[page]中英文本[/page]
First up today, we`re updating you on the crisis in Syria. You`ve heard us talk about this this year. It`s been going on for more than a year now. The United Nations estimates that more than 9,000 people have been killed in the violence.

Now we might be seeing the first steps toward peace in Syria.

Former U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan, whom you see right here, says Syria`s government has agreed to his plan to stop the violence. That would include an end to the fighting and allowing humanitarian aid in for the victims.

The U.N. Security Council endorsed Annan`s plan last week. He is urging Syria to put it into effect immediately. But as of yesterday, the fighting had not stopped. Some areas, like you see in this YouTube video, were being hit by artillery fire. Reports said at least 57 people were killed in Syria on Tuesday.

Well, if you`ve been watching our show this week, you already know that the U.S. Supreme Court is hearing a case about President Obama`s 2010 health care reform law. One of the main reasons this ended up in front of the Supreme Court is a controversial part of the law called the individual mandate.

It says that by 2014 most Americans either have to buy health insurance or to face a financial penalty. Renee Marsh looks at the controversy surrounding this mandate.

Protesters for and against the Affordable Care Act gathered outside the Supreme Court building as a historic hearing is underway.

President Obama signed the massive 2,700-page Affordable Care Act into law in March 2010. Parts of it are already in effect, like people with preexisting conditions are guaranteed coverage, and most under the age of 26 can remain under their parents` medical plan. But the main focus of the lawsuit is the requirement that almost every American purchase medical coverage by 2014 or face a financial penalty.

If the court upholds that, could the federal government then order you to eat carrots?

Opponents argue that forcing Americans to buy a commercial product is unconstitutional and what they call ObamaCare gives too much power to the government.

But the federal government argues everyone will need health care at some point, and currently tens of millions of the uninsured are costing taxpayers and hospitals more, to the tune of $43 billion in uncompensated costs just in 2008.

And we`re going to be very glad they called it ObamaCare. You`re going to see more people covered. You`re going to see savings in the health care system.

It`s perhaps the most important Supreme Court challenge in more than a decade, with health care likely a big issue during this fall`s presidential election, all eyes are locked on the nation`s high court.

It`s March 28th, and on this day back in 1854, Britain and France declared war on Russia as part of the Crimean War. The conflict lasted nearly years.

In 1881, P.T. Barnum and James Bailey merged their circuses to form the "Greatest Show on Earth."

And in 1979, a pressure valve failed to close at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant. That caused the worst accident in the history of the United States nuclear power industry.

Checking out some other headlines happening today, starting with a wildfire that authorities say has killed at least two people.

This thing is burning in Colorado in an area of mountains near the capital city of Denver. Imagine an area that covers around 4,500 football fields, if you can wrap your mind around that. That is about how much this fire had already burned by yesterday afternoon. It already destroyed more than a dozen buildings.

Hundreds of firefighters were trying to get the thing under control. And it actually started out as a controlled burn. That`s a fire that`s started on purpose to clear dead wood and brush. This one jumped outside of the controlled area. Then high winds and dry conditions helped it spread quickly.

From Colorado, we`re heading down to the Gulf of Mexico. Researchers are exploring the impact of the massive oil spill that happened in the Gulf in 2010. A new report this week focused on a colony of coral that`s about 4,300 feet below the ocean`s surface.

Scientists said this coral was covered in oil that had the same chemical makeup as oil from the well where the spill happened. This coral wasn`t near the well, though; it was about seven miles away. One of the researchers said it`ll probably be a while before the long-term impact of this oil spill is understood. But discoveries like this will help that process.

This was the scene along the Japanese coastline when a massive earthquake and tsunami hit the country last year. Cars, houses, all sorts of debris washed out into the ocean. It didn`t stay near Japan, though. That debris traveled out into the Pacific and a year after the quake and tsunami, part of it showed up all the way over in Canada.

For example, this fishing ship. It was spotted near British Columbia recently. Officials say other than some rust, it looks to be in pretty good condition. No one was steering or even on board. The tsunami had knocked it loose from its mooring and sent it drifting all the way across the Pacific.[qh]首先今天我们带你去一看叙利亚的危机。你今年听说过我们谈论这件事。这样的日子持续了超过一年了。联合国估计超过9000人在暴力事件中死亡。
现在我们可以看到在叙利亚和平的第一步。
联合国前秘书长安南,就是你现在在这里看到的人,他称叙利亚政府已经同意他的计划停止暴力。这将包括结束战争及允许人道主义援助救助受害者。
联合国安理会在上星期支持安南的计划。他敦促叙利亚立即使之生效。但是直到昨天，战斗还没停止。正如你在这个视频中看到的，一些地区被炮火击中。报告称至少在星期二叙利亚有57人死亡。
好吧,如果你这周看了我们节目,你应该已经知道美国最高法院审理有关总统奥巴马的2010的医疗保健改革法律的案子。其中在最高法院最主要的一个原因是一个颇有争议是民众的个人权利。
它称到2014年,大多数美国人都需要买健康保险否则将面对经济处罚。蕾妮•马什有详细的报道。
抗议者赞反对该负担得起的护理法案，并在最高法院大楼外面聚集，一次历史性的听证会正在进行中。
奥巴马总统在2010年3月签署了篇幅长达2700页的可负担保健法案。它的一部分已经实施,就像事先存在条件下的人们的覆盖范围,大多数26岁以下的人能继续仰仗父母的医疗计划。但要求诉讼的最主要的焦点是截至2014年几乎每一个美国人都要购买医疗保险计划否则将面对经济处罚。
如果法院主张,联邦政府会命令你吃胡萝卜吗?
反对者认为迫使美国人购买商业产品是违反宪法,他们称奥巴马法案给予政府过多的权力。
但是,联邦政府争辩表示每个人都需要医疗保障,现在数以百万计的没有保险的人致使纳税人和医院花费太多，只在2008年就花费了没有补偿的430亿美元。
现在,我们将很高兴他们称它为奥巴马法案。你看到的是更多的人介入。你会看到在医疗保健系统中的储蓄。
也许超过十年内最高法院面临的最重要挑战是医疗保健可能是在今年秋季的总统大选时的一大问题,国家的最高法院承载着所有人的关注。
现在是3月28日,早在1854年的这一天, 由于克里米亚半岛战争，英国和法国在俄罗斯宣战。冲突持续了近几十年。
在1881年,费尼尔司‧泰勒‧巴姆和詹姆斯•贝利合并了他们的马戏团形成“地球上最棒的表演。”
在1979年, 在三里岛核电站一个压力阀未能关闭。导致了美国核工业历史上最严重的事故。
我们来看看今天发生的另外一些事件, 权威人士表示一场大火已经导致至少两人丧生。
火灾发生在丹佛市附近的城市科罗拉多山中。想象一下,一个地区,涵盖大约4500个足球场,如果你能说服你相信。这就是在昨天下午的火灾。它已经摧毁超过12幢建筑物。
数百名消防队员正试图把火灾处于控制之下。实际上开始控制燃烧。这是一场由朽木和灌木丛开始的火。之后脱离控制区。然后大风和干燥条件下祝它迅速蔓延。
离开科罗拉多,我们直奔墨西哥湾。研究人员正在研究发生在2010年海湾地区大规模溢油的影响。一份新的报告称本周集中在一群珊瑚,大概是海洋表明4300英尺下。
科学家称珊瑚覆盖着一层油, 和从井里溢出的石油具有相同的化学结构。这种珊瑚附近没有,距离约七英里远。一位研究者称这可能是一个时间的长期影响。但是这样会帮助发现这个过程。
这是去年当一个巨大的地震和海啸袭击日本这个国家的海岸线场景。汽车、房子、各种碎屑冲刷进大海。虽然它没有继续停留在日本。碎片在太平洋旅行一年后,出现在加拿大。
比如这艘钓鱼船。这是哥伦比亚最近在附近的发现。官员称除了一些生锈,看起来仍然很好。没有人在船上。海啸的影响使它漂流一路越过太平洋。
注：听力文本来源于普特
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[page]词语解释[/page]

1. estimate v. 估计，估价

He is highly estimated among his colleagues.
同事们对他的评价很高。
2. humanitarian a. 人道主义的， 博爱的

The humanitarian scientist called on the improvement of the poor's living condition.
这位人道主义科学家呼吁改善穷人的生活条件。

3. controversial a. 有争议的，引起争论的

She was vilified by the press for her controversial views.
因她持有异议，新闻界对她横加挞伐。
4. artillery n. (军)火炮， 大炮

Artillery gave cover (ie fired at the enemy to stop them firing back) while the infantry advanced.
炮火掩护步兵前进。
5. massive a. 巨大的，大量的

The temple is supported by massive columns.
此庙由粗大的柱子支撑。