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1. North (Korea) denies reports that it's getting ready to test a long-range missile. But the U. S. and Japan are taking no chances. Both are urging the Koreans not to go forward with any testing.
2. Discovery has a July 1st launch date. NASA officials made the announcement today. This will be the first shuttle mission in nearly a year. Engineers have been working on fixing the foam on the shuttle's external tank. Flying foam hit the wing of the Shuttle Columbia in 2003, causing the shuttle to disintegrate on re-entry to earth.
3. Former Enron President Jeffrey Skilling says he thought about killing himself after his company crumbled and the government began pressuring him. In an interview with the Wall Street Journals, Skilling says he went into a deep depression. Skilling will be sentenced in October for lying to investors.
4. It's a day fit for Queen in England. Today was the last day of celebrations for Queen Elizabeth's 80th birthday. Royal Air Force jets marked the occasion with a flyover. The Queen was actually born in April, but celebration always happens in June when the weather is better.
WORDS IN THE NEWS
1. long-range : adj
A long-range piece of military equipment or vehicle is able to hit or detect a target a long way away or to travel a long way in order to do something.
e.g. He is very keen to reach agreement with the US on reducing long-range nuclear missiles.
2. take no chances ---不冒险, 力求万全
take a chance : phrase
When you take a chance, you try to do something although there is a large risk of danger or failure.
e.g. You take a chance on the weather if you holiday in the UK.
3. disintegrate : verb
If an object or substance disintegrates, it breaks into many small pieces or parts and is destroyed.
4. re-entry : n-uncount
Re-entry is used to refer to the moment when a spacecraft comes back into the earth's atmosphere after being in space.
e.g. The station would burn up on re-entry into the earth's atmosphere.
5. crumble : verb
to begin to fail or get weaker or to come to an end
e.g. a crumbling business / relationship
6. flyover : n-count
A flyover is the same as a flypast. (AM)
flypast : n-count
A flypast is a flight by a group of aircraft in a special formation which takes place on a ceremonial occasion or as a display. (BRIT; in AM, use flyover)
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