美联社新闻一分钟 2007-05-18

1. The search has intensified¹ for three missing US soldiers feared captured by al-Qaeda in Iraq. Military officials are offering a $200,000 reward for information on the GI's whereabouts.

2. Rain has reduced the 22 square mile wildfire near a bombing range in New Jersey², calming the flames to mostly smoldering⁴ blush. But firefighters warned the flames could rekindle⁵ if the winds pick up.

3. Memorial services are set for Dr. Martin Luther King Junior's eldest⁶ child. Yolanda King will be honored next Thursday at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. There will be no public viewing.

4. And a shoo-in has gone home. Judge favorite, Melinda Doolittle was voted off "American Idol⁷" last night, leaving beatboxer Blake Lewis and teen singer Jordin Sparks to duke it out in next week's finale.

 

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. whereabouts: noun
If you refer to the whereabouts of a particular person or thing, you mean the place where that person or thing may be found.
=location

2. smolder³: verb
If something smolders⁸, it burns slowly, producing smoke but not flames.

3. blush: n-count
Blush is a red or rosy⁹ color.

4. shoo-in: n-count
A shoo-in is a person or thing that seems sure to succeed. (mainly AM, INFORMAL)

1 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

3 smolder   

v.无火焰地闷烧；n.焖烧，文火

参考例句：

• The smolder will soon be a flame.闷火很快变为烈焰。
• It can smolder undetected for hours,then suddenly explode in fiery destruction.也有可能好几小时内不被发觉，突然激烈的爆炸。

4 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

5 rekindle   

v.使再振作；再点火

参考例句：

• Nothing could rekindle her extinct passion.她激情已逝,无从心回意转。
• Is there anything could rekindle his extinct passion?有什么事情可重燃他逝去的热情呢？

6 eldest   

adj.最年长的，最年老的

参考例句：

• The King's eldest son is the heir to the throne.国王的长子是王位的继承人。
• The castle and the land are entailed on the eldest son.城堡和土地限定由长子继承。

7 idol   

n.偶像，红人，宠儿

参考例句：

• As an only child he was the idol of his parents.作为独子，他是父母的宠儿。
• Blind worship of this idol must be ended.对这个偶像的盲目崇拜应该结束了。

8 smolders   

n.焖烧，文火，冒烟( smolder的名词复数 )v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Watch as fire smolders at the bullet-ridden Red Mosque complex. 现在，大火正在红色清真寺内燃烧。 来自互联网

9 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。