CNN 2009-08-11

Good morning, from the CNN center here in Atlanta, I'm Melissa Long. It's a Monday, the 10th of August. Here's a look at some of the stories that are happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Members of Congress are back home and getting an earful from voters on health care reform. Right now, Democratic Senator Claire McCaskill is holding a town hall forum¹ in her home state of Missouri. So far, things have been heated, but they haven’t gotten quite rowdy as some of the previous town hall meetings we’ve documented for you. Some Democrats² are accusing some Republicans of orchestrating the protests while Republicans say some Democrats are using that accusation³ to slam people who have legitimate⁴ concerns.

Today divers⁵ are still trying to recover bodies and debris⁶ after a midair collision between a small plane and a helicopter over the Hudson River over the weekend. Crews raised the helicopter Sunday before storm rolled in. They still haven't found the small plane. Nine people, including five Italian tourists were aboard the two aircraft. Divers have already pulled 7 bodies from the Hudson.

H1N1 will likely be one of the biggest issues tackled during president Obama's trip to Mexico. He is there for a quick summit with Mexico's president and Canada's Prime Minister. Besides, coming up with the plan to deal with swine flu, the leaders will also be focusing on drug trafficking and trade.

California authorities today are considering lifting a lockdown on 10 prisons. It followed a weekend riot at a state prison in Chino. Prison officials say inmates⁷ torched this housing unit, broke windows and used plumbing⁸ pipes as weapons. About 250 inmates were injured. A Corrections Department spokesperson says the fighting was apparently⁹ racially motivated.

Starting tomorrow, many new GM vehicles will go on sale on eBay. The trial sale starts in California, and if it is popular, it could expand nationwide. GM already sells used cars on eBay. You can click "Buy It Now" for a set price or make an offer in order to try to get an even better price.

Those are the headlines for you at this hour. Do stay with CNN, CNN.com for more on these stories or other news that develops today.

1 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

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 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

4 legitimate   

adj.合法的，合理的，合乎逻辑的；v.使合法

参考例句：

• Sickness is a legitimate reason for asking for leave.生病是请假的一个正当的理由。
• That's a perfectly legitimate fear.怀有这种恐惧完全在情理之中。

5 divers   

adj.不同的；种种的

参考例句：

• He chose divers of them,who were asked to accompany him.他选择他们当中的几个人，要他们和他作伴。
• Two divers work together while a standby diver remains on the surface.两名潜水员协同工作，同时有一名候补潜水员留在水面上。

6 debris   

n.瓦砾堆，废墟，碎片

参考例句：

• After the bombing there was a lot of debris everywhere.轰炸之后到处瓦砾成堆。
• Bacteria sticks to food debris in the teeth,causing decay.细菌附着在牙缝中的食物残渣上，导致蛀牙。

7 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。