세잎클로버,,

 Successive waves of wintry weather gripped much of the country Saturday, frustrating holiday travelers
from coast to coast. "We are delayed. We had a 1:17 flight. We are delayed until three." "Two hour delay
here but we have been told that once we arrive in Chicago which is connecting flight that there is not
flight to Los Angeles." Dozens of flights were cancelled at Boston's Logan International airport and
hundreds of flights were delayed.

 An ice strom that left tens of thousands of New England residents without power earlier in the week is
still being felt. "That is New England. That is it." Residents are bracing themselves for another storm
Sunday that could bring 10 inches of snow or more to some parts of the northeast.

 On the opposite end of the country where icy road conditions led to this collision between two busses
Friday, blizzard warnings have gone into effect. High winds, snow and freezing rain began coating the
state Saturday. Meteorologist say western Washington including the Seattle area could see wind gusts
as high as 90 miles per hour.

Sandy Kozel, The Associated Press

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* successive : 순서·간격에 관계 없이 그저 연속되는
* grip : 영향을 미치다, 잡다
* waves of wintry : 겨울의 한파
* from coast to coast :《美》 대서양 연안에서 태평양 연안까지; 전국에 걸쳐
* connecting flight : 비행기 연결편
* brace : 보강하다, 긴장시키다
* icy : 얼음으로 된, 얼음으로 뒤덮인, 얼음이 많은.
* blizzard : 눈보라, 폭설
* go[come] into effect : [조약,법령을]발효하다
                       : = take effect, become effective
* meteorologist : 기상학자
* gust : 돌풍 

 New York's annual count down to the new year wouldn't be complete without couples who kiss at midnight
and confetti that falls like snow in Times Square. And now, workers are putting the finishing touches
on a new Waterford crystal ball that will signal of the start of the new year and stay on display as a
tourist attraction.

 Organizers of the New Year's Eve Party say the new ball is bigger and brighter than ever before. 2,700
Waterford crystals feature a new "let there be joy" design and they depict an angel with uplifted arms.
The triangles also have cuts on both sides to maximize the light refraction within them. When it drops
on New Year's Eve, more than 32,000 LED bulbs will light up.

 The new ball will drop from a new taller mast. Less than a week after the New Year celebration, the ball
will be raised half way up the mast where it will stay untill next year's celebration. But officials say
it will also be used for other events, including Valentines day, the 4th of July and Halloween.

Carlotta Bradley, The Associated Press

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* confetti : 《단수취급》 (결혼식·퍼레이드 따위에서 뿌리는) 색종이 조각.
* put the finishing[final] touches to : ~의 마무리를 하다
* stay on as~ : ~로서 계속 남다, 머물다
* feature : 특징, 특색, 특색을 이루다
* depict : 표현하다
* refraction : (빛,소리 따위의) 굴절(작용)
* LED : light-emitting diode(발광(發光) 다이오드)
* light up : 빛나다
* mast : 높은 기둥

 A day of chaos in the Gaza strip as Israeli warplanes unleashed a furious attack against security
installation in the Hamas-ruled territory killing more than 200 people and wounding more than 400.
Hamas security forces made up most of the dead but Palestinian official said at least 15 civilians
were also killed.

 Israel says the assault aims to stop a barrage of rocket and mortar attacks by militant Palestinians
that have traumatized Israel's southern region during the past week. And the offensive comes eight
days after a six month truce between Israel and Hamas expired. As hundreds of ground troops headed for
the Gaza border in preparation for possible ground invasion, Israel warned it might go after Hamas'
leaders. However, Palestinian militants struck back firing rockets that killed one Israeli and wounded
a number of others.

 The unprecedented assault sparked protests and condemnations throughout the Arab world and the Arab
League will discuss the situation at an emergency meeting Sunday. Elsewhere many of Israel's western
allies are calling for calm. The Bush administration is urging for restraint as well but a spokesman
for the president blamed Hamas for the fighting saying quote you can't have one foot in politics and
one foot in terror.

Carlotta Bradley, The Associated Press
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* strip : 조각
* warplane : 군용기, 전투기
* unleash :  (감정 등을)폭발시키다[against, on]
* security force : 보안군
* assault : 맹공, 강습, (말에 의한)심한 공격, 비난
* barrage : <군사> 탄막, 집중 포격[사격], (질문 따위의)집중 공세
* mortar : 박격포
* militant : 호전적인, 병사
* traumatize : ~에 외상을 입히다, ~에 정신적 충격을 주다
* offensive : 공격
* truce : 휴전, 정전, 휴전하다
* expire : 만기가 되다, 만료되다, ~을 배출하다
* strike back (at): (~에) 반격하다
* unprecedented : 전례가 없는
* condemnation : 비난
* elsewhere: 어딘가 다른 곳에서
* ally : ~와 동명을 맺다, 동맹
* restraint : 억제, 제지

 A Surprise for airline passengers getting ready to take off this holiday season. They are still getting
hit with a baggage fee that was tied to sky-high fuel costs, costs that have since dropped.
"I think it's unfair. I think it's high way robbery." Some airlines have been charging passengers for
each and every bag they check. Those fees were meant to offset oil prices that spiked in the spring and
summer.

 But since then fuel prices have dropped by two-thirds and many fliers are wondering why they are still
paying the added costs. "When I came it was like $4.20, when I came, and I'm leaving and it's like
$1.50 and I'm paying like twice as much as I came to fly here and $15 extra for a bag. So, I don't
know , I think we're kinda getting ripped off." "It's crazy. It's crazy. And it's just, it's making
people feel that they are getting handled, so to speak, by having to pay the extra fees."

 Analysts say while fuel prices have dropped, airlines are sill in a financial crunch. They say
demand for seats has dropped and while gas prices dropped, some carriers locked themselves into paying
higher fuel costs. All of which means those baggage fees may be here to stay.

Ed Donahue, The Associated Press

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* sky-high : 하늘 높이
* offset : 상쇄하다, 차감하다
* get ripped off : 바가지 쓰다
* so to speak[say] : 말하자면
* crunch : 부족
* be here to stay : 뿌리내리다, 널리 보급되어 있다, 기초가 다져져 있다