CNN 2009-04-19

All right, an update on our top stories right now.

President Obama is at the Summit of the Americas in Trinidad. He shook hands with the long-time US foe¹ Hugo Chavez of Venezuela. The Venezuelan leader said he wants to be a friend but he gave Mr. Obama a book that accuses the US of actually exploiting Latin America.

North Korea meantime is still defiant² over its April 5th rocket launch. In a television broadcast today, North Korea warns the outside world that any sanctions or pressure will be a declaration of war.

We are following a developing story as well out of central Maryland, near Frederick actually, police are investigating the deaths of five people found in a house in Middletown. The bodies of the victims, new images right now believed to be a man, a woman, and three children were discovered this morning. Police have not revealed if there were any signs of violence in the home. We will bring you more details as they become available, but the entire town there shocked at what has taken place.

An American journalist gets an eight-year prison sentence on spying charges in Iran; it is drawing immediate³ denunciations here in the United States. Roxanna Saberi was put on trial this week in Teheran. Saberi is an Iranian-American actually born in North Dakota. She is a freelance for National Public Radio and other news organizations and she was writing a book about Iranian culture while doing some of her research in Tehran. Her father and her defense⁴ attorney say they will keep working for her freedom.

Not only coerced⁵, but also deceived. She was deceived to talk; they told her that if she says like this they would free her. And then they didn't free her. Later she found out that it was a, it was a trick.

The US calls the espionage⁶ charges baseless and is demanding Saberi's release.

The power is still out at thousands of homes and businesses in Colorado after a major spring snowstorm. An 80-mile stretch of Interstate 80 has just been reopened but the road is still slow and very sloppy⁷.

1 foe   

n.敌人，仇敌

参考例句：

• He knew that Karl could be an implacable foe.他明白卡尔可能会成为他的死敌。
• A friend is a friend;a foe is a foe;one must be clearly distinguished from the other.敌是敌，友是友，必须分清界限。

2 defiant   

adj.无礼的，挑战的

参考例句：

• With a last defiant gesture,they sang a revolutionary song as they were led away to prison.他们被带走投入监狱时，仍以最后的反抗姿态唱起了一支革命歌曲。
• He assumed a defiant attitude toward his employer.他对雇主采取挑衅的态度。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

5 coerced   

v.迫使做( coerce的过去式和过去分词 )；强迫；（以武力、惩罚、威胁等手段）控制；支配

参考例句：

• They were coerced into negotiating a settlement. 他们被迫通过谈判解决。
• He was coerced into making a confession. 他被迫招供。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 espionage   

n.间谍行为，谍报活动

参考例句：

• The authorities have arrested several people suspected of espionage.官方已经逮捕了几个涉嫌从事间谍活动的人。
• Neither was there any hint of espionage in Hanley's early life.汉利的早期生活也毫无进行间谍活动的迹象。

7 sloppy   

adj.邋遢的，不整洁的

参考例句：

• If you do such sloppy work again,I promise I'll fail you.要是下次作业你再马马虎虎，我话说在头里，可要给你打不及格了。
• Mother constantly picked at him for being sloppy.母亲不断地批评他懒散。