CNN 2010-10-02

And some would say if you haven't heard of the Grand¹ Ole Opry, you're not a true country fan. It's the name of a radio show that kind of introduced America to country music. And of course, the Grand Ole Opry is also the name of the building where those shows take place. The Opry stage has been home to some of the biggest names in country. But for the past 5 months, that stage hasn't been home to anyone. Back in May, severe² floods hit Nashville, causing more than a billion dollars in damage. The water that you see over my shoulder here went 2 feet above the Opry's stage. But last night, the Opry had a grand reopening. Superstars³ like Trace⁴ Adkins, Martina McBride and Brad Paisley all took the stage as part of the "Country Comes Home" concert. One thing they made sure to keep during the repairs process: that famous circle in the middle of the stage. That's been around since the Grand Ole Opry first started.

Los Angeles, California⁵ set a new record this week, but not one that too many people are happy about there. It is the hottest temperature ever for the city: 113 degrees. L.A. hit that mark around noon on Monday. The heat wave is coming from hot air that's moving from nearby mountains through Southern California. The high temperatures put pressure on the city's electric grid⁶. In order to try and fight that, officials are asking residents⁷ not to use certain appliances⁸ -- and yes, unfortunately for many of them, that includes air conditioners -- they're asked not to use even those during the hottest part of the day.

1 grand   

adj.豪华的，宏伟的，壮丽的，主要的，重大的；n.(美俚)一千美元

参考例句：

• The pianist played several pieces of music on a grand piano.钢琴家在一架大钢琴上弹了几首乐曲。
• Come on,I'll give you the grand tour of the backyard.跟我来，我带你去后院来一次盛大的旅游。

2 severe   

adj.严格的，凶猛的，严肃的，严重的，严厉的，朴素的

参考例句：

• The severe storm did for most of the crops.猛烈的暴风雨毁掉了大部分庄稼。
• The pace was too severe to be kept up for long.跟上这步伐太难了，无法持久。

3 superstars   

n.超级明星（演员、音乐师等）( superstar的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some of our greatest and richest superstars have been as thick as two planks. 我们的某些最了不起的、最富有的超级明星却愚不可及。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The private lives of those superstars are often commented on by tabloids. 7那些超级明星的私生活经常受到小报的评论。 来自互联网

4 trace   

n.痕迹，踪迹，微量；vt.追踪，找出根源，描绘；vi.追踪

参考例句：

• There isn't a trace of a smile on her face.她脸上没有一丝笑容。
• We have lost all trace of him.我们找不到他的踪迹。

5 California   

n.加利福尼亚(美国)

参考例句：

• He was elected governor of the state of California.他当选为加州州长。
• We were driving on a California freeway.我们正沿着加利福尼亚的一条快车道驾车行驶。

6 grid   

n.高压输电线路网；地图坐标方格；格栅

参考例句：

• In this application,the carrier is used to encapsulate the grid.在这种情况下，要用载体把格栅密封起来。
• Modern gauges consist of metal foil in the form of a grid.现代应变仪则由网格形式的金属片组成。

7 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

8 appliances   

n.器具，器械，装置( appliance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Dish washer is one of the appliances. 洗碗机是家用电器的一种。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• You can buy refrigerators, stoves, dishwashers, and other appliances there. 在那里可以买到冰箱、炉具、洗碗机和其他家电产品。 来自朗文快捷英语教程 1