美联社新闻一分钟 2006-04-30

1. The clean-up begins after winds up to one hundred miles an hour and baseball-sized hail caused extensive damage in parts of North Texas. Officials say hundreds of homes and businesses sustained damage. There are no reports of serious injuries from last night’s storms.

2. An Iranian nuclear official says Tehran is going to continue its uranium enrichment program, but he says it’s ready for a conditional 1 return to inspections 2 if certain conditions are met. The U.S. and other Western allies suspect Iran is trying to produce nuclear warheads.

3. Mario Williams is signed, sealed and delivered to the Houston Texans. The North Carolina State defensive 3 end was the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft. He signed a 6-year, 54-million-dollar contract.

4. Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is recovering after reportedly falling out of a palm tree while vacationing in Fiji. The 62-year-old rocker was flown to a hospital in New Zealand where he is being treated for a mild concussion 4

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. clean-up : n-count
A clean-up is the removing of dirt, pollution, crime, or corruption 5 from somewhere.
e.g. The Governor has now called in the National Guard to assist the clean-up operation.

2. hail : n-count
Hail consists of small balls of ice that fall like rain from the sky.
e.g. a sharp short-lived storm with heavy hail.

3. sign : verb
If an organization signs someone or if someone signs for an organization, they sign a contract agreeing to work for that organization for a specified 6 period of time.
e.g. The Minnesota Vikings signed Herschel Walker from the Dallas Cowboys...

4. seal :
⑴ n-count
A seal is a special mark or design, for example on a document, representing someone or something. It may be used to show that something is genuine or officially approved.
e.g. a supply of note paper bearing the Presidential seal.
⑵ verb
Attach authenticating 7 seal to something: to affix 8 a marked piece of wax to something in order to authenticate 9 or certify 10 it.

5. defensive end : noun
Defensive end is the name of a defensive position in the sport of American football. A defensive player who lines up at the end of the defensive line ------防守边锋
e.g. The job of the defensive end is to contain the running back on running plays to the outside, and rush the quarterback on passing plays.

6. NFL : noun
Also known as National Football League, which is the largest and most recognizable professional football league in the world ------美国职业橄榄球联盟
e.g. The National Football League consists of 32 teams divided into eight four-team divisions.

7. draft : noun
The selecting of collegiate players for entrance into the National Football League. Also known as: NFL Draft ------美国职业橄榄球联盟球员选秀大会
e.g. The team with the worst record in the NFL over the previous season is allowed to select the first player in the draft.

8. concussion : noun
If you suffer concussion after a blow to your head, you lose consciousness or feel sick or confused.
e.g. She fell off a horse and suffered a concussion.