CNN 2011-01-05

I'm Carl Azuz. This is CNN Student News! It is my privilege to wish you a very happy new year. Welcome to our first show of 2011! We have 10 minutes of commercial-free headlines ready for you; they start right now!

Now, before we went on Christmas break, we talked about the status of three proposals being considered by the U.S. Congress. There's been action on all three of them. First, the tax cut deal. This was the compromise that President Obama and Republican leaders had worked out to extend a set of tax cuts for two years. That passed in both the House and the Senate, so everybody's taxes are going to stay right where they are for the next two years.

Next, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell." That's the policy that banned gays and lesbians from serving openly in the U.S. military. It's been in place since 1993, but Congress voted to overturn the policy, which means eventually, gays and lesbians will be able to serve openly.

Finally, START, a treaty between the United States and Russia that would limit how many nuclear weapons each country can have. The Senate has to approve these kinds of treaties, and it did. All of this was done during what's called a lame² duck session. That's what you call the time between an election and when those people who were elected take office.

The lame duck session is now over; the new Congress gets to work this week. Ed Henry gives us a preview of what they're going to be working on and how much debate we might have to look forward to.

To hear the president tell it, bickering³ with the Republicans is so 2010.

A lot of folks in this town predicted that after the midterm elections, Washington would be headed for more partisanship⁵ and more gridlock. And instead, this has been a season of progress. That's a message that I will take to heart in the New Year, and I hope my Democratic and Republican friends will do the same.

But with the Republican John Boehner taking the speaker's gavel, that rosy⁶ scenario⁷ will be tested immediately in 2011, because both parties will now have to agree on a long-term budget after kicking the can down the road on all those spending cuts the Tea Party was demanding and the president's own debt panel was proposing to no avail.

I expect we'll have a robust⁸ debate about this when we return from the holidays. The debate that will have to answer an increasingly urgent question, and that is how do we cut spending that we don't need while still making investments that we do need.

With the federal cash register tapped out, it will be especially difficult to tackle the president's biggest challenge of all.

My singular focus over the next two years is not rescuing the economy from potential disaster, but rather jump-starting the economy so that we actually start making a dent¹ in the unemployment rate.

Mr. Obama also may face resistance to his economic plans from both liberals still smarting from the tax deal he just cut and conservatives determined⁹ to repeal¹⁰ his health reform law. An independant-minded Republican independent is urging both sides to give the new balance of power a chance.

Let's figure out how we deal with some of these very, very difficult issues, whether it's tax policy or whether it's going to be what we're going to be doing on spending. We've got enough that we need to do that we don't need to get weighted down in the partisan⁴ politics.

Music to the ears of White House aides trying to hammer the message that Republicans now have a responsibility to govern.

1 dent   

n.凹痕，凹坑；初步进展

参考例句：

• I don't know how it came about but I've got a dent in the rear of my car.我不知道是怎么回事，但我的汽车后部有了一个凹痕。
• That dent is not big enough to be worth hammering out.那个凹陷不大，用不着把它锤平。

2 lame   

adj.跛的，(辩解、论据等)无说服力的

参考例句：

• The lame man needs a stick when he walks.那跛脚男子走路时需借助拐棍。
• I don't believe his story.It'sounds a bit lame.我不信他讲的那一套。他的话听起来有些靠不住。

3 bickering   

v.争吵( bicker的现在分词 )；口角；（水等）作潺潺声；闪烁

参考例句：

• The children are always bickering about something or other. 孩子们有事没事总是在争吵。
• The two children were always bickering with each other over small matters. 这两个孩子总是为些小事斗嘴。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 Partisanship   

n. 党派性, 党派偏见

参考例句：

• Her violent partisanship was fighting Soames's battle. 她的激烈偏袒等于替索米斯卖气力。
• There was a link of understanding between them, more important than affection or partisanship. ' 比起人间的感情，比起相同的政见，这一点都来得格外重要。 来自英汉文学

6 rosy   

adj.美好的，乐观的，玫瑰色的

参考例句：

• She got a new job and her life looks rosy.她找到一份新工作，生活看上去很美好。
• She always takes a rosy view of life.她总是对生活持乐观态度。

7 scenario   

n.剧本，脚本；概要

参考例句：

• But the birth scenario is not completely accurate.然而分娩脚本并非完全准确的。
• This is a totally different scenario.这是完全不同的剧本。

8 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

9 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

10 repeal   

n.废止，撤消；v.废止，撤消

参考例句：

• He plans to repeal a number of current policies.他计划废除一些当前的政策。
• He has made out a strong case for the repeal of the law.他提出强有力的理由，赞成废除该法令。