CNN 2012-05-08

 Thanks to Mr. Baltus's students for helping¹ us kick off Teacher Appreciation² Week. Over the next several days, we are going to share some of the iReport videos that you sent in and you'll have more on Teacher Appreciation Week in a few minutes. Right now though, let's get to the headlines.

 

First up, we are looking at the latest national unemployment numbers from the US government. In April, the unemployment rate went down from 8.2 percent to 8.1. It's not because that many people get hired. It's because hundreds of Americans dropped out of the labor³ force. If you stop looking for a job, you are not counted in the unemployment rate and your * looks how this could impact this year's presidential race.

 

Employment figures are crucial in the election year, and the numbers have not been the president's favor. The economy add * 115,000 jobs in April. That's down from 154,000 in March. The unemployment rate drops slightly to 8.1 percent. That's only because the number of adults actively⁴ looking for work has fallen to the lowest level since 1981. Mitt⁵ Romney says the economy should be adding closer to 500,000 jobs a month. This is a sad time in America when people who want work can't find jobs...

 

The Economic Policy Institute says 300,000-400,000 jobs should be added each month with the economy to recover. Our president Obama says the recovery is still alive. After the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, our businesses have now created more than 4.2 million new jobs ove the last 26 months.

 

Employment growth began to slow in large after three strong months winter weather. Some economists⁶ believe the slow down is a seasonal⁷ adjustment, suggesting warm weather earlier in the year gave the economy artificail boost. President Obama says next week he will urge Congress to come together to take steps to accelerate job growth. With too much at stake for us not to all be * in the same garage. If the unemployment figure don't stay afloat, the president will be handling against a strong current ahead of the * election. I'm * reporting.

 

The first several months of this year have been focused on the Republican side in that election. Two primaries and *, we now konw that governor Romney is that Party's presumptive nominee⁸. Now his democratic opponent has officially lauched his campaign. President Obama running for re-election, kicked off his campaign with Romney's in Virginia and Ohio over the weekend. Those are expected to be big battle grounds in November's presidential election. 

 

At the event, the President talked about some of his accomplishments⁹ since he took office. He pledged to (quote) finish what we started. Governor Romney is getting to be in Ohio today where they will gather and support that battle ground *. His campaign also talked about president Obama's time in office, describing it as time of (quote) broken promises and ineffective leadership.

 

In Greece, voters * yesterday, * members of the nation's parliament. Exit polls show that the political parties in the coalition¹⁰ that has been in power will probably be going to lose a lot of seats in parliament. The polls indicated that many voters were angry with the government's efforts to cut spending, that's been happening in its tries to get mass debt crisis under control.

 

And France is going to have a new president. The man who has just won that exciting voting * is Francois Hollande.And the results from yesterday run-off election indicate that he beat out Nicolas Sarkozy who has been in power sine 2007. Hollande will be France's first left-wing president. He is a socialist¹¹. That means he is the first politically liberal leader since 1995.

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

3 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。

4 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

5 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。

6 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

8 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

9 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

10 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

11 socialist   

n.社会主义者；adj.社会主义的

参考例句：

• China is a socialist country,and a developing country as well.中国是一个社会主义国家，也是一个发展中国家。
• His father was an ardent socialist.他父亲是一个热情的社会主义者。