CNN 2009-05-09

From the CNN center in Atlanta, hello everyone, I'm Catherine Callaway, so glad you are checking in with us. Here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

The nation's unemployment rate rose to its largest reading since 1983. Unemployment stood at 8.9 percent in April, up six-tenths of a percent from the previous month. In the mean time, the Labor¹ Department reported that employers cut 539,000 jobs from their payrolls² in April down from 699,000 from March, and the best reading since October.

Well Drew Peterson, the prime suspect of the disappearance³ of his fourth wife Stacy has now been indicted⁴ for the murder of his third wife Kathleen Savio. Peterson was arrested yesterday near his home in a Chicago suburb. He will be in court for a bond hearing this afternoon. He has denied any wrongdoing in Savio's death or in Stacy's disappearance.

Pope Benedict XVI landed in Jordan earlier this morning to begin a Middle East tour. His week-long trip will also take him to Israel and the Palestinian territories. It is the first papal trip to the region since Pope John Paul II made a similar pilgrimage some nine years ago.

Well, this is not your typical high school science project. 5400 students, parents and teachers went to the extreme at Coors Field in Denver trying to illustrate⁵ extreme weather in Colorado. They were trying to clench⁶ the Guinness World Record for the biggest science project. They did some explosive experiments and some hands-on activities, demonstrating the science of weather, that's kind of class everybody likes.

All right, KFC's free grilled⁷ chicken offer was apparently⁸ a little too finger-licking good. Some restaurants actually ran out of chicken. A KFC, can you believe it? This was after Oprah Winfrey told viewers about the internet coupon⁹. KFC has released a statement apologizing to its customers and is now offering a rain check.

Be sure in stick with CNN.com 24/7 for news from around the world and we will have updates for you right here throughout the day.

1 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

2 payrolls   

n.（公司员工的）工资名单( payroll的名词复数 )；（公司的）工资总支出，工薪总额

参考例句：

• Indices of employment, payrolls, and production steadied in February 1931931年2月，就业、工资额和生产指数稳定。 来自辞典例句
• Wall Street responded to the payrolls figures with gusto. 华尔街对就业数据作出了积极的反应。 来自互联网

3 disappearance   

n.消失，消散，失踪

参考例句：

• He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。
• Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

4 indicted   

控告，起诉( indict的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The senator was indicted for murder. 那位参议员被控犯谋杀罪。
• He was indicted by a grand jury on two counts of murder. 他被大陪审团以两项谋杀罪名起诉。

5 illustrate   

v.举例说明，阐明；图解，加插图

参考例句：

• The company's bank statements illustrate its success.这家公司的银行报表说明了它的成功。
• This diagram will illustrate what I mean.这个图表可说明我的意思。

6 clench   

vt.捏紧（拳头等），咬紧（牙齿等），紧紧握住

参考例句：

• I clenched the arms of my chair.我死死抓住椅子扶手。
• Slowly,he released his breath through clenched teeth.他从紧咬的牙缝间慢慢地舒了口气。

7 grilled   

adj. 烤的, 炙过的, 有格子的 动词grill的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• He was grilled for two hours before the police let him go. 他被严厉盘查了两个小时后，警察才放他走。
• He was grilled until he confessed. 他被严加拷问，直到他承认为止。

8 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

9 coupon   

n.息票，配给票，附单

参考例句：

• The coupon can be used once only.此优惠券只限使用一次。
• I have a coupon for ten pence off a packet of soap.我有一张优惠券买一盒肥皂可以便宜十便士。