CNN 2009-06-18

Hello from the CNN center here in Atlanta, I'm Melissa Long, with a look at some of the stories that are happening "Now In The News".

Iran's most powerful military force is warning Iranian websites and bloggers must remove items that create tension. Iran's Foreign Ministry¹ accused international journalists there being the mouthpiece of hooligans creating unrest. On Tuesday, Iran's government banned those journalists from covering the rallies. "I spoke² to a government official face to face and he told me flat out if you and a camera person go to these rallies and cover these demonstrations³ and broadcast images, we can't guarantee your safety. To me, that was a clear reference to Iran's baton-wielding riot police and members of the Basij, the plainclothes, the volunteer militia⁴ that we have seen riding in pairs throughout Tehran during these rallies"

President Obama will be signing a memo⁵ little later today extending healthcare and other benefits to same sex partners of federal employees. That's what two senior administration officials tell CNN. President Obama often supported gay and lesbian rights during his campaign. But he said he's against same sex marriage.

Another delay for NASA and the space shuttle, they had to call off this morning's scheduled launch because of another hydrogen leak. The similar leak forced NASA to cancel Saturday's planed lift-off, because of the angle of the sun NASA is now gonna have to wait until July 11th in order to try again. The shuttle Endeavor is supposed to be carrying food, a new astronaut and the last part of the space lab up to the international space station.

12, 000 text messages a month, that's what one 15-year-old girl from Iowa says she averages, and all that practices have now netted her a lot of money. Kate Moore won a 50, 000 dollars first prize at the national texting championship held in New York. Among challenges, texting while being blindfolded⁶. Here is the winning reaction. "I'm just like completely stunned⁷ right now like you would never think that a girl from Iowa would win something this big in New York and I'm just completely amazed, stunned, freaked out even.  " Overwhelmed again, congratulations. That's 50, 000 dollars first prize.

Those are the headlines for you this hour. Do stay with CNN and CNN. com for more on these stories or other news that develops today.

1 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

4 militia   

n.民兵，民兵组织

参考例句：

• First came the PLA men,then the people's militia.人民解放军走在前面，其次是民兵。
• There's a building guarded by the local militia at the corner of the street.街道拐角处有一幢由当地民兵团守卫的大楼。

5 memo   

n.照会，备忘录；便笺；通知书；规章

参考例句：

• Do you want me to send the memo out?您要我把这份备忘录分发出去吗？
• Can you type a memo for me?您能帮我打一份备忘录吗？

6 blindfolded   

v.（尤指用布）挡住（某人）的视线( blindfold的过去式 )；蒙住（某人）的眼睛；使不理解；蒙骗

参考例句：

• The hostages were tied up and blindfolded. 人质被捆绑起来并蒙上了眼睛。
• They were each blindfolded with big red handkerchiefs. 他们每个人的眼睛都被一块红色大手巾蒙住了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 stunned   

adj. 震惊的，惊讶的 动词stun的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• The fall stunned me for a moment. 那一下摔得我昏迷了片刻。
• The leaders of the Kopper Company were then stunned speechless. 科伯公司的领导们当时被惊得目瞪口呆。