美国有线新闻 CNN 2015-05-24

 Social studies, geography and science, all factor(s) in the CNN Student News today. I'm Carl Azuz.

 

We're starting with news from North Korea. The communist dictatorship says it's developed the ability to miniaturized nuclear weapons. Here's why that's significant: making nukes smaller is a key step toward being able to put them on long range missiles. U.S. military officials say America could intercept¹ any potential attack from North Korea. 

 

And there's some debate about U.S. officials over whether North Korea really has this technology. The Asian country's government is very secretive. It's hard for others to verify the claims that North Korea makes.

 

Still, despite the numerous problems with its economy, North Korea spends a lot on defense² and has a history of using its military to provoke other countries.

 

North Korea continues to ramp³ up the military rhetoric⁴ that we saw when we were on the ground in Pyongyang. While we were in the North Korea, just this month, the country boasted about launching a missile from a submarine. Of course, publicity⁵ photos of that event were later suspected of being doctored, which raises the question of credibility. Is Pyongyang embellishing⁶ the technology that they have in hand right now? Or do they truly have the capability⁷ to miniaturize nuclear weapons, in other words, to make them small enough to place them on some sort of missile and launch them towards an enemy, such as the United States? 

 

The Pentagon is certainly taking this threat seriously, even saying as recently as last month, they do believe North Korea has this kind of technology. And if that is the case, not only does it pose a threat and a grave concern to the United States, but also other powers in the Asia-Pacific region, China, India, Japan, South Korea, all within gunshot of North Korea and nervous anytime this militarized nation announces yet another development in its military technology.

 

North Korea spends a tremendous amount of money developing its nuclear program, often at the expense of feeding its own people. And while they say they want to connect more with the international community, they took another step towards isolation⁸, when Pyongyang abruptly⁹ cancelled a scheduled visit by U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon to the Kaesong Industrial Complex. It would have been the first visit of its kind in some 20 years. The secretary general was hoping to discuss reunification. But instead, North Korea cut that trip off and made an announcement about another development in their nuclear program, further isolating¹⁰ this rogue¹¹ nation. Will Ripley, CNN, Tokyo.

1 intercept   

vt.拦截，截住，截击

参考例句：

• His letter was intercepted by the Secret Service.他的信被特工处截获了。
• Gunmen intercepted him on his way to the airport.持枪歹徒在他去机场的路上截击了他。

2 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

3 ramp   

n.暴怒，斜坡，坡道；vi.作恐吓姿势，暴怒，加速；vt.加速

参考例句：

• That driver drove the car up the ramp.那司机将车开上了斜坡。
• The factory don't have that capacity to ramp up.这家工厂没有能力加速生产。

4 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

5 publicity   

n.众所周知，闻名；宣传，广告

参考例句：

• The singer star's marriage got a lot of publicity.这位歌星的婚事引起了公众的关注。
• He dismissed the event as just a publicity gimmick.他不理会这件事，只当它是一种宣传手法。

6 embellishing   

v.美化( embellish的现在分词 )；装饰；修饰；润色

参考例句：

• He kept embellishing it in his mind, building up the laughs. 他在心里不断地为它添油加醋，增加笑料。 来自辞典例句
• Bumper's each angle is embellishing the small air vent, manifested complete bikes's width to increase. 保险杠的每个角都点缀着小的通风孔，体现了整车的宽度增加。 来自互联网

7 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

8 isolation   

n.隔离，孤立，分解，分离

参考例句：

• The millionaire lived in complete isolation from the outside world.这位富翁过着与世隔绝的生活。
• He retired and lived in relative isolation.他退休后，生活比较孤寂。

9 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。

10 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

11 rogue   

n.流氓；v.游手好闲

参考例句：

• The little rogue had his grandpa's glasses on.这淘气鬼带上了他祖父的眼镜。
• They defined him as a rogue.他们确定他为骗子。