美国有线新闻 CNN 2013-03-05

 Fridays are awesome¹, I love starting with I-reports like that one from Ms.Tiffany's class. I'm Carl Azuz, this is our March 1st edition of CNN Student News, it's also a deadline for the U.S government. About 85 billion dollars were set to be eliminated from the federal budget unless Congress and the president can agree on a way around these automatic spending cuts. That's not expected to happen, even known none of the politicians really likes these cuts. Here is basic problem, the government spends far more than it takes in, but neither, the executive branch nor the legislative² branch has total control over what the government spends money on and they disagree on how to tax and how to spend. These cuts are set to lower government spending. And one big question is, are most Americans gonna know this?

"If you would listen to only the White House, you would have the sense that we're going to a sequestration nation pretty soon, and that everybody would be hit in all these diferent areas, food safety, education and our tax returns, our national parks, everything, and, this seems to be true. If you were the right person doing the right thing, you in fact may see an effect here for example, if you were in a military town, and you rely on military business, you might see an impact fairly soon. If you were at airport waiting for the right flight, at the right busy time, you might have a delay, if you were waiting on unemployment benefits and the check comes in lighter³ than you expected, that would also be a real effect on you fairly soon. But notice I'm talking about specific groups of people, doing specific things, the broader picture of the whole country may be different, and to address that, I want to talk about one of the hardest things that came up today. Eric Holder⁴ speaking up, and he had this point to say in the middle of today where he said, "Look, we will be less safe. If our budget adjusted cut next year from 27 billion by 1.6 billion to 25.4 billion, if this cut happens, the nation will be less safe." These are his words, and this is why he says that, because he says, there'll be furloughs at the FBI, we'll have fewer people looking into crimes, and trying to prevent crimes. ATF inspections⁵ of things like gun permits, all of that, will be knock down a little bit. There'll be fewer people to man the prison, so prisoners will spend more time on lockdown, there'll be fewer grants for local law enforcement, all of this will make things less safe in the country according to him. This is the budget if he gets the sequester⁶, 25.4 billion dollars for next year, that's how much it would get. But look at this, this is a grap of funding for the Justice Department for the last 11 years, and if you'll notice when you look at this graph, in fact, that line would be right about here. So in fact, for the past 11 years, only the past 3 years has this Justice Department had more money, then they would have under the sequester, so does that mean that all these years, we were less safe when the national crime rate was steadily⁷ moving down during that period of time? These are the tough challenges out there, because in many ways, as Democrats⁸ in the White House say, all this cataclysmic things are going to hit if the sequester comes in. I think Republicans maybe betting on the ideas, but for a few weeks pass, a couple of months pass, and the public doesn't notice it because of things like this. Then there're going to be able to turn around to the White House and say, you were just trying to scare us. Here is a lot of things and we haven't seen it come to pass."

At two o'clock eastern yesterday afternoon, the doors of a papal retreat closed. It signified the official end of Pope Benedict, the 16th's papacy. And it followed a day of goodbye, in his last public apperance as Pope, Benedict said he was a pilgrim begining the last leg of his pilgrimage on earth. In his last tweet as Pope, Benedict wrote, thank you for your love and support, may you always experience the joy that comes from putting Christ in the center of your lives. This is historic in part, because it's the first time in 600 years, that a papacy is ended in retirement⁹ rather than death. At CNN studentnews.com, we posted yesterday's explainer on how the Catholic Church will choose its next leader.

Next up today, a bit bad news from the governor's Highway Safety Administration. Driving death, among American teenagers, apparently¹⁰ increased in 2012, the jump is almost 20% over the year before. Researchers aren't sure why, but they've known for years that motor vehicle accidents have been the leading cause of dead for U.S teenagers. The overall rate is still lower than it was five years ago, according to the reseacher who led the study. But if the goes to to decrease the number of driving related death every year, this is a setback¹¹. Different states have different laws and limits on driving ages. Would you accept stricter teen driving laws if it meant the possibility of fewer accidents, if you're on facebook, tell us what you think at facebook.com/cnnstudentnews.

1 awesome   

adj.令人惊叹的，难得吓人的，很好的

参考例句：

• The church in Ireland has always exercised an awesome power.爱尔兰的教堂一直掌握着令人敬畏的权力。
• That new white convertible is totally awesome.那辆新的白色折篷汽车简直棒极了.

2 legislative   

n.立法机构，立法权；adj.立法的，有立法权的

参考例句：

• Congress is the legislative branch of the U.S. government.国会是美国政府的立法部门。
• Today's hearing was just the first step in the legislative process.今天的听证会只是展开立法程序的第一步。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

5 inspections   

n.检查( inspection的名词复数 )；检验；视察；检阅

参考例句：

• Regular inspections are carried out at the prison. 经常有人来视察这座监狱。
• Government inspections ensure a high degree of uniformity in the standard of service. 政府检查确保了在服务标准方面的高度一致。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 sequester   

vt.使退隐，使隔绝

参考例句：

• Everything he owned was sequestered.他的所有财产都被扣押了。
• This jury is expected to be sequestered for at least two months.预计这个陪审团将至少被隔离两个月。

7 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

8 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 retirement   

n.退休，退职

参考例句：

• She wanted to enjoy her retirement without being beset by financial worries.她想享受退休生活而不必为金钱担忧。
• I have to put everything away for my retirement.我必须把一切都积蓄起来以便退休后用。

10 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

11 setback   

n.退步，挫折，挫败

参考例句：

• Since that time there has never been any setback in his career.从那时起他在事业上一直没有遇到周折。
• She views every minor setback as a disaster.她把每个较小的挫折都看成重大灾难。