美联社新闻一分钟 2005-08-26

（单词翻译）

1:The Federal Base-closing Commission agrees to close Walter Reed Medical Center, crown jewel of the US Army's hospital system.

2:Tropical storm Katrina strengthens on its way toward Florida's heavily populated southeastern coast due to make a landfall overnight.

3:Iraq's Parliament speaker announces a one-day extension in the constitution talks, a fourth try winning Sunni support for the charter.

4:Hundreds of scavenger¹s swarm² over wreckage³ of a Peruvian airliner⁴ potentially undermining the probe into the crash that killed dozens.

5:And rescue workers conduct an airlift evacuation of a district in Switzerland's capital after flooding hits parts of central and southern Europe.

WORDS IN THE NEWS

1. crown jewel
2 crown jewel crown jewels
If you describe something as someone's crown jewel, you mean it is the most important or valuable thing they have.
The company is also willing to sell 20% of its crown jewel, its credit-card business.
N-COUNT: usu poss N

2. scavenge
scavenge scavenges scavenging scavenged
If people or animals scavenge for things, they collect them by searching among waste or unwanted objects.
Many are orphans⁵, their parents killed as they scavenged for food.
Children scavenge through garbage.
The foxes come and scavenge the bones.
Cruz had to scavenge information from newspapers and journals.
VB

· scavenger scavengers
...scavengers such as rats.
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3. wreckage
1 wreckage
When something such as a plane, car, or building has been destroyed, you can refer to what remains⁶ as wreckage or the wreckage.
Mark was dragged from the burning wreckage of his car.
N-UNCOUNT : also the N

4. airlift
1 airlift airlifts
An airlift is an operation to move people, troops, or goods by air, especially in a war or when land routes are closed.
President Garcia has ordered an airlift of food, medicines and blankets.
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