CNN 2010-01-05

Christmas Celebrated¹

AZUZ: And of course, Christians² around the world celebrated Christmas on December 25th, marking the birth of Jesus. One of those celebrations, which you see right here, was held in the city of Bethlehem, the site where Jesus was born. Worshippers gathered at the Church of the Nativity for a ceremony there. And at the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI led the traditional Christmas Eve Mass. There was a disruption at the beginning, though, when a woman ran toward the pope and knocked him down. The religious leader wasn't hurt. He was helped up and continued with the ceremony, while Vatican guards removed the woman.

 

Iran Protests

AZUZ: A holy day in Iran marked by violence as protesters clashed with police forces about a week ago. Demonstrators have spoken out against the country's government for months now, but the clashes on the Muslim holy day of Ashura were the worst so far. At least seven people killed in the violence, though protesters and security forces disagree on how those deaths happened.

 

Meantime, Iran's government says it's getting ready to hold a "large-scale military exercise" next month. The country says the goal is to prepare its forces to fight against an attack by the nation's enemies. There's been a lot of tension based around Iran's nuclear program. The country says the program is for peaceful purposes. Other countries, including the U.S., believe Iran might be trying to build nuclear weapons.

 

Health Care Debate

AZUZ: Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be meeting this month to put together a final health care reform bill. The Senate passed its version on Christmas Eve. The House had already passed its bill. But there are some pretty big differences between the two. One of them: cost. The Senate bill checks in at $871 billion. The House version: Over $1 trillion. Another issue: the so-called public option, a government-run health insurance program. House bill includes it; Senate bill doesn't. So, some compromises need to be made to come up with a final bill. And since that then has to be approved by both Houses of Congress, there are some concerns about whether it will pass.

1 celebrated   

adj.有名的，声誉卓著的

参考例句：

• He was soon one of the most celebrated young painters in England.不久他就成了英格兰最负盛名的年轻画家之一。
• The celebrated violinist was mobbed by the audience.观众团团围住了这位著名的小提琴演奏家。

2 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。