美国有线新闻 CNN 2012-12-06

 Football games often start with a coin toss and a national anthem¹. Sunday’s pregame ceremonies in Kansas 

 

City also included a moment of silence. The Kansas City chiefs held the moment on the victims of domestic violence and their families. It’s an issue with an immediate² connection to the Kansas City community and the Chiefs team. Jovan Belcher was a linebacker for Kansas City. Police reports say that on Saturday, Belcher shot and killed his girlfriend, Cassandra Perkins. He drove to the team’s practice facility where he then took his own life. When violence like this occurs, you might expect the issue of gun control to come up, you might not expect it to come up during a half time show. And that’s happened on Sunday night. 

 

NBC’s Bob Costas talked about it during the Sunday night football broadcast. He quoted another sports reporter, Jason Whitlock, whom Costas agreed with. Here is what he said, quote:”Our current gun culture ensures that more and more domestic disputes will end in the ultimate tragedy. Handguns do not enhance our safety. They tempt⁴ us to escalate⁵ arguments and bait us into embracing confrontation⁶ rather than avoiding it.” Now, there are an immediate reaction to this online. It wasn’t necessarily about gun control, it was about Costas discussing the issue during a sports program. One sports talk show host said, quote, “I will gladly debate Jason Whitlock and Bob Costas on gun control, but we tuned⁷ in for an NFL game, ridiculous programming decision.” 

 

Another person on Twitter said, quote, “Big ups to Bob Costas for standing⁸ up for gun control. Hopefully, some day we can actually have a conversation about it as a nation.” So, on our blog today we are tossing it to you to get your take. We are focusing on what Bob Costas just did. Should he have weighed in on the issue of gun control during halftime, or was this an issue of a bad decision or bad timing⁹? We are looking for your thoughts at cnnstudentnews.com. 

 

U.S. government is getting closer to the edge of the fiscal¹⁰ cliff. Congress and the president have until January 1st to agree on the plan to lower the country’s debt. That could include how the government takes in money through taxes and how it spends money. If they don’t come up with a deal, we know that taxes will go up for all Americans, and government spending will also get cut. Ted³ Rowlands looks at what that might mean for one city.

 

First and foremost, there is a Rock Island Arsenal¹¹. If Congress doesn’t act, defense¹² spending will be slashed¹³ by 55 million next year and 450 billion over ten years. Which many fear could put the Arsenal in jeopardy¹⁴. The Arsenal is the area’s largest employer. And though it’s not clear how any cuts would impact the installation specifically, the mere¹⁵ prospect¹⁶ has people worried. 

 

Next, is healthcare, another major employer in the quad¹⁷ cities, if Congress doesn’t act, Medicare reimbursement¹⁸ will initially¹⁹ drop by two percent. Trinity Medical Center in Rock Island is already budgeting for the fiscal cliff. Other possible fiscal cliff cuts that could hit Rock Island include the Army Corps²⁰ of Engineers. They are here in part to manage the locks along the Mississippi. 

 

There is cuts to public education which the National School Board Association said could have a profound effect if Congress doesn’t act. There are potential cuts to social services. More than 12 percent of Rock Island’s population lives below the poverty line. And of course, there are the tax hikes. 

 

At Theo’s coffee shop, people have a lot to say about Washington D.C. and the fiscal cliff. James Cheeks says he’s counting on Congress to prevent his taxes from going up. 

 

“Scary. You know, it’s scary. Where then money is going to come from? You know, how am I going to pay this extra tax hike?”

 

The potential effects of the fiscal cliff aren’t necessarily any more or less significant here in Rock Island than they would be in any other city across the country. The bottom line is , if Congress doesn’t act, there will be significant repercussions²¹ for the entire country. Ted Rowlands, CNN, Rock Island, Illinois.

1 anthem   

n.圣歌，赞美诗，颂歌

参考例句：

• All those present were standing solemnly when the national anthem was played.奏国歌时全场肃立。
• As he stood on the winner's rostrum,he sang the words of the national anthem.他站在冠军领奖台上，唱起了国歌。

2 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

3 ted   

vt.翻晒，撒，撒开

参考例句：

• The invaders gut ted the village.侵略者把村中财物洗劫一空。
• She often teds the corn when it's sunny.天好的时候她就翻晒玉米。

4 tempt   

vt.引诱，勾引，吸引，引起…的兴趣

参考例句：

• Nothing could tempt him to such a course of action.什么都不能诱使他去那样做。
• The fact that she had become wealthy did not tempt her to alter her frugal way of life.她有钱了，可这丝毫没能让她改变节俭的生活习惯。

5 escalate   

v.(使)逐步增长(或发展)，(使)逐步升级

参考例句：

• It would tempt Israel's neighbors to escalate their demands.它将诱使以色列的邻国不断把他们的要求升级。
• Defeat could cause one side or other to escalate the conflict.失败可能会导致其中一方将冲突升级。

6 confrontation   

n.对抗，对峙，冲突

参考例句：

• We can't risk another confrontation with the union.我们不能冒再次同工会对抗的危险。
• After years of confrontation,they finally have achieved a modus vivendi.在对抗很长时间后，他们最后达成安宁生存的非正式协议。

7 tuned   

adj.调谐的，已调谐的v.调音( tune的过去式和过去分词 )；调整；（给收音机、电视等）调谐；使协调

参考例句：

• The resort is tuned in to the tastes of young and old alike. 这个度假胜地适合各种口味，老少皆宜。
• The instruments should be tuned up before each performance. 每次演出开始前都应将乐器调好音。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

9 timing   

n.时间安排，时间选择

参考例句：

• The timing of the meeting is not convenient.会议的时间安排不合适。
• The timing of our statement is very opportune.我们发表声明选择的时机很恰当。

10 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

11 arsenal   

n.兵工厂，军械库

参考例句：

• Even the workers at the arsenal have got a secret organization.兵工厂工人暗中也有组织。
• We must be the great arsenal of democracy.我们必须成为民主的大军火库。

12 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。

13 slashed   

v.挥砍( slash的过去式和过去分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Someone had slashed the tyres on my car. 有人把我的汽车轮胎割破了。
• He slashed the bark off the tree with his knife. 他用刀把树皮从树上砍下。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 jeopardy   

n.危险；危难

参考例句：

• His foolish behaviour may put his whole future in jeopardy.他愚蠢的行为可能毁了他一生的前程。
• It is precisely at this juncture that the boss finds himself in double jeopardy.恰恰在这个关键时刻，上司发现自己处于进退两难的境地。

15 mere   

adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过

参考例句：

• That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
• It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。

16 prospect   

n.前景，前途；景色，视野

参考例句：

• This state of things holds out a cheerful prospect.事态呈现出可喜的前景。
• The prospect became more evident.前景变得更加明朗了。

17 quad   

n.四方院；四胞胎之一；v.在…填补空铅

参考例句：

• His rooms were on the left-hand side of the quad.他的房间位于四方院的左侧。
• She is a 34-year-old mother of quads.她是个生了四胞胎的34岁的母亲。

18 reimbursement   

n.偿还，退还

参考例句：

• He received reimbursement for his travel expenses.由于出差的花费他可以得到公司的补偿。
• Which forms do I need to complete for my travel reimbursement?我需要填什么表来报我的旅费？

19 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

20 corps   

n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组

参考例句：

• The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

21 repercussions   

n.后果，反响( repercussion的名词复数 )；余波

参考例句：

• The collapse of the company will have repercussions for the whole industry. 这家公司的垮台将会给整个行业造成间接的负面影响。
• Human acts have repercussions far beyond the frontiers of the human world. 人类行为所产生的影响远远超出人类世界的范围。 来自《简明英汉词典》