美联社新闻一分钟 2005-11-09

1. Voting takes place in several off-year election contests. Put eyes on the GOP to see how President Bush's woes 2 affect the races.

2. The French government declares a state of emergency paving the way for curfews in riot-hit cities and towns after 12 nights of violence.

3. In Iraq, gunmen kill another defense 3 lawyer in the Saddam Hussein trial, raising doubts about the future of the trial of the ousted 4 leader.

4. The Pentagon issues a broad new directive mandating 5 that detainees be treated humanely 6 and bans using dogs to intimidate 7 or harass 8 suspects.

5. And the San Diego Zoo is selling artwork painted by orangutans to raise some money and awareness 9 about the plight 10 of great apes.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. off-year
off-year.
An off-year election is one that happens in a year when there are no major political elections. (AM)
Election officials predict they'll set a new turnout record for an off-year election in Washington state.
ADJ: usu ADJ n

2. woe 1
2 woe woes
You can refer to someone's problems as their woes. (WRITTEN)
He did not tell his relatives and friends about his woes.
N-PLURAL: usu with poss

3. pave
1 pave paves paving paved
If a road or an area of ground has been paved, it has been covered with flat blocks of stone or concrete, so that it is suitable for walking or driving on.
The avenue had never been paved, and deep mud made it impassable in winter.
VB: usu passive

4. curfew
curfew curfews
A curfew is a law stating that people must stay inside their houses after a particular time at night, for example during a war.
The village was placed under curfew.
In Lucknow crowds of people defied the curfew to celebrate on the streets.
N-VAR

5. mandate 11
5 mandate mandates 12 mandating mandated 13
To mandate something means to make it mandatory 14. (AM)
The proposed initiative would mandate a reduction of carbon dioxide of 40%.
Sixteen years ago, Quebec mandated that all immigrants send their children to French schools.
...constitutionally mandated civil rights.
VB

6. harass
harass harasses 15 harassing 16 harassed 17
If someone harasses you, they trouble or annoy you, for example by attacking you repeatedly or by causing you as many problems as they can.
A woman reporter complained one of them sexually harassed her in the locker 18 room.
We are almost routinely harassed by the police.
VB

7. orang-utan
orang-utan orang-utans
An orang-utan is an ape with long reddish hair that comes from Borneo and Sumatra.
N-COUNT also orang-utang, orangutan, orang-outan.

8. plight
plight plights 19
If you refer to someone's plight, you mean that they are in a difficult or distressing 20 situation that is full of problems.
...the worsening plight of Third World countries plagued by debts, economic dependency, corruption 21 and militarism.
N-COUNT: usu sing, with supp

9. ape
1 ape apes
Apes are chimpanzees, gorillas 22, and other animals in the same family.
...the theory that man is descended 23 from the apes.
N-COUNT