CNN 2008-07-23_在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Hope you're having a great day. I'm Nicole Lapin at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Senator John McCain really focusing on his foreign policy experience today. At a town hall event in Rochester, New Hampshire, John McCain argued that he and not Senator Barack Obama is best suited to make the tough calls at home and abroad. Meantime, Senator Barack Obama is in Jordan today as he continues his trip overseas. He is really sticking by his plan to withdraw American troops from Iraq within 16 months if he is elected.

A waiting, watching and worrying just a little bit for Dolly. This is a storm that just keeps growing stronger by the hour with winds reaching 70 miles an hour. Hurricane warnings are now in effect all along the stretch of Texas and the Gulf¹ of Mexico. Hundreds of National Guard troops also on standby for this. Several cities are also getting ready for evacuations.

America's fourth largest bank is taking a big loss today. Wachovia posted a nearly 9-billion-dollar loss in the second quarter of this year. The bank is blaming the drop in mortgage defaults and its declining market value. Wachovia says it will cut more than 6,000 jobs nationwide as well as slash² its dividend³.

In London, the star of "The Dark Knight⁴" Christian⁵ Bale has been questioned and released following an arrest on charges he assaulted his mom and his sister at a hotel on Sunday night. Bale's lawyer released a statement saying that Bale answered all of the questions by police and was released with no charges pending⁶.

Also disgraced Olympic track star Marion Jones has asked President Bush to commute⁷ her prison sentence. Jones is serving a six-monthsentence for lying about using performance-enhancing drugs as well as a check fraud scam. The Justice Department says that Jones is among hundreds of convicted felons⁸ who have appealed for presidential pardons or sentence commutations.

Those are the headlines at this hour. For more on those stories and other news of the day, CNN is always your source online, on TV or on your cellphone. Take care.

点击

收听单词发音

1 gulf
n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂
参考例句：
The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。 There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 slash
vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩
参考例句：
The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。 Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

3 dividend
n.红利，股息；回报，效益
参考例句：
The company was forced to pass its dividend.该公司被迫到期不分红。 The first quarter dividend has been increased by nearly 4 per cent.第一季度的股息增长了近 4%。

4 knight
n.骑士，武士；爵士
参考例句：
He was made an honourary knight.他被授予荣誉爵士称号。 A knight rode on his richly caparisoned steed.一个骑士骑在装饰华丽的马上。

5 Christian
adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒
参考例句：
They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。 His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

6 pending
prep.直到，等待…期间；adj.待定的；迫近的
参考例句：
The lawsuit is still pending in the state court.这案子仍在州法庭等待定夺。 He knew my examination was pending.他知道我就要考试了。

7 commute
vi.乘车上下班；vt.减(刑)；折合；n.上下班交通
参考例句：
I spend much less time on my commute to work now.我现在工作的往返时间要节省好多。 Most office workers commute from the suburbs.很多公司的职员都是从郊外来上班的。

8 felons
n.重罪犯( felon的名词复数 )；瘭疽；甲沟炎；指头脓炎
参考例句：
Aren't those the seats they use for transporting convicted felons? 这些坐位不是他们用来押运重犯的吗？来自电影对白 House Republicans talk of making felons out of the undocumented and those who help them. 众议院共和党议员正商议对未登记的非法移民以及包庇他们的人课以重罪。来自互联网