美联社新闻一分钟 2006-04-20

（单词翻译）

1. White House spokesman Scott McClellan resigned from his position Wednesday after nearly 3 years on the job. The resignation comes amid increasing calls for change at the White House especially since President Bush's approval ratings have plummet¹ed severely³.

2. In Chile, an active volcano erupted sending ash and smoke miles into the air, but not threatening any areas where people live. The volcano was called the Lascar and is considered to be one of the most active volcanoes in Chile.

3. Authorities are trying to figure out why a tram in New York City got stuck for nearly 12 hours, leaving dozens of passengers dangling⁴ in a car over the East River. This is the first time that passengers have to be rescued from a tram in its entire 30-year history.

4. Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes are proud parents of a baby girl. The parents announced the birth of Suri on Tuesday. She weighed in at 7 pounds, 7 ounces. This is the first child for Holmes. Cruise adopted a son and daughter several years ago

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. plummet :verb
to fall very quickly and suddenly:
e.g. House prices have plummeted² in recent months.

2. tram :noun [C] (US USUALLY streetcar, US ALSO trolley)
an electric vehicle that transports people, usually in cities, and goes along metal tracks in the road

3. dangle⁵ :verb
to hang loosely, or to hold something so that it hangs loosely:
e.g. Loose electric wires were dangling from the wall.

4. weigh in :
to have your weight measured before taking part in a competition
weigh in at
e.g. Higgins weighed in at just over 100 kilos.