美联社新闻一分钟 AP 2013-04-15_在线英语听力室

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　　1. Two key senators have announced a bipartisan deal on expanding background checks as the Senate prepares to debate gun control legislation. Senators, Democrat¹ Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Republican Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, say their proposal would help keep firearms from criminals and the mentally ill.

　　2. President Obama is sending Congress a $3.8 trillion spending blueprint². It will raise taxes on the wealthy and trim popular benefit programs including Medicare and Social Security.

　　3. North Korea's capital Pyongyang was strangely calm Wednesday even as the world braces³ for a possible provocative⁴ missile launch by the communist country. The focus in Pyongyang was less on preparing for war and more on beautifying the capital ahead of the April 15 birthday of the country's founder⁵ Kim Il Sung.

　　4. Stocks rose sharply on Wall Street Wednesday, pushing the Standard & Poor's 500 index to an all-time high.

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收听单词发音

1 democrat
n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员
参考例句：
The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。 About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 blueprint
n.蓝图，设计图，计划；vt.制成蓝图，计划
参考例句：
All the machine parts on a blueprint must answer each other.设计图上所有的机器部件都应互相配合。 The documents contain a blueprint for a nuclear device.文件内附有一张核装置的设计蓝图。

3 braces
n.吊带，背带；托架( brace的名词复数 )；箍子；括弧；（儿童）牙箍v.支住( brace的第三人称单数 )；撑牢；使自己站稳；振作起来
参考例句：
The table is shaky because the braces are loose. 这张桌子摇摇晃晃，因为支架全松了。 You don't need braces if you're wearing a belt! 要系腰带，就用不着吊带了。

4 provocative
adj.挑衅的，煽动的，刺激的，挑逗的
参考例句：
She wore a very provocative dress.她穿了一件非常性感的裙子。 His provocative words only fueled the argument further.他的挑衅性讲话只能使争论进一步激化。

5 Founder
n.创始者，缔造者
参考例句：
He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。 According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

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美联社新闻一分钟 AP 2013-04-15