AS IT IS 2016-01-06 Trending Today: #StopGunViolence

AS IT IS 2016-01-06 Trending Today: #StopGunViolence

This is What's Trending Today...

U.S. President Barack Obama became tearful Tuesday as he remembered the children who died in a mass shooting three years ago in Newtown, Connecticut.

The president was announcing new steps he plans to take to prevent gun violence in America. Family members of shooting victims surrounded the president during his announcement at the White House.

Obama’s executive order will require more gun sellers to get licenses¹ and more gun buyers to undergo background checks. The measures will also increase the enforcement of existing gun laws, increase mental health treatment and expand research into gun safety technology.

After Obama’s announcement, the hashtag #StopGunViolence trended worldwide on Twitter. Many supported Obama’s efforts, but some criticized the president’s actions.

The National Rifle Association responded to Obama’s announcement. The NRA is the biggest gun-rights activist² group in the U.S. It tweeted: President Obama’s executive orders will do nothing to improve public safety.

Among those in the audience at the White House Tuesday was American comedian³ Amy Schumer. The entertainer started advocating for stricter gun controls in America after three people were shot and killed at a movie theater in Louisiana during a screening of her film Trainwreck.

Words in This Story

victim - n. a person who has been attacked, injured, robbed, or killed by someone else

background check - n. the process of looking up information about a person's past

outweigh⁴ - v. to be greater than (someone or something) in importance, value, or weight.

advocate - v. to support or argue for a cause or policy

1 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

2 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

3 comedian   

n.喜剧演员；滑稽演员

参考例句：

• The comedian tickled the crowd with his jokes.喜剧演员的笑话把人们逗乐了。
• The comedian enjoyed great popularity during the 30's.那位喜剧演员在三十年代非常走红。

4 outweigh   

vt.比...更重，...更重要

参考例句：

• The merits of your plan outweigh the defects.你制定的计划其优点胜过缺点。
• One's merits outweigh one's short-comings.功大于过。