美联社新闻一分钟 2006-06-24

1. Five of the seven terror suspects arrested yesterday have made their initial court appearance in Miami. They're accused of plotting to bomb the Sears Tower in Chicago and other buildings. Security officials at the tower say it's business as usual today.

2. A former Reno pawn¹ shop owner, accused of stabbing his wife to death and shooting the judge handling their divorce, is now back in the USA after 11 days on the run. Police say Darren Mack surrendered without incident last night in Mexico. He arrived at Dallas-Fort Worth Airport this morning.

3. At least 2 people have been killed in a series of storms in Ohio over the last few days. A teenage boy died when a tree fell on his tent and a firefighter died trying to rescue teenagers stranded² in their jeep.

4. And for mourners who don't have the time or ability to make it to the funeral, a chapel³ in New York now offers webcasting. Those who can't make it to the service can pay their last respects at the Star of David Memorial Chapel over a live web camera.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. Sears Tower
Sears Tower is a skyscraper⁴ in Chicago that was the world's tallest building from 1973 to 2004 and now is the world's third tallest building.

2. business as usual : phrase
In a difficult situation, if you say it is business as usual, you mean that people will continue doing what they normally do.
e.g. The Queen was determined⁵ to show it was business as usual.

3. pawn shop : n-count
A pawn shop is a pawnbroker⁶'s shop.
pawnbroker : n-count
A pawnbroker is a person who lends people money. People give the pawnbroker something they own, which can be sold if they do not pay back the money before a certain time.

4. make it : phrase
If you cannot make it, you are unable to attend an event that you have been invited to.
e.g. He hadn't been able to make it to our dinner.

5. webcast : n-count
A webcast is an event such as a musical performance which you can listen to or watch on the Internet. [Web+(Broad) Cast]. (COMPUTING)

6. service : n-count
A service is a religious ceremony that takes place in a church.
e.g. After the hour-long service, his body was taken to a cemetery⁷ in the south of the city.

7. pay one's last respects to : phrase
If you pay your last respects to someone who has just died, you show your respect or affection for them by coming to see their body or their grave.
e.g. The son had nothing to do with arranging the funeral, but came along to pay his last respects.

8. Star of David Memorial Chapel :
Star of David Memorial Chapel is a Jewish owned and operated funeral home redefining the Jewish Graveside Funeral Service located directly adjacent to all of the major Jewish cemeteries⁸ in Long Island.

1 pawn   

n.典当，抵押，小人物，走卒；v.典当，抵押

参考例句：

• He is contemplating pawning his watch.他正在考虑抵押他的手表。
• It looks as though he is being used as a political pawn by the President.看起来他似乎被总统当作了政治卒子。

2 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

3 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

4 skyscraper   

n.摩天大楼

参考例句：

• The skyscraper towers into the clouds.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。
• The skyscraper was wrapped in fog.摩天楼为雾所笼罩。

5 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

6 pawnbroker   

n.典当商，当铺老板

参考例句：

• He redeemed his watch from the pawnbroker's.他从当铺赎回手表。
• She could get fifty dollars for those if she went to the pawnbroker's.要是她去当铺当了这些东西，她是可以筹出50块钱的。

7 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

8 cemeteries   

n.（非教堂的）墓地，公墓( cemetery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It's morbid to dwell on cemeteries and such like. 不厌其烦地谈论墓地以及诸如此类的事是一种病态。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• In other districts the proximity of cemeteries seemed to aggravate the disease. 在其它地区里，邻近墓地的地方，时疫大概都要严重些。 来自辞典例句