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I am Reggie Aqui at the CNN Center in Atlanta. Here is what's happening right NOW IN THE NEWS.

In Florida, the Orange county medical examiner has confirmed that a child skull¹ found near the Anthoney family home is that of the missing Florida toddler Caylee Anthoney, and they are now officially calling the manner of death a homicide by unknown means. Caylee Anthoney was missing for a month before her disappearance² was reported to authorities. Her mother Cathy Anthoney has been charged with first degree murder, and she maintains her innocence³ in her daughter's disappearance.

Also today, President Bush's offering two US auto⁴ companies a financial lifeline. He has approved 13. 4 billion dollars in short-term loans to General Motors and Chrysler. The money will come from the 700 billion dollars Congress's already approved to bail⁵ out the financial system. The companies have three years to repay the money, but there are strings⁶ attached. GM and Chrysler will have to submit restructuring plans by the end of the March.

That overtime⁷ Senate race in Minnesota is probably, believe it or not, going to drag into next year. A state canvassing⁸ board is still working through hundreds of disputed ballots⁹. They've been added for four days now and about 1600 absentee ballots, which had been improperly¹⁰ rejected, also have to be counted. As this morning, Democrat¹¹ Al Franken had edged ahead of Republican incumbent¹² Norm Coleman for the first time. He leads Coleman by just a handful of votes out of about 2. 9 million ballots cast.

Police say 20 people attacked a French cultural institute in Greece with fire bombs. Now nobody was injured. Separately, Greek Union, Greek unions, excuse me, students are holding a peaceful protest in Athens. Greece has been in turmoil¹³ for about two weeks. The protest began over the fatal police shooting of a 15-year-old boy. Protesters are now voicing their opposition¹⁴ to government's economic policies.

The UN says more than 1, 100 people have died in a cholera¹⁵ outbreak in Zimbabwe. It's recorded nearly 21, 000 suspected cases since August. The UN has criticized the country's response to the crisis, saying poor sanitation¹⁶ and a lack of clean drinking water makes the outbreak hard to be contained.

Those are your headlines right now. Please stay with CNN and CNN. com live for your updates and other news of the day.

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收听单词发音

1 skull
n.头骨；颅骨
参考例句：
The skull bones fuse between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five.头骨在15至25岁之间长合。 He fell out of the window and cracked his skull.他从窗子摔了出去，跌裂了颅骨。

2 disappearance
n.消失，消散，失踪
参考例句：
He was hard put to it to explain her disappearance.他难以说明她为什么不见了。 Her disappearance gave rise to the wildest rumours.她失踪一事引起了各种流言蜚语。

3 innocence
n.无罪；天真；无害
参考例句：
There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。 The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。

4 auto
n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车
参考例句：
Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。 The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

5 bail
v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人
参考例句：
One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。 She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

6 strings
n.弦
参考例句：
He sat on the bed,idly plucking the strings of his guitar.他坐在床上，随意地拨着吉他的弦。 She swept her fingers over the strings of the harp.她用手指划过竖琴的琴弦。

7 overtime
adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地
参考例句：
They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。 He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

8 canvassing
v.（在政治方面）游说( canvass的现在分词 )；调查（如选举前选民的）意见；为讨论而提出（意见等）；详细检查
参考例句：
He spent the whole month canvassing for votes. 他花了整整一个月四处游说拉选票。 I'm canvassing for the Conservative Party. 我在为保守党拉选票。来自辞典例句

9 ballots
n.投票表决( ballot的名词复数 )；选举；选票；投票总数v.（使）投票表决( ballot的第三人称单数 )
参考例句：
They're counting the ballots. 他们正在计算选票。来自《简明英汉词典》 The news of rigged ballots has rubbed off much of the shine of their election victory. 他们操纵选票的消息使他们在选举中获得的胜利大为减色。来自《简明英汉词典》

10 improperly
不正确地，不适当地
参考例句：
Of course it was acting improperly. 这样做就是不对嘛！ He is trying to improperly influence a witness. 他在试图误导证人。

11 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。

12 incumbent
adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的
参考例句：
He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。 It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

13 turmoil
n.骚乱，混乱，动乱
参考例句：
His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。 The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

14 opposition
n.反对，敌对
参考例句：
The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。 The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

15 cholera
n.霍乱
参考例句：
The cholera outbreak has been contained.霍乱的发生已被控制住了。 Cholera spread like wildfire through the camps.霍乱在营地里迅速传播。

16 sanitation
n.公共卫生，环境卫生，卫生设备
参考例句：
The location is exceptionally poor,viewed from the sanitation point.从卫生角度来看，这个地段非常糟糕。 Many illnesses are the result,f inadequate sanitation.许多疾病都来源于不健全的卫生设施。