CNN 2011-12-20

 In fact,the bill of rights was ratified¹ on this very day back in 1791.There are 27 amendments² to the US constitution.The bill of rights includes the first 10.You know some of the big ones:freedom of religion and speech,protection from having to testify against yourself,protection from cruel and unusual punishment.The bill of rights also includes:freedom from unreasonable⁴ search and seizure,the right to a trial by jury,the right to a speedy trial,the right to bear arms.The bill of rights was created because some folks're worried the constitution outlined the rights of the Federal government,but not the rights of the people.

NBA had to cancel part of its season because of a lockout,but when the league does start back up later this month,it's gonna have something new-a program on player concussions⁶.The NBA announced the new plan on Monday.Its goal is to protect players from the long-term impact of these head injuries.The other major US pro³ sports leagues have their own concussion⁵ policies,the NBA's went into effect last Friday when training camps opened.Dr.Sunjay Gupta talks a litte bit about how it works.they are now gonna have a standardized⁷ testing for players before they start the season.That testing is gonna be done every year,and this seems to be a common theme,because of sometimes the vagueness of concussion symptoms.What we're talking about here is testing all the players at the beginning of the season and then if there's some suspicion of a concussion,doing another exam and comparing the two.That's something we keep hearing about in the NFL as well,and that seems to be the beat way to try and take out some of the vagueness of concussion testing.

Today shoutout goes out to Mr Hutton and Ms Shaler's humanities classes at Mckinley Middle school in Racine Wisconsin.What do crude oil,wheat and silver all have in common? Are they all commodities,dividends,renewable resources or non-renewable resources.You've got 3 seconds,go! They are all commodities that can be bought and sold.That's your answer and that's your shoutout.

Commodities play a big part in our next 2 stories.The first one,Poppy Harlow looks at the land that some of these commodities are grown on.Some investors⁸ think their money is better spend out in the fields than on the floor of the stock market right now.But critics warn those purchases come with their own risks.After decades of trading stocks and fighting the wild swings of the markets,Dave Erickson saw something he liked a whole-lot better.We are in plainfield in Ilinois,southwest of Chicago.Farmland.It's something that you can hold onto and it's real.This year he and his partners spent 11 million dollars buying 735 acres of farmland right outside Chicago.We're looking at it as a investment with the future growth and the builders returning.This one is_for a single family home and town home.Brokers⁹ like Keith Warpinski sold land like this to developers at steep prices during the housing boom.I sold land in the 50,60,70 thousand per acreage 4,5,6 years ago.But then came the bust¹⁰.Now those prices're so depressed,you're buying land for 10,15,20 thousand per acre.This property was close to 100,000 an acre,100,000 an acre,100,000.When,just 5 years ago,and what did you buy it for,I bought this one for 171,17,000.Developers may have been hurt in the financial meltdown,but land for farming is in real demand.According to the Chicago fed,farmland prices here in Illinois are up 23 percent in just the last year.High commodity prices and low interest rates are feeding demand,but so is fear.There's not a lot of other things out there that people trust.They know if they buy a farm,it's gonna be there.But buyer,beware! You have to plan for these worst-case scenarios¹¹.Bill Isaac was chair of the FDIC when the farmland bubble burst in the 80s.Does this feel like we are on the cusp of something similar,I think we could be,we're not there yet,we gotta get interest rates up higher at some point,significangtly higher and people who're buying land which is illiquid need to take that into account that agriculture prices may come down and they have to count and to factor that into their equation.But whether to grow or to build,land is back in fashion.

Our next story takes us across the Atlantic Ocean to Norway.The commodity we are considering here is butter,it's important for baking,especially if you're making any Chrismas cookies.But first you need to get it and that's the problem.Norway is facing a butter shortage.Couple reasons for that,people have been using more butter for low-carb diets and making natural home-cooked meals.And Norway has lower milk production this year.Any of you taking economics knows this is affecting prices as well.Higher demand and lower supply means the price of butter has shot way up.In some places,more than 30 times the normal price. 

Over years,greeters in Maine have welcomed US troops returning home.A pair of pups have been at the end of that line of greeters for the past year and a half.Opie and Skylar are therapy dogs.Some troops say that playing with the four-leged friends provides comfort.The dogs'owner says little guys know it's time to work when those hardnesses go on.They don't bark,eat or jump on anyone.Opie and Skylar have met more than 500 flights which means they have quite the tale to tell.

That's all the time we have for now.Check out our blog at CNN Student News.com.We're asking about what you're looking forward to in 2012.You'll see some students'answers in tomorrow's show.I'm Carl Azuz.

1 ratified   

v.批准，签认（合约等）( ratify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The treaty was declared invalid because it had not been ratified. 条约没有得到批准，因此被宣布无效。
• The treaty was ratified by all the member states. 这个条约得到了所有成员国的批准。

2 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

3 pro   

n.赞成，赞成的意见，赞成者

参考例句：

• The two debating teams argued the question pro and con.辩论的两组从赞成与反对两方面辩这一问题。
• Are you pro or con nuclear disarmament?你是赞成还是反对核裁军？

4 unreasonable   

adj.不讲道理的，不合情理的，过度的

参考例句：

• I know that they made the most unreasonable demands on you.我知道他们对你提出了最不合理的要求。
• They spend an unreasonable amount of money on clothes.他们花在衣服上的钱太多了。

5 concussion   

n.脑震荡；震动

参考例句：

• He was carried off the field with slight concussion.他因轻微脑震荡给抬离了现场。
• She suffers from brain concussion.她得了脑震荡。

6 concussions   

n.震荡( concussion的名词复数 )；脑震荡；冲击；震动

参考例句：

• People who have concussions often trouble thinking or remembering. 患脑震荡的人通常存在思考和记忆障碍。 来自互联网
• Concussions also make a person feel very tired or angry. 脑震荡也会使人感觉疲倦或愤怒。 来自互联网

7 standardized   

adj.标准化的

参考例句：

• We use standardized tests to measure scholastic achievement. 我们用标准化考试来衡量学生的学业成绩。
• The parts of an automobile are standardized. 汽车零件是标准化了的。

8 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

9 brokers   

n.（股票、外币等）经纪人( broker的名词复数 )；中间人；代理商；（订合同的）中人v.做掮客（或中人等）( broker的第三人称单数 )；作为权力经纪人进行谈判；以中间人等身份安排…

参考例句：

• The firm in question was Alsbery & Co., whiskey brokers. 那家公司叫阿尔斯伯里公司，经销威士忌。 来自英汉文学 - 嘉莉妹妹
• From time to time a telephone would ring in the brokers' offices. 那两排经纪人房间里不时响着叮令的电话。 来自子夜部分

10 bust   

vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部

参考例句：

• I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
• She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。

11 scenarios   

n.[意]情节；剧本；事态；脚本

参考例句：

• Further, graphite cores may be safer than non-graphite cores under some accident scenarios. 再者，根据一些事故解说，石墨堆芯可比非石墨堆芯更安全一些。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
• Again, scenarios should make it clear which modes are acceptable to users in various contexts. 同样，我们可以运用场景剧本来搞清楚在不同情境下哪些模式可被用户接受。 来自About Face 3交互设计精髓