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Guidance On School Mask Mandates; Space Junk; Valentine`s Day Spending; Chimpanzee Empathy; Golden Retrievers In Golden, Colorado.

 
CARL AZUZ, CNN 10 ANCHOR: Hi, I`m Carl Azuz with your down the middle explanation of world news. To what extent should the U.S. government`s

recommendations be followed when it comes to mask mandates in schools. Right now, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a

government agency, recommends universal masking, meaning everyone in school is urged to wear one. The Biden Administration says the same thing.

It supports masking in schools, but the White House also says it`s always been up to local school districts to decide whether they`ll follow the

government`s guidance and the results have been mixed across America. Some states require masks to be worn in schools. Some have banned mask wearing

in schools, and some have rules on this that just started being enforced.

It`s the same thing in individual districts. Some require masks, some don`t. Some let students and teacher decide for themselves. But with

their COVID cases decreasing, governors in several states that currently have school mask mandates are moving to get rid of them, even though it

goes against Federal guidelines.

Critics of Federal health officials say they haven`t been clear enough about those guidelines, that they haven`t updated them often enough or that

these recommendations don`t make sense for all schools. A CNN medical analyst says if the CDC`s recommendations aren`t being followed, it hurts

the credibility of the agency and government health officials.
 

credibility [͵krɛdəˋbɪlətɪ] n. 可信性

For its part, the CDC says its guidance is quote, "meant to supplement, not replace any other safety laws and regulations and that it continuously

reviews pandemic and scientific information when deciding on its recommendations". One medical expert interviewed by CNN says communities

should look at local COVID case counts and hospitalization rates when deciding what they`ll do about masks in schools.

10 Second Trivia. Besides the ISS, what is the heaviest object people have ever sent to space? Skylab, Mir, Hubble or the Apollo Command Service

Module. The Soviet and later Russian space station Mir had a mass of almost 286,000 pounds.

Since 1971, hundreds of pieces of old space equipment including Mir and Skylab have been intentionally crashed at Point Nemo. It`s an area so
 

Point Nemo 是地球表面距离陆地最偏远的地点

remote and so far from inhabited land, that often times the closet people to it are those flying overhead on the International Space Station, 227

miles over the ocean`s surface. Space experts say Point Nemo`s the safest place on Earth to crash something from space. Planes and ships passing through the

area are warned in advance and when it comes to space junk, a dump is something that`s badly needed.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: After decades of launches since the dawn of the space age, Earth`s orbit has become a junkyard of dead satellites and abandoned

rocket bodies. And anytime two objects traveling at about five miles a second collide, the impact could look like a scene straight out of the

movie "Gravity". In real life, no people in space have ever been hit but the International Space Station has. In 2016, a small piece of debris

cracked a window on the orbiting outpost and in December its crew prepared for an emergency evacuation after a Russian anti-satellite missile test
 

outpost [ˋaʊt͵post] n. 前哨基地

created a massive debris cloud.

(BEGIN AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We will need to activate Dragon Space Haven.

(END AUDIO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Today, U.S. Space Command is tracking more than 40,000 objects in space and only about 5,000 of them are active satellites.

The vast majority of space junk still in orbit is from the two major players in the first space race, Russia and the United States.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: If these spacecrafts were left there by the U.S. government and they generally were, then that becomes their responsibility

to clean it up, in the same way that the military would not leave a broken- down tank on the battlefield. Nor would it go ahead and -- and leave a ship --a derelict ship at sea.
 

derelict [ˋdɛrə͵lɪkt] adj. 被抛弃了的；无主的；玩忽职守的

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But so far, the effort to clean up space has been led by Japan and the European Space Agency, and private companies. Some companies

like ClearSpace are trying to grab debris with robotic tentacles. Others are trying to catch it with a massive fishing net and in August, a company
 

tentacle [ˋtɛntək!] n.【动】触须，触手

called Astroscale successfully tested capturing a small satellite with a magnetic arm.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We use a robotic arm that extends and attaches to that metallic plate. That allows us then to basically perform, tow truck or a tug service
 

tow truck（将故障车拖往修理厂的）救险车，拖车

tug [tʌg] v. 用力拉（或拖）; n. 牵引，拖曳

bringing that satellite down to a safe distance, and then we can release it to naturally and safely burn up in -- in the atmosphere.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Astroscale caught the attention of the Prince of Wales who visited it`s UK based mission control last week. The company now

has debris removal contracts with the UK, the European Union and Japan.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: The U.S. unfortunately, we haven`t seen and we haven`t gotten as much traction from the U.S. government.
 

traction [ˋtrækʃən] n. 牵引；牵引力

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: But the Biden Administration is starting to change that. In January, the White House held meetings with experts about how to

clean-up space and the Space Force is launching a program called "Orbital Prime" that will give companies the seed funding to do it.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Our vision in this partnership is to aggressively explore those capabilities with you today, in the hope that we and others

can purchase them as a service in the future.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: The fact that Americans plan to spend almost $24 billion this Valentine`s Day only tells part of the story. That number works out to $72
 

work out 按某种方式发展; 解决; 设计

per person for everyone in the country, but not everyone plans to celebrate. Counting only the people who do, the average amount of spending

jumps up to more than $175 per person and this is not a record according to the National Retail Federation. That was set in 2020 with the COVID

pandemic looming in America.

In that year, Valentine celebrants spent almost $200 each on average. But if you`re feeling pressured to spend a lot, remember that money isn`t

everything. According to personal finance website WalletHub, 54 percent of Americans say they`d break up with their significant others if they spent

too much.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Six blocks with dozens of wholesale flower vendors.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: (Inaudible) make sure everything`s good.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Business in the Los Angeles flower district really blooms in February, so much that the California Flower Mall, one of the

district`s large markets will stay open round the clock from Super Bowl Sunday through the end of the Valentine`s Day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: It`s a good feeling. You know, it`s like you`re buying flowers for somebody you care about. So all of that really helps, you

know, despite the -- the -- the economics.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Owner Mark Chanauv (ph) says his 35 vendors face the same thorny economic issues as any other retailer as growers and supplier`s
 

thorny [ˋθɔrnɪ] adj. 棘手的；麻烦的；多障碍的

countdown to a second pandemic era Valentine`s Day.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We are facing rising costs, logistics, transportation which is part of logistics, shortages.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Hussein Boostos (ph) brings flowers to the Los Angeles market from local growers, but also items like roses from South

America. He says disruptions to those air shipments are unlike anything seen in his 30 years in the flower industry.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: One airline cancels, then whoever`s behind it got the pressure to pick up what`s behind.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: And the high demand holiday falling on a Monday this year, puts on the pressure especially for florists tasked with final
 

florist [ˋflorɪst] n. 花商；种花者

task [tæsk] v. 派给……（特别）任务

delivery.

UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Those are 2021 problems that are continuing into 2022, but it does get more difficult at Valentine`s Day.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

AZUZ: Well, don`t let this bug you, but researchers recently filmed chimpanzees catching insects and then putting them on injuries. Could this be a form
 

bug [bʌg] v.【俚】烦扰；激怒

of animal medicine? There are a lot of questions here. For one thing, are bugs effective medication when it comes to healing wounds?

That might need some research. For another, this could be a first for science. Even though animals have been known to take care of their young

or apply medicine, like plants, to themselves. These apes have never been observed applying medicine to another chimp before.

In fact, an animal has never been observed applying insect matter to another animal`s wounds before. So, if that what was happening here,

scientists think it could be a form of empathy, a sign of individuals caring for others. The video was captured at Mungo National Park in the
 

empathy [ˋɛmpəθɪ] n. 同理心

African nation of Gabon.
 

Gabon [gæˋbɔŋ] n. 加彭（非洲西南部的共和国）

For today`s 10 out of 10 segments, we`re going for the gold and it has nothing to do with the Olympics. This is Golden`s in Golden Day. The

first part related to Golden Retrievers, the second related to the city of Golden, Colorado. One participant, a human, said she thought it was the

best holiday there ever was. My border collie would snap at that, but there`s no question that this retriever`s a lot of popularity and a lot of

publicity.

But could Golden`s in Golden inspire other related events? Consider Aussies in Australia, Boston`s in Boston, Chihuahua`s in Chihuahua,

Dalmation`s in Dalmatia, English Fox Hounds in England. French Bulldogs in France, German Shepherds in Germany, Havanese in Havana, Irish Setters in
 

Havanese 哈威那

Havana [həˋvænə] n. 哈瓦那（古巴首都）

Irish Setter 爱尔兰雪达犬

Ireland, Jack Russell`s in Jackson, King Shepherds in Kingston, Labradors in Labrador. Maltese in Malta, Newfoundland`s in Newfoundland,

Otterhound`s in Ottowa, Papillion`s in Papillion, Queensland`s in Queensland, Rotties in Rotterdam, Sheba`s in Sheba, Tsebin`s in Tibet,

Utanigan`s in Utah, Vezla`s in Visalia, Whippet`s in Wipple, (inaudible), Yorkie`s in Yorkshire and Zvet Pincher`s in (Inaudible). We`ve gone to the

dogs from A to Z. One more we missed though. Plots in Plattsburgh, because Plattsburgh, New York is where we are shouting out you, Plattsburgh

High School. I`m Carl Azuz for CNN.

END