美联社新闻一分钟 2007-01-14

1. Much of the country, west of the Mississippi is coping with a paralyzing ice and snow storm. Inches of ice is expected in several Midwest states including Kansas and Oklahoma. Four deaths are blamed on the storm so far. Thousands are expected to lose power.

2. Residents in the St. Louis, Missouri suburb are expressing shock that a man who worked at a pizza place was arrested for kidnapping two boys. Thirteen-year-old Ben Ownby disappeared days ago. Another boy, Shawn Hornbeck had disappeared four years ago. Both have been reunited with their parents.

3. People in Alaska and Hawaii have the all clear after a Pacific earthquake touched off tsunami¹ watches and warnings. The alerts have been canceled. The warnings were prompted after a strong earthquake of 8.3 magnitudes struck off Japan's northern coast.

4. A giant panda cub² put on quite a show for her media debut³. Mei Lan romped⁴ about a Zoo Atlanta exhibit area for the crowd. The 16-pound cub and her mother had been in seclusion⁵ since the cub's birth September 6th

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. all clear : N-SING
The all clear is a signal that a dangerous situation, for example an air raid, has ended.

2. touch off : PHR-V
If something touches off a situation or series of events, it causes it to start happening.d

3. put on a show : PHR-V
When people put on a show, exhibition, or service, they perform it or organize it.

4. seclusion : N-UNCOUNT
If you are living in seclusion, you are in a quiet place away from other people.

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 cub   

n.幼兽，年轻无经验的人

参考例句：

• The lion cub's mother was hunting for what she needs. 这只幼师的母亲正在捕猎。
• The cub licked the milk from its mother's breast. 这头幼兽吸吮着它妈妈的奶水。

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 romped   

v.嬉笑玩闹( romp的过去式和过去分词 )；（尤指在赛跑或竞选等中）轻易获胜

参考例句：

• Children romped on the playground. 孩子们在操场上嬉笑玩闹。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• John romped home well ahead of all the other runners. 约翰赛马跑时轻而易举地战胜了所有的选手。 来自辞典例句

5 seclusion   

n.隐遁，隔离

参考例句：

• She liked to sunbathe in the seclusion of her own garden.她喜欢在自己僻静的花园里晒日光浴。
• I live very much in seclusion these days.这些天我过着几乎与世隔绝的生活。