专四听力训练 CNN 新闻100篇讲解学习.docx

1、专四听力训练 CNN 新闻100篇讲解学习专四听力训练 CNN 新闻100篇1CNN 100CNN News Item 1The U.S. government closes its embassy in the Middle Eastern country of Yemen, and that is because ofsecurity concerns. One official says that a group called al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula might be planningan attack against the facility

2、. That same group said it was behind an attempted plot to set off an explosiveonboard a plane heading to Detroit, Michigan. That took place on Christmas day. The suspect allegedlybrought the explosives on the plane in his underwear. The plan failed when the device he tried to use didntdetonate corre

3、ctly. Some people have asked how the suspect made it past security. One U.S. official says itsbecause of human error. President Obama has promised that everyone involved in the attack will be heldaccountable for it. But some critics argue that the presidents response to the situation hasnt been fast

4、enough, hasnt been aggressive enough.CNN News Item 2Its back to work for Indian government oil workers after a three-day strike that crippled Indiancommerce. Some 45,000 oil workers walked off the job after the government refused their demands forhigher pay. The labor standoff ended after days of in

5、tense government pressure, including threats of job lossand even arrest to strikers. Meantime, talks with a second group of nationwide strikers may soon beunderway. The Indo-Asian News-Service says Indias transport minister is ready to discuss demands fromtruckers. Many across India have parked thei

6、r rigs, calling for reduction in diesel and tyre prices.CNN News Item 3Lawmakers in Nebraska have approved a big change to the states controversial safe haven law. Underthe new measure, children older than 30 days can not be dropped off at state hospitals. 35 children, many ofthem, preteens or even

7、teenagers, have been abandoned in hospitals since the original law took effect in July.State lawmakers say it was intended to prevent newborns from being dumped in trash bins or even worse.The new law is expected to go into effect at midnight.CNN News Item 4The nation of Iran marking a milestone lat

8、er on this week. On Thursday, the country will celebrate theanniversary of when it became an Islamic republic. This goes back to 1979, when supporters of the AyatollahKhomeini, a religious leader, overthrew the countrys government. Khomeini became the supreme leader ofIran, and the nation officially

9、 became an Islamic state. The United States and the European Union areworried about potential violence during Thursdays celebrations. U.S. and European Union are urging theMiddle Eastern nation to “end its abuses against its own people.” Iranian leaders have denied anyaccusations that the government

10、 has abused citizens.CNN News Item 5Iraqis put democracy into action today in elections held across the country. The polls have closed and avote-counting has begun. Voters went to 6,000 polling stations to pick from among 14,000 candidatesincluding 4,000 women. Security is very tight though, voters

11、were searched before they entered the polls.2The borders with Iran and Syria were sealed and a curfew has been put into place. Now even the UnitedNations was involved in monitoring those elections.CNN News Item 6Iranian media reports former President Mohammad Khatami has announced he will run in the

12、 Junepresidential elections. Todays announcement ends weeks of speculation. Khatami is considered a reformistand overwhelmingly won the presidency in 1997 but he couldnt bring about religious and democraticfreedoms because of strong opposition from the countrys religious establishment. Khatami was s

13、ucceededby current President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad four years ago.CNN News Item 7Meanwhile U.S. President Barack Obama is taking crisis talks to an international level. British PrimeMinister Gordon Brown is traveling to the United States on Monday to push for global solutions to theeconomic crisis. He

14、 will be the first E.U. leader to meet the new president in Washington and Mr. Obamawill meet the remaining E.U. leaders at a special summit in Prague in April. That will be his first trip toEurope since taking office. Also on that trip, the G20 summit on the economic crisis and a NATO meeting.CNN N

15、ews Item 8Strike is off, the judge says plans for a walkout by a British Airways Cabin Crew cannot happen. As wereported yesterday, this strike which would have last through the holidays could have effected a millionpassengers holiday travel plans. But the judge has blocked it from happening. Now th

16、e airline says it hopesthe Cabin Crews Labor Union would take some time to think about its next steps. The union representativessay this dispute is not over and unless the two sides can come to a solution, they could vote to strike again,but after Christmas.CNN News Item 9Heading overseas to Thailan

17、d where grenade attacks in the capital city of Bangkok have killed at leastthree people. A Thai official said the grenades came from an area where people who were protesting thegovernment were gathered together. The protesters say they are not responsible. They have been fightingwith police for a wh

18、ile here you can see them throwing rocks and other things at police. They support thecountrys former prime minister and they want the current leader to leave office. After these recent attacks,Thailands prime minister called an emergency meeting to figure out how to deal with the situation.CNN News

19、Item 10U.S. Supreme 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 its located ina national park, and some people argue that its a religious symbol that goes against the con

20、cept of separationof church and state. The cross was boarded up because of the legal battle. Yesterdays Supreme Courtdecision was close: 5 to 4. Writing for the majority, Justice Anthony Kennedy said that this cross represents“far more than religion.” But in opposition, Justice John Paul Stevens arg

21、ued the government cant lawfullyendorse a religious symbol as a way to pay tribute to veterans.3CNN News Item 11Freed at last after five years in captivity, three Americans held hostage by leftist rebels in Colombia areback on U.S. soil and will be reunited with their families. Marc Gonsalves, Thoma

22、s Howes and KeithStansell were among those rescued during an incredible operation yesterday. Columbian secret agents trickedleftist rebels into handing them over without a single shot being fired. The men are now undergoing tests atan army medical center in San Antonio, Texas.CNN News Item 12Health

23、care reform enters a new era in about two hours. President Obama is scheduled to sign that billinto law. Then, he is going to travel around the country to sell the plan to skeptics. But Republicans say thatbattle is on to get ready for legal challenges, nearly a dozen states plan to argue that its n

24、ot constitutional. Asearly as tomorrow, the debate moves to the Senate where lawmakers will consider a companion measure, andRepublicans plan, parliamentary objections that could change that bill and force it back to the House. Now,even before the first votes were cast in the health care debate, Bar

25、ack Obamas overall approval ratingdropped to his lowest level ever recorded.CNN News Item 13Members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives will be meeting this month to put together afinal health care reform bill. The Senate passed its version on Christmas Eve. The House had already passedi

26、ts bill. But there are some pretty big differences between the two. One of them: cost. The Senate bill checksin at $871 billion. The House version: Over $1 trillion. Another issue: the so-called public option, agovernment-run health insurance program. House bill includes it; Senate bill doesnt. So,

27、some compromisesneed to be made to come up with a final bill. And since that then has to be approved by both Houses ofCongress, there are some concerns about whether it will pass.CNN News Item 14Another day of international pressure levied against Zimbabwes embattled President Robert Mugabe.British

28、officials have announced they are stripping Robert Mugabes honorary knighthood title. Nobel Prizewinner Desmond Tutu is also speaking out about the election mess there. Hes urging the nations of theworld to intervene. The calls come after opposition leader Morgan Tsvangirai withdrew from the electio

29、n,citing violence against his party. The Zimbabwean Electoral Commission ruled today that the presidentialelection will go on as planned.CNN News Item 15The Tea Party movement is getting ready for the mid-term elections coming up in November. The grouphas released a list of heroes and targets. The h

30、eroes on the list are candidates that the Tea Party plans tosupport in the elections. The targets are anyone that the group would like to see voted out of office. Ofcourse lists are not the only way that the Tea Party gets its message out. Rallies are the groups bread andbutter. This one in Washingt

31、on DC yesterday was a wrapping up of a three-week tour across the U.S. Thetiming? No coincidence. Yesterday, of course, was tax day. And the group is opposed to what it sees as thegovernment overspending.4CNN News Item 16Today marks the 30th anniversary of the Iranian hostage crisis. And President O

32、bama said that he wantsto move beyond the past and build a relationship with Iran based on mutual interest and mutual respect.U.S.-Iran relations had been hostile since the day that Islamic students stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehranand held 52 Americans hostage for more than 400 days. Irans government holds rally every year to celebratethat event. Today theres something different though, anti-government protesters are also