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United Nations Warns About a Massive Humanitarian Crisis; Parts of American Northeast Face a Blizzard; A Pair of CNN Heroes Meet in New York

CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi. I`m Carl Azuz.

An urgent warning from the United Nations leads off today`s show.

The organization`s humanitarian coordinator says more than 20 million people are threatened by famine and starvation. They`re concentrated at

four countries, the African nations of Nigeria, Somalia and South Sudan, and the Middle Eastern nation of Yemen. The U.N. says this constitutes

 

constitute [ˋkɑnstə͵tjut] v. 构成，组成

the world`s greatest humanitarian crisis since 1945, when the U.N. was founded.

What are these countries have in common? Conflict.

In Nigeria, it`s the fighting against the Boko Haram terrorist group, combined with potential famine that has devastated parts of the country.

In South Sudan, fighting between government troops and armed groups, combined with a famine, have left more than 40 percent of the population in

need of food, farming help and nutrition.

In Somalia, attacks by the Islamic militant group al Shabaab, plus a worsening drought are taking their toll and in Yemen, a two year old civil

war has left roads blocked, reduced imports, left markets damaged and left millions hungry.

So, what can be done about this?

The United Nations wants funding, $4.4 billion by this summer that would go toward fighting hunger and disease in these countries.

Years of war have also destroyed parts of Iraq and Syria, and helped give rise to the ISIS terrorist group. ISIS, an acronym for Islamic State in

 

acronym [ˋækrənɪm] n. 首字母缩略字

Iraq and Syria. That`s what the terrorists wanted, based on their severe interpretation of Islam.

But their two major strongholds in those two countries are now the targets of international efforts to destroy ISIS. A battle is looming over Raqqa,

 

stronghold [ˋstrɔŋ͵hold] n. 大本营；据点，根据地

loom [lum] v. 隐约地出现；阴森地逼近

ISIS`s self-declared capital in Syria, and the terrorists are losing their hold on the Iraqi city of Mosul after months of fighting there.

But will all these rid the world of ISIS? What would that take?

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: It began slowly from the ruins of two groups of wars in Iraq and Syria, but when will ISIS

truly began?

SUBTITLE: Can ISIS ever be eradicated?

WALSH: As U.S. and allied firepower honed on their final strongholds, they may almost fall as fast as they rose, when they emerged in 2014 and

 

hone [hon] v. 磨炼（技能）;开发（产品）；锤炼（观点）

declared their leader, Abu Bakr al Qaeda, head of their caliphate in Iraq and Syria.

 

caliphate [ˋkælɪ͵fet] n. 回教国王的地位；回教国王的管区

Their territory grew in Iraq, exploiting the suffering of the Sunni minority and in Syria, offering a savage sense of order among the

 

suffering [ˋsʌfərɪŋ] n. 劳苦；苦难的经历；令人痛苦的事

savage [ˋsævɪdʒ] adj. 野性的；凶猛的；残酷的；猛烈的

indiscriminate murder of the civil war. Their brutality became ubiquitous, yet also appealed to warped minds globally.

 

indiscriminate [͵ɪndɪˋskrɪmənɪt] adj. 不加区别的，无差别的；不分皂白的

appeal to 向…发出呼吁, 求助于, 诉诸…

warp [wɔrp] v. 歪曲，曲解

In Libya, a franchise on the coast, in Afghanistan, in the east, in Egypt, around Africa, even southern Russia, pledges of allegiance were made

 

allegiance [əˋlidʒəns] n.（对国家，事业，个人等的）忠诚，忠贞；拥戴

because to be part of ISIS, all you have to do was make a video or a phone call during an attack, and you were part of the global branded enterprise

of horror. Paris, Brussels, Orlando, Nice, Istanbul, the lists have to be a lot longer to include all those who claimed to act on their sick name.

As they wane in Iraq and Syria, and lose their Libyan stronghold altogether, they`re not over yet. Their idea lives on. The virus of their

wane [wen] v. 衰落；没落；消逝

perverted version of Islam now contagious perhaps forever for anyone on the Internet.

 

pervert [pɚˋvɝtɪd] adj. 歪曲的，曲解的

The challenge going forward: how do you make ISIS lose its appeal to those drawn to something so deliberately vile?

 

deliberately [dɪˋlɪbərɪtlɪ] adv. 故意地，蓄意地

vile [vaɪl] adj. 卑鄙的，可耻的；邪恶的

(END VIDEOTAPE)

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ (voice-over): Ten-second trivia:

Which of those words describe a time when day and night are about the same length?

Solstice, Allegro, Equinox or Invicta?

 

Allegro [əˋlegro] n.【义】【音】急速的乐章或乐曲，快板

A vernal and autumnal equinoxes or spring and fall equinoxes are when day and night are all equal all over the world.

 

vernal [ˋvɝn!] adj. 春天的；春天生长的

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: The spring equinox is on March 20th this year, less than a week away. It`s the first official day of spring in the northern hemisphere and

it feels like it in many parts of the U.S. From Washington, D.C. to Massachusetts, blizzard warnings are in effect, with up to 18 inches of

 

blizzard [ˋblɪzɚd] n. 大风雪，暴风雪

snow in the forecast for Boston and New York City.

Schools were closed. Thousands of flights were cancelled for airports in the path of the late winter storm, it`s already slammed the Midwest and

this system could bring the Northeast its heaviest snowfall of the whole winter.

Residents stocked up on food and supplies. State governments stockpiled sandbags, pumps and generators, in case there`s flooding or the power goes

 

stockpile [ˋstɑk͵paɪl] v. 储备，贮存；积累

out. Meteorologists say this was all caused when two low pressure weather systems came together, forming a potentially potent nor`easter.

In cold weather in general is affecting a large part of the U.S. population, almost a third of all Americans are under some sort of winter

weather alert this week. Many of them live near a lake.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHAD MYERS, AMS METEOROLOGIST: Let`s talk about lake-effect snow. As a boy growing up in Buffalo, New York, I knew it as a day off of school. My

dad knew it as a day he may not get home from work as it was just snowing too hard.

SUBTITLE: Lake-effect snow.

MYERS: But how does it work? Well, first of all, you need a lake, because it`s called lake-effect snow. And the lake needs to be unfrozen, 35, 40,

45 degrees is great. And then the air that blows across it from the north or from the west can be 10 degrees.

All of a sudden, the moisture from the lake mixes in with the cold air from the north, and you get big clouds and you can get big snow. When it goes

on land and goes uphill, all of a sudden, you get significant lake-effect snow. It can be two to three inches per hour.

And depending on where you are, if you`re just south of it or north of this lake-effect band, it can look like a wall of snow was coming down. And so,

that`s why you can be anywhere from a two to three-inch snow fall in one county, and just a few miles south, you can get 30 inches in one day.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Nominations are open for the 2017 CNN Heroes. These are everyday people. You may know a potential hero, who`s making an incredible impact

on a community. The 2016 Hero of the Year, Jeison Aristizabal, was born with cerebral palsy and he`s helped give a brighter future to more than a

 

cerebral palsy【医】大脑性麻痹

thousand Colombian children with disabilities.

After accepting his award from CNN, he visited another Colombian hero who`s made it his life`s work to help others.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SUBTITLE: In December, he was honored as a Top 10 CNN Hero -- but that`s not all.

KELLY RIPA, HOST: The 2016 CNN Hero of the Year is Jeison Aristizabal.

ANDERSON COOPER, HOST: Jeison Aristizabal.

(APPLAUSE)

SUBTITLE: While in New York, Jeison visited fellow Colombian and 2009 Top 10 CNN Hero Jorge Munoz.

(CHEERS AND APPLAUSE)

SUBTITLE: Every single night, Jorge brings free meals to hungry people in Queens, NY.

Jeison helped Jorge prepare meals to be distributed that very night.

JEISON ARISTIZABAL, CNN 2016 HERO OF THE YEAR (translated): I`m very inspired by how Jorge fights. His manner, his tenacity, the enthusiasm that he brings.

 

tenacity [tɪˋnæsətɪ] n. 固执；坚持，顽强，不屈不挠

The food multiplies here.

JORGE MUNOZ, 2009 TOP 10 CNN HERO (translated: Yes, it`s really nice.

ARISTIZABAL: It inspires me do something for others every day.

SUBTITLE: They also got the chance to swap stories.

MUNOZ: I mean, it was very special, I felt very proud of being Colombian when I saw you there.

ARISTIZABAL: What a joy to be part of this CNN family! I`m very pleased, very proud, very happy.

CROWD: Jeison! Jeison! Jeison! Jeison!

(END VIDEOTAPE)

AZUZ: Agility events test the dog`s athleticism, its training, its connection with its owner, charging over A-frames, hurdles, through tunnels

 

agility [əˋdʒɪlətɪ] n. 敏捷；灵活

and between weave poles makes for good TV. But when an animal isn`t particularly skilled at these things but competes anyway, that makes for

great TV.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Look at this. Ooh, what a nose dive and he couldn`t care less.


AZUZ: So, maybe he`s not on course on the concourse, more energetic than synergetic and more vigorous than rigorous. But agility is not beyond his

 

concourse [ˋkɑnkors] n. 广场；（车站、机场）中央大厅

rigorous [ˋrɪgərəs] adj. 严格的；严厉的；苛刻的

abilities. He`s still more agile than fragile, more boss than draws, and he`s super. He`s able to Olly over A-frames in a single hound.

 

agile [ˋædʒaɪl] adj. 机敏的，灵敏的

I`m Carl Azuz.

END