AP 2012-02-27
时间：2018-12-15 作者：英语课 分类：美联社新闻一分钟2012(二月)
英语课
1. Two US soldiers have been killed by protesters in Afghanistan. The protests over the burning of the Koran have been escalating 1 all week. Now the Taliban are urging more Afghans to attack foreign troops.
2. There's no slowdown to the fighting in Syria. Plumes 2 of black smoke rose over the city of Homs as government forces continued to shell the area. Meanwhile activists 3 say food, water and medical supplies are running dangerously low.
3. President Barack Obama is assailing 4 Republicans for what he describes as a flawed and dishonest strategy for reducing gas prices. Prices have been rising over the past month but he says more drilling won't solve the problem.
4. The calendar may say February but it feels like the middle of spring in Washington and New York. Temperatures are in the mid 5 to high 60s, much warmer than usual, not that anyone is complaining.
1 escalating
v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大
- The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
- The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句
2 plumes
羽毛( plume的名词复数 )； 羽毛饰； 羽毛状物； 升上空中的羽状物
- The dancer wore a headdress of pink ostrich plumes. 那位舞蹈演员戴着粉色鸵鸟毛制作的头饰。
- The plumes on her bonnet barely moved as she nodded. 她点点头，那帽子的羽毛在一个劲儿颤动。
3 activists
n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )
- His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
- Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》