CNN 2012-01-14

 This is CNN Student News and a little while we are going to talk about milestone¹ for the US debt. But first up today, we are heading to the Middle East. Violence is the daily part of life in some regions of Syria. Protesters have fighting with government forces there for months. The protesters want Syrian president Bashar Assad out of power. The government has cracked down on the protesters. There are reports that thousands of people have been killed. It has been hard for CNN to confirm those reports, because Syria wasn't letting international journalists into the country. That changed yesterday, a CNN crew was allowed in the Syria, it's saw protesters rallies like these. Some of the rallies were against president Bashar Assad, but others were supported him. Nick Robinson said what he witness was the country, it is deeply divided. "Passion was very high. People was very angry, they were very afraid. A lot of people were coming, I am showing what they said, were bullet wounds, birdshot wounds involve some people shot. What the - him shot by - law for the government. Yet the same time, in the - today was the large pro-government rallies people telling us they - president Bashar Assad what is happening get this country is dividing a -. People are believing opposite things. Some believe that the president is the - man for the country. The others don't and not talking to each other unless it ready leading to a much more divided country the new - months ago."

Iran says it is enriching uranium, it's a part of its controversial program. Iran says its nuclear program is the sign for peaceful purposes like its medical needs. But other countries including the United States believed Iran could be making nuclear weapons. And attention has isolated² Iran from some other countries. But Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is getting some international support during the trip to Latin America, staring in Venezuela. Ahmadinejad and Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez come from different cultures but both - with the United States. President Chavez welcomed to president Ahmadinejad in the ceremony yesterday. But one minute's politician called the Iranian leader's visit and embarrassed man for Venezuela.

What's the word? It's the total value of all goods and services that a country produces in a year. Well, Gross Domestic Product or GDP. That's the word.

And that doesn't just mean the government produces. The gross domestic product includes all of the goods and services that private companies sell too. Right now, the US GDP is around fifteen point three trillion dollars. And that is about what the country's debt is. It is the milestone we mentioned to the start of today show. America's debt, the money that the federal government owns is right around that fifteen point three trillion dollar mark. Some experts say in fact, the debt and GDP are in the same level shows how important is for the American government to deal with its financial problems. Next step, we are heading back out on the presidential campaign trail last week. Iowa held caucuses³ is probably meetings or Republican voters announced their presidential preferences. The state, the spotlight⁴ today is New Hampshire. It's holding the primary where voters each cast a single private ballot⁵. The Republican candidates - many of them here. They have been now trying the rally support. Former Massachusetts governor Mitt⁶ Romney has had a big lead in polls of New Hampshire. He has a kind of home field advantage since he was the governor of the state right next store. But other candidates can use the strong showing in New Hampshire to get some momentum⁷ going into the next primary contests.

Many Americans is working in the winter less wonder land. Snow - Iowa don't have enough snow -. Lake - hasn't  frozen yet. Chicago is seeing what is the least snowy winters ever. Many - blamed something called La Nina, that's a weather pattern that starts in the Pacific Ocean and there are saying that's the reason why that has been sort of warm, snowless winter in many places. There are some exceptions - saying in today before we go segment, but over in four months, case meet - at affiliated⁸ WCAX shows how some snows starts struggling.

1 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

2 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

3 caucuses   

n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议

参考例句：

• Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。 来自互联网

4 spotlight   

n.公众注意的中心，聚光灯，探照灯，视听，注意，醒目

参考例句：

• This week the spotlight is on the world of fashion.本周引人瞩目的是时装界。
• The spotlight followed her round the stage.聚光灯的光圈随着她在舞台上转。

5 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

6 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

7 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

8 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。