CNN 2008-01-31_在线英语听力室_免费在线英语听力学习网站

(单词翻译:双击或拖选)

Good afternoon from the CNN Center in Atlanta. I'm Reggie Aqui. Thanks for checking in. Here is a look at what's happening NOW IN THE NEWS.

Former Senator John Edwards has officially announced that he is dropping out of the presidential race. Edwards finished in third place in three Democratic primaries or caucuses¹ and he decided² to call it quits where his campaign started more than a year ago in New Orleans.

It's possible the GOP field is also about to narrow. A pair of Republican sources tells CNN that Rudi Juliani plans to drop out of the race and throw his support behind Senator John McCain. Juliani finished well behind McCain and Mitt³ Romney in the Florida primary last night.

We are also watching the extreme weather across the country. In Washington State crews finally cleared the snow that was left on the Interstate 90 following several avalanches⁴ this week. A series of severe thunder storms pounded Kentucky. This is damage in Louisville: heavy winds blew out windows, downed signs and power lines, leaving thousands of people in the dark.

And the Middle East has also been hit by a rare winter snow storm and unusually chilly⁵ temperatures. In Israel bad weather shut down schools and businesses and public transportation. But it didn't necessarily keep people inside. They usually only see one or two snow storms a year but the snow rarely thickens. Forecasters say up to 8 inches of snow fell in Jerusalem. It's the same story across other parts of the Mideast and most cities aren't prepared to handle that kind of weather.

Let's talk football for a second. The NFL predicts the New England Patriots⁶’ pursuit of history is going to make history in the ratings. Sports analysts⁷ say Sunday's Super Bowl telecast could be the most watched. The Patriots are shooting to become the first NFL team that finish undefeated since the 1972 Dolphins. The New York Giants are of course hoping to thwart⁸ those plans.

Be sure to stick with CNN.com 24/7 for news from around the world. Of course we are gonna have your updates right here throughout the day.

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收听单词发音

1 caucuses
n.（政党决定政策或推举竞选人的）核心成员( caucus的名词复数 )；决策干部；决策委员会；秘密会议
参考例句：
Republican caucuses will happen in about 410 towns across Maine. 共和党团会议选举将在缅因州的约410个城镇进行。来自互联网

2 decided
adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的
参考例句：
This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。 There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

3 mitt
n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手
参考例句：
I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。 Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

4 avalanches
n.雪崩( avalanche的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The greatest dangers of pyroclastic avalanches are probably heat and suffocation. 火成碎屑崩落的最大危害可能是炽热和窒息作用。来自辞典例句 Avalanches poured down on the tracks and rails were spread. 雪崩压满了轨道，铁轨被弄得四分五裂。来自辞典例句

5 chilly
adj.凉快的，寒冷的
参考例句：
I feel chilly without a coat.我由于没有穿大衣而感到凉飕飕的。 I grew chilly when the fire went out.炉火熄灭后，寒气逼人。

6 patriots
爱国者，爱国主义者( patriot的名词复数 )
参考例句：
Abraham Lincoln was a fine type of the American patriots. 亚伯拉罕·林肯是美国爱国者的优秀典型。 These patriots would fight to death before they surrendered. 这些爱国者宁愿战斗到死，也不愿投降。

7 analysts
分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )
参考例句：
City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。 I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 thwart
v.阻挠，妨碍，反对；adj.横(断的)
参考例句：
We must thwart his malevolent schemes.我们决不能让他的恶毒阴谋得逞。 I don't think that will thwart our purposes.我认为那不会使我们的目的受到挫折。