Pronunciation ChallengeCNN10: US Retreat from Afghanistan／Earthquake in Haiti

[Transcript]

Hey folks, Ken here. Welcome to the CNN10 show. It’s been more than two months since our last episode and now it’s finally returned. Time for some news.

US Retreat from Afghanistan

In mid-April, US President Joe Biden made the controversial announcement that American combat troops would leave Afghanistan by September 11th, which will be the 20th anniversary of the 911 attacks on America that was carried out by a terrorist group who had been allowed to live and train in Afghanistan. Shortly after the terrorist attack in 2001, the United States led a group of countries to kick the Taliban ruler out of power, and international military forces, including thousands of American troops, have been in Afghanistan ever since.

Earlier this year, President Biden said that in terms of manpower and cost, it no longer made sense for US troops to stay concentrated in Afghanistan. The president believed they could be there indefinitely based on the instability of the country, so he made the call for an expeditious retreat. What followed President Biden’s decision was a series of Afghan people fleeing the country, as you’ve probably seen on TV, with one of the scenes being a crowd of desperate refugees chasing a US plane, trying to get on, resulting in numerous deaths from people falling off the plane. Elsewhere in the news, a baby was also seen being handed to the US troop amid the hopeless crowd. What a scene!

President Biden has said that the Taliban takeover happened more quickly than his administration had expected, but that he stands by his decision to get American troops out because, quote, "There was never a good time to withdraw US forces." Critics have described the rapid Taliban takeover as a calamity for Afghanistan. And though several polls have shown that many Americans support the decision to pull the US military out of Afghanistan, a CNN reporter says the way the American withdrawal was carried out was catastrophic.

Earthquake in Haiti

Haiti is an island nation located in the Caribbean sea, and it’s also one of Taiwan’s 15 diplomatic allies. The US Central Intelligence Agency has listed it as the poorest country in the western hemisphere. In addition to poverty, what's made things worse for Haiti are its political corruption and frequent natural disasters, the most recent of which are a catastrophic 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck on August 14, 2021, and a tropical storm that followed. For reference, the 921 earthquake that hit Taiwan back in 1999 measured at 7.6 magnitude, so you have an idea of how devastating the earthquake was in Haiti. The Haitian government says more than 2,200 lost their lives in the south, and as far as relief goes, just getting to the affected areas is a challenge. From aerial footage captured from a helicopter, it is clear that dozens of structures were damaged and according to local residents, no support has yet been dispatched.

The calamities are scattered throughout the region. With the roads and main traffic ways currently blocked, organizations are having a hard time delivering relief supplies, and the Haitians remain in dire need of aid.

Sentence of the day:
Critics have described the rapid Taliban takeover as a calamity for Afghanistan.

[Vocabulary words]

1. rapid
fast or sudden

Ex: The 1990s is a period of rapid growth

2. takeover
to get control of something

Ex: The Biden administration condemned the military takeover in Myanmar.

3. calamity
a serious accident or bad event causing damage or suffering

Ex: The recent heavy downpour in Henan was a major calamity.


Alright, that’s all we have time for today.
Our thoughts and prayers to the people suffering from the unfortunate natural disasters.
Folks, please continue to avoid public gatherings and wear a mask at all times when you’re out in public.
Stay healthy and be safe.
This is Ken Miao and I’ll see you again next week.

Critics have described the rapid Taliban takeover as a calamity for Afghanistan.

Critics have described the rapid Taliban takeover as a calamity for Afghanistan.