CNN 2010-02-02

It is the most awesome¹ day of the week; we're glad you're spending part of it with CNN Student News. Talking you through today's commercial-free headlines, I'm Carl Azuz.

 

70 minutes, more than 7,000 words: It all adds up to President Obama's first, official State of the Union address, which we brought you yesterday along with the Republican response.

 

"Madam speaker, the President of the United States! "

 

Front and center -- no surprise -- the economy. The issue took up about two-thirds of the president's speech. He talked about the need to create jobs and called for a freeze on some government spending. He also said Democrats² and Republicans need to work together on the problems facing the country. Health care, which has been a big push since the president took office, got some attention in the speech. But the issue seems to be on the back burner, at least for now.

 

Analysts³ are always curious about how people will react to his speech. In a CNN poll taken after the State of the Union on Wednesday night, about half of the people who watched it had a very positive reaction; around 20 percent had a negative response. Here's some more feedback on President Obama's address.

 

It's kind of a lot more defensive⁴ than what I would have liked. I think the issues are still the same. I think there was some coalescence⁵ to.. making nice to both parties, but I don't know. Tough fight.

 

He was saying what the people wanted to hear. Is he going to do it? That's up to you, but..clapping....

 

I think the problems are problems he inherited from the Republicans, frankly⁶, and he's working his best to solve those problems. But they are problems that are not going to be solvable in one soundbite. They are problems that are going to take years to work through.

 

It's too much government. Doesn't work.

 

1 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

2 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

4 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

5 coalescence   

n.合并，联合

参考例句：

• It is formed by the coalescence of the first three neuromeres in the embryo .它是由胚胎时的前三个神经原节愈合而成的。
• The other process of droplet growth is by collision and coalescence.云滴增长的另一个过程是各云滴间的碰撞和并合。

6 frankly   

adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说

参考例句：

• To speak frankly, I don't like the idea at all.老实说，我一点也不赞成这个主意。
• Frankly speaking, I'm not opposed to reform.坦率地说，我不反对改革。