CNN 2010-05-02

U.S. Supreme¹ Court says that a memorial out in the Mojave Desert does not violate the U.S. Constitution. The memorial is a large cross. It was put up in 1934 to honor fallen soldiers. But it's located in a national park, and some people argue that it's a religious symbol that goes against the concept of separation of church and state. The cross , which you can see right here , was boarded up because of the legal battle. Yesterday's Supreme Court decision was close: 5 to 4. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that this cross represents "far more than religion." But in opposition², Justice John Paul Stevens argued the government can't lawfully³ endorse⁴ a religious symbol as a way to pay tribute to veterans.

We have a new video up on our Facebook page. It's all about the month of the military child, which is right now! April! We're gonna have more about this on our show later this week. Now, maybe you know someone who's a military child, maybe you are one. Either way, we'd love for you to head to Facebook, check out this new video, share your thoughts. You might see them on a show later on this week.

Both the United States and the United Kingdom are telling people not to travel to Thailand unless it's absolutely necessary. The reason is violent political unrest. It has gripped the Asian country for a while now, and fighting broke out again yesterday. Police forces facing off against protesters who are opposed to the government. A CNN reporter on the scene described it as a "tense and intense standoff." She said police used rubber bullets and live ammo. Thailand's government has actually made rules about this. It says troops can use tear gas if protesters get within about 100 yards and live ammo if the protesters get within 100 feet.

Over in Europe, the financial outlook for a few countries isn't looking too good. The investment ratings for Spain, Portugal and Greece all went down this week. Greece might be the worst situation. Experts are using the word "junk" to describe that nation's investment rating. Basically, they're saying that it's very risky⁵ to put your money there. Greece has a massive debt, nearly $400 billion. That's bigger than the country's economy. Greece is developing ways to cut spending, but Greek workers aren't too happy about some of those plans, and they've been protesting about it, like you see here. Greece is also asking for financial help from the European Union: a bailout of more than $50 billion.
 

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

3 lawfully   

adv.守法地，合法地；合理地

参考例句：

• Lawfully established contracts shall be protected by law. 依法成立的合同应受法律保护。 来自口语例句
• As my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and in health, till death parts us. 当成是我的合法丈夫，无论疾病灾难，直到死亡把我们分开。 来自电影对白

4 endorse   

vt.(支票、汇票等)背书，背署；批注；同意

参考例句：

• No one is foolish enough to endorse it.没有哪个人会傻得赞成它。
• I fully endorse your opinions on this subject.我完全拥护你对此课题的主张。

5 risky   

adj.有风险的，冒险的

参考例句：

• It may be risky but we will chance it anyhow.这可能有危险，但我们无论如何要冒一冒险。
• He is well aware how risky this investment is.他心里对这项投资的风险十分清楚。