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1. In the Midwest, it's a data pickup¹ after violent weather marked by tornadoes². In Arkansas, seven people are dead, pushing this year's storm death toll³ in the state to more than two dozen people. Meteorologists say more than 25 tornadoes may have touched down in the central U.S. in recent days.

2. In Portugal, church service is marking the anniversary of Madeleine McCann's disappearance⁴. The British girl vanished while on vacation here days before her fourth birthday. Authorities have named Madeleine's parents as suspects.

3. The Olympic torch arrives on the mainland of China, beginning its national tour. A tour organizers promise will be trouble-free. Protests and last-minute route changes haunted the torch during its international relay.

4. It's time for swimming in the Baltic Sea. So these swimmers took to the water at a balmy 48 degrees, chasing after a plastic duck. Back on land, an elephant used its trunk to spray water on spectators.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. pickup: n.

The act or process of picking up

2. the Baltic Sea: n. 波罗的海

a sea that is part of the Atlantic Ocean and is surrounded by Denmark, Sweden, the Baltic States, and Poland

3. balmy: adj.

mild and pleasant