美联社新闻一分钟 2006-09-04

1. Iraqi forces have arrested the second most senior operative in al-Qaida in Iraq. Hamed al-Saeedi was arrested a few days ago. Iraqi National Security Advisor¹ said the suspect's arrest also led to the capture or death of 11 other top al-Qaida in Iraq figures and 9 lower-level members.

2. A Chicago apartment fire killed 6 children and left their mother and 3 other children hurt. A Fire Department spokesman says the family had been without electricity for at least a month and were using candles for light.

3. Power is still out for many people in the Northeast after Ernesto blew through the region. More than 150,000 people are without service in the New York City area. Con-Ed and the Long Island Power Authority say crews are working around the clock to get the electricity back on.

4. Three tiger cubs² made their debut³ at the National Zoo in Washington D.C. The cubs weigh about 30 pounds each and are descended⁴ from a long line of tigers living at the zoo.

WORDS IN THE NEWS


1. operative : n-count
An operative is someone who works for a government agency such as the intelligence service. (mainly AM)

2. figure : n-count
Someone who is referred to as a figure of a particular kind is a person who is well-known and important in some way.

3. around the clock : phrase
If something is done round the clock or around the clock, it is done all day and all night without stopping.

4. debut : n-count
The debut of a performer or sports player is their first public performance, appearance, or recording⁵.

5. descended : adj
An animal that is descended from another sort of animal has developed from the original sort.

6. line : n-count
a series of people, things or events that follow one another in time

1 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

2 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 debut   

n.首次演出，初次露面

参考例句：

• That same year he made his Broadway debut, playing a suave radio journalist.在那同一年里，他初次在百老汇登台，扮演一个温文而雅的电台记者。
• The actress made her debut in the new comedy.这位演员在那出新喜剧中首次登台演出。

4 descended   

a.为...后裔的，出身于...的

参考例句：

• A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
• The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。