CNN 2009-12-24

Obama: The jobs picture is not going to improve considerably¹, and it could even get a little bit worse over the next couple of months.

"We've had, you know, down time and good times with the economy."

The Dow Jones Industrial Average: up! Gold: up! The dollar: down! Oil: up!

Right now, the U.S. unemployment rate is 10.2 percent. That is the highest it's been in decades.

A recent CNN poll found that the economy, not health care, is the biggest issue on the minds of Americans.

Schools prepare to fight the H1N1 virus.

The government is working on an H1N1 vaccine² that should be ready by mid-October.

"I think it was definitely worse than the regular flu. It just really knocked me down."

Some deliveries of the shot are going to be delayed.

President Obama declared a national H1N1 emergency.

Health officials say a delay in vaccine production comes down to a 50-year-old technology that relies on eggs.

The impact of the H1N1 virus may be more widespread than originally thought.

The war in Afghanistan.

The votes from last month's presidential election in Afghanistan are going to be recounted.

100,000 American and allied³ troops are already fighting in Afghanistan.

"We need the help down here, even though we're handling our own."

Logistically, Afghanistan is not ready for all the troops.

Hamid Karzai is scheduled to be sworn in today for his second term as the president of Afghanistan.

President Obama plans to send 30,000 additional U.S. forces to Afghanistan.

Obama: I am convinced that our security is at stake.

50 percent of you agreeing with the president's decision; 50 percent saying he should not be sending more troops.

1 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

2 vaccine   

n.牛痘苗，疫苗；adj.牛痘的，疫苗的

参考例句：

• The polio vaccine has saved millions of lives.脊髓灰质炎疫苗挽救了数以百万计的生命。
• She takes a vaccine against influenza every fall.她每年秋季接种流感疫苗。

3 allied   

adj.协约国的；同盟国的

参考例句：

• Britain was allied with the United States many times in history.历史上英国曾多次与美国结盟。
• Allied forces sustained heavy losses in the first few weeks of the campaign.同盟国在最初几周内遭受了巨大的损失。