美联社新闻一分钟 2006-08-28

（单词翻译）

1. Forty-nine people died when a Comair jet crashed just after take-off in Lexington, Kentucky. Only one person, the first officer, survived. Investigators¹ are looking into whether the plane had taken off on a wrong runway.

2. Ernesto was a hurricane and Florida could be in its path. The storm is over Haiti and could impact South Florida Tuesday. Officials are telling visitors in the Florida Keys to leave now.

3. The storm could have an impact on the shuttle launch. Atlantis is scheduled to lift off Tuesday. The biggest concern is whether the launch pad was damaged by a lightning strike. But with a hurricane on the horizon, shuttle managers could scrap² the launch altogether. NASA will make its decision Sunday night.

4. A happy reunion for two Fox newsmen kidnapped in Gaza two weeks ago and released this morning. Reporter Steve Centanni and cameraman Olaf Wiig say they were forced at gunpoint to make statements, but they had praise for the Palestinian people.

WORDS IN THE NEWS


1. first officer : n-count
In commercial aviation, the first officer is the second pilot of an aircraft.

2. lift off : phrasal verb
When an aircraft or rocket lifts off, it leaves the ground and rises into the air.

3. launch pad : n-count
A launch pad or launching pad is a platform from which rockets, missiles, or satellites are launched.

4. on the horizon : phrasal
If something is on the horizon, it is almost certainly going to happen or be done quite soon.

5. at gunpoint : phrase
If you are held at gunpoint, someone is threatening to shoot and kill you if you do not obey them