NPR 2008-07-09

Leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations meeting in Japan have endorsed¹ a goal to cut worldwide emissions² of climate-changing greenhouse gases in half by the year 2050. But there is no legally-binding document. G8 leaders say the agreement is a sign of progress. The environmental group, Greenpeace, says it represents a complete failure of responsibility.

A former Environmental Protection Agency official says the Vice³ President's Office censored⁴ global warming testimony⁵ delivered by the country's leading public health official, cutting out references to the health risks. NPR's John Nielsen has more.

 Global warming could bring hotter heat waves, bigger rainstorms and new kinds of diseases to the United States. But not much of that got mentioned six months ago, when the head of the Centers for Disease Control talked to Congress about climate change. A former EPA official named Jason Burnett, says most of the references to these risks were cut out of a draft of that testimony by someone in the Vice President's Office. Burnett makes those charges in a letter released by Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer⁶ of California. She says the White House is trying to muzzle⁷ global warming experts. The Vice President's Office had no comment , but a science advisor⁸ to the White House said the references to global warming risks were cut because they were contradicted by United Nations scientists. John Nielsen ,NPR News, Washington.

The U.S. and the Czech Republic have agreed to begin placing part of a U.S. radar⁹ missile shield in the Czech Republic . Russia is adamantly¹⁰ opposed to the plan and says it will undermine Russian defenses. But today in Prague, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said the focus of the missile shield is not Russia or its allies, but possibly Iran. "We've made the point to our Russian colleagues that we all face a threat from states like Iran that continue to pursue missiles of ever-longer range and we must be in a position to respond." The U.S. also wants to place interceptor rockets in Poland. But the talks on that idea are stalled with Poland demanding billions of dollars in exchange to help it modernize¹² its army and air defenses.

 The Bush administration is downplaying Iraqi calls for a timetable for a US troop pullout. NPR's Michele Kelemen reports.

As they negotiate with the U.S on a status of forces agreement, Iraqi officials have said they are seeking a specific timetable for a US withdrawal¹³. But Defense¹¹ Secretary Robert Gates says a US drawdown would depend on the situation on the ground. "And as the Iraqi security forces get stronger, and get better. Then, we will be able to continue drawing down our troops in the future." A State Department spokesman said the US and Iraq agreed that US troops will withdraw, but he said administration officials are looking at conditions, not calendars. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Washington.

Oil prices fell again today and stocks rose. The Dow Industrials were up 152 points.

This is NPR News.

Treasury¹⁴ Secretary Henry Paulson says there may be two and a half million homes across the country in danger of going into foreclosure this year. And he says many of those foreclosures are unavoidable. NPR's Curt¹⁵ Nickisch reports.

Secretary Paulson made his remarks at a major conference on mortgage lending. He blames lax standards for letting people buy homes they could not afford. But he says there is not much policymakers can do to fix those flawed financial decisions. But the government is doing, Paulson says, is trying to stop preventable foreclosures, where homeowners have the means to stay in their homes if they have more reasonable terms. He also wants lenders to look into a certain sort of mortgage financing that's commonly used in Europe. So-called "covered bonds", Paulson says, would make home loans cheaper and draw more people back into the market. He says that would stabilize¹⁶ home prices. And it's their fault, after all, that keeps pushing more homeowners to the brink¹⁷. Curt Nickisch, NPR News.

 Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says he expects the Fed to issue new rules next week to protect home buyers from questionable¹⁸ lending practices. He also said the Fed may keep open an emergency lending facility for troubled financial firms past the end of the year. That could help to limit the negative impact of the housing credit crisis on the overall economy.

 The German industrial conglomerate¹⁹ Siemens says it will cut nearly 17,000 jobs around the world to help boost profits and increase cost savings²⁰ as the economy turns downward. The job cuts amount to more than four percent of the Siemens workforce²¹ of about 400,000 people.

1 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

3 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

4 censored   

受审查的，被删剪的

参考例句：

• The news reports had been heavily censored . 这些新闻报道已被大幅删剪。
• The military-backed government has heavily censored the news. 有军方撑腰的政府对新闻进行了严格审查。

5 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

6 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

7 muzzle   

n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默

参考例句：

• He placed the muzzle of the pistol between his teeth.他把手枪的枪口放在牙齿中间。
• The President wanted to muzzle the press.总统企图遏制新闻自由。

8 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

9 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

10 adamantly   

adv.坚决地，坚定不移地，坚强不屈地

参考例句：

• "Come over here,"he told her adamantly. “到这边来，”他对她坚定地说。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• His family were adamantly opposed to the marriage. 他的家人坚决反对这门亲事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 modernize   

vt.使现代化，使适应现代的需要

参考例句：

• It was their manifest failure to modernize the country's industries.他们使国家进行工业现代化，明显失败了。
• There is a pressing need to modernise our electoral system.我们的选举制度迫切需要现代化。

13 withdrawal   

n.取回，提款；撤退，撤军；收回，撤销

参考例句：

• The police were forced to make a tactical withdrawal.警方被迫进行战术撤退。
• They insisted upon a withdrawal of the statement and a public apology.他们坚持要收回那些话并公开道歉。

14 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

15 curt   

adj.简短的，草率的

参考例句：

• He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
• He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。

16 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

17 brink   

n.(悬崖、河流等的)边缘，边沿

参考例句：

• The tree grew on the brink of the cliff.那棵树生长在峭壁的边缘。
• The two countries were poised on the brink of war.这两个国家处于交战的边缘。

18 questionable   

adj.可疑的，有问题的

参考例句：

• There are still a few questionable points in the case.这个案件还有几个疑点。
• Your argument is based on a set of questionable assumptions.你的论证建立在一套有问题的假设上。

19 conglomerate   

n.综合商社，多元化集团公司

参考例句：

• The firm has been taken over by an American conglomerate.该公司已被美国一企业集团接管。
• An American conglomerate holds a major share in the company.一家美国的大联合企业持有该公司的大部分股份。

20 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

21 workforce   

n.劳动大军，劳动力

参考例句：

• A large part of the workforce is employed in agriculture.劳动人口中一大部分受雇于农业。
• A quarter of the local workforce is unemployed.本地劳动力中有四分之一失业。