美联社新闻一分钟 2006-05-27

1. A false alarm caused tension on Capitol Hill for several hours Friday. The Capitol was briefly 1 sealed off and the Rayburn House Office Building was searched after an unidentified caller reported gunfire. Investigators 2 later said it was actually noise from a construction crew.

2. The Senate filled some Bush Administration vacancies 3 before heading out of town to the holiday. Lawmakers confirmed David Paulison to head the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and it okayed (or OK'd) General Michael Hayden to be CIA director.

3. Dozens of students were injured when the tour buses they were riding in collided. The accident near Raleigh North Carolina backed up traffic for miles along Interstate 95, at the start to the Memorial Day weekend.

4. The ultimate party animal flew into Cannes. Playboy founder 4 Hugh Hefner and three of his playmate girlfriends traveled to the French Riviera to celebrate his 80th birthday in style.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. seal off phrasal verb
If one object or area is sealed off from another, there is a physical barrier between them, so that nothing can pass between them.
e.g. Windows are usually sealed off.

2. caller n-count
A caller is a person who is making a telephone call.
e.g. An anonymous 5 caller told police what had happened.

3. ok/okay : tr.v. OK'ed or OK'd or okayed, OK'ing or okaying, OK's or okays
Abbreviation of oll korrect, slang respelling of all correct. If someone in authority okays something, they officially agree to it or allow it to happen. (INFORMAL)
e.g. His doctor wouldn't OK the trip.

4. Raleigh :
The capital of North Carolina, in the east-central part of the state southeast of Durham. Selected as the capital in 1788, the city was laid out in 1792. Population: 326,000.

5. back up : phrasal verb
If vehicles back up, they form a line of traffic which has to wait before it can move on.
e.g. Traffic into London on the M11 was backed up for several miles.

6. Memorial Day -----美国阵亡将士纪念日
Memorial Day is a United States federal holiday that takes place on May 30th and is observed on the last Monday of May. It was formerly 6 known as Decoration Day. This holiday commemorates 7 U.S. men and women who died in military service for their country. It began first to honor Union soldiers who died during the American Civil War. After World War I, it expanded to include those who died in any war or military action. Today, some Americans apparently 8 use Memorial Day weekend to also honor family members who have passed away. Church services on the Sunday prior to Memorial Day may include a reading of the names of members who have died during the previous 12 months.

7. Cannes ----- 戛纳
A city of southeast France on the Mediterranean 9 Sea near Nice. It is a fashionable resort and the site of an annual international film festival. Population: 65,200.

8. party animal : noun, informal
Someone who likes going to parties a lot and goes to as many as possible.
e.g. She was a real party animal at college. I don't remember her ever staying in in the evening.

9. style : n-uncount
If people or places have style, they are smart and elegant.
e.g. Both love doing things in style.