. Crews got a little relief on Tuesday when a quarter of an inch of rain fell in some areas. Parts of I-95 (Interstate 95) remain closed because of heavy smoke.

3. A former rock-band manager whose pyrotechnics caused a nightclub fire that killed a hundred people was sentenced to 4 years in prison today. Daniel Biechele faced as much as 10 years behind bars under a deal he struck with prosecutors⁶ in February.

4. Britney Spears told David Letterman she's pregnant with baby No. 2 last night, but she joked, "Don't worry Dave, it's not yours. " The 24-year-old pop princess and her husband had an 8-month-old son Sean Preston.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. twister : n-count
A twister is the same as a tornado². (AM)

2. rip : verb
If something rips into someone or something or rips through them, it enters that person or thing so quickly and forcefully that it often goes completely through them.
e.g. A volley of bullets ripped into the facing wall...
= tear

3. slab : n-count
A slab of something is a thick, flat piece of it.
e.g. huge concrete paving slabs⁵.

4. Interstate : n-count
In the United States, an interstate is a major road linking states.
e.g. the southbound lane of Interstate 75.

5. pyrotechnics : n-uncount
Pyrotechnics is the making or displaying of fireworks.
e.g. The festival will feature pyrotechnics, live music, and sculptures.

6. behind bars : phrase
If you say that someone is behind bars, you mean that they are in prison.
e.g. Fisher was behind bars last night, charged with attempted murder.

7. strike : verb
If you strike a deal or a bargain with someone, you come to an agreement with them.
e.g. They struck a deal with their paper supplier, getting two years of newsprint on credit.

1 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

2 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

3 tornadoes   

n.龙卷风，旋风( tornado的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Tornadoes, severe earthquakes, and plagues create wide spread havoc. 龙卷风、大地震和瘟疫成普遍的毁坏。 来自互联网
• Meteorologists are at odds over the working of tornadoes. 气象学者对龙卷风的运动方式看法不一。 来自互联网

4 slab   

n.平板，厚的切片；v.切成厚板，以平板盖上

参考例句：

• This heavy slab of oak now stood between the bomb and Hitler.这时笨重的橡木厚板就横在炸弹和希特勒之间了。
• The monument consists of two vertical pillars supporting a horizontal slab.这座纪念碑由两根垂直的柱体构成，它们共同支撑着一块平板。

5 slabs   

n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片

参考例句：

• The patio was made of stone slabs. 这天井是用石板铺砌而成的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The slabs of standing stone point roughly toward the invisible notch. 这些矗立的石块，大致指向那个看不见的缺口。 来自辞典例句

6 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。