NPR 2009-07-15

In her first day of questioning, Supreme¹ Court nominee² Sonia Sotomayor explained controversial statement she has made about the role of race and ethnicity playing in judging. She rejected accusation³ she allows her background to influence her decisions. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports.

Most of the controversy⁴ surrounding Sotomayor involves statements she has made off the bench. At the top of the list is something she has said in speeches to student groups and elsewhere that a wise Latino woman would make better decisions than a white man who has not had the same experience. Sotomayor told senators, "I was trying to inspire them to believe that their life experiences would enrich the legal system, because different life experiences and backgrounds always do. I don't think that there is a quarrel with that in our society." She said judges must scrutinize⁵ and acknowledge the way their life experiences affect their perception of a case in order to make a final decision based on the facts and the law. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama traveled to Michigan today where he told an audience at a community college there that lost auto⁶ industry jobs will not be coming back. President also said new jobs will require additional training and in many cases post-high school education. Speaking at Macomb Community College in Warren, Michigan, the president also said in terms of the jobless rate, things are likely to get worse before they get better. "The unemployment rate is approaching 10 percent here in Michigan. It's about five points higher. And, you know, new jobs reports are going to be coming out, and we're going to see continuing job loss, even as the economy is beginning to stabilize⁷." The President is pushing a plan to provide 12 billion dollars to community colleges which his administration says could help an additional five million Americans earn degrees and certificates over the next decade.

A surge in car purchases and higher prices at the gas pump last month help spur the biggest rise in retail⁸ sales since January. Wholesale⁹ prices were also up, NPR's Scott Newman reports.

The two reports--retail sales issued by the Commerce Department and wholesale prices by Labor--offered some hope that the recession was slowing, if not bottoming out. Both measures exceeded analysts¹⁰’ expectations. Cautious consumers were apparently¹¹ lured¹² back to showrooms by promotional deals and mid-year discounts, with auto sales contributing to a 0.6% increase in overall retail sales for the month. Meanwhile, there was a 1.8% jump in the Producer Price Index which tracks the costs of goods before they reach store shelves. The gain was twice what analysts had expected and could reverse a 12-month downward trend. The Fed and many private economists¹³ predict the recession will end later this year, but many Americans don't seem so convinced.  Consumer confidence dipped again in June after a three-month uptick. Scott Newman, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 27 points to end the day at 8, 359.

This is NPR.

Treasury¹⁴ Secretary Timothy Geithner on a trip that includes stopovers in the Mid-East reached out to Gulf¹⁵ Arab leaders today, saying the US has what he called a special responsibility to help steer¹⁶ the world through the current global recession. Geithner who is seeking to reassure¹⁷ some of the US’s top creditors¹⁸ said the recession may be showing some signs of easing. And he said US still welcomes their businesses as the country works to deal with the situation. Geithner told Saudi Arabian business leaders the global trade also shows signs of expanding again.

National Transportation Safety Board investigators¹⁹ say a fatal Massachusetts trolley²⁰ crash could have been prevented if the Boston transit²¹ system had been installed automated²² train control technologies. From member station WBUR in Boston Megna Chakravarti reports.

The NTSB concluded that one trolley operator died when her train sped through a red stop signal and rammed²³ into another stationary²⁴ train near suburban²⁵ Boston station in May, 2008. Acting²⁶ Chairman Mark Rosenker wondered why the Massachusetts Bay transit authority has automated train control systems on some of its lines but not the green line where the crash occurred. "Why would the green line not have everything possible that is going to prevent the accidents from happening? I don't understand that as an operator." The transit authority began testing collision prevention technologies on the green line after the crash. NTSB investigators also suggested that the trolley operator had suffered from an undiagnosed sleep disorder²⁷ that may have caused her to ignore the red stop signal. For NPR News, I'm Megna Chakravarti in Boston.

Crude oil futures²⁸ prices fell 17 cents a barrel today, ending the session at $59.52 a barrel in New York.

1 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

2 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

3 accusation   

n.控告，指责，谴责

参考例句：

• I was furious at his making such an accusation.我对他的这种责备非常气愤。
• She knew that no one would believe her accusation.她知道没人会相信她的指控。

4 controversy   

n.争论，辩论，争吵

参考例句：

• That is a fact beyond controversy.那是一个无可争论的事实。
• We ran the risk of becoming the butt of every controversy.我们要冒使自己在所有的纷争中都成为众矢之的的风险。

5 scrutinize   

n.详细检查，细读

参考例句：

• Her purpose was to scrutinize his features to see if he was an honest man.她的目的是通过仔细观察他的相貌以判断他是否诚实。
• She leaned forward to scrutinize their faces.她探身向前，端详他们的面容。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

7 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。

8 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

9 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

12 lured   

吸引，引诱（lure的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• The child was lured into a car but managed to escape. 那小孩被诱骗上了车，但又设法逃掉了。
• Lured by the lust of gold,the pioneers pushed onward. 开拓者在黄金的诱惑下，继续奋力向前。

13 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

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 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

16 steer   

vt.驾驶，为…操舵；引导；vi.驾驶

参考例句：

• If you push the car, I'll steer it.如果你来推车，我就来驾车。
• It's no use trying to steer the boy into a course of action that suits you.想说服这孩子按你的方式行事是徒劳的。

17 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

18 creditors   

n.债权人，债主( creditor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• They agreed to repay their creditors over a period of three years. 他们同意3年内向债主还清欠款。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Creditors could obtain a writ for the arrest of their debtors. 债权人可以获得逮捕债务人的令状。 来自《简明英汉词典》

19 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 trolley   

n.手推车，台车；无轨电车；有轨电车

参考例句：

• The waiter had brought the sweet trolley.侍者已经推来了甜食推车。
• In a library,books are moved on a trolley.在图书馆，书籍是放在台车上搬动的。

21 transit   

n.经过，运输；vt.穿越，旋转；vi.越过

参考例句：

• His luggage was lost in transit.他的行李在运送中丢失。
• The canal can transit a total of 50 ships daily.这条运河每天能通过50条船。

22 automated   

a.自动化的

参考例句：

• The entire manufacturing process has been automated. 整个生产过程已自动化。
• Automated Highway System (AHS) is recently regarded as one subsystem of Intelligent Transport System (ITS). 近年来自动公路系统(Automated Highway System,AHS)，作为智能运输系统的子系统之一越来越受到重视。

23 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 stationary   

adj.固定的，静止不动的

参考例句：

• A stationary object is easy to be aimed at.一个静止不动的物体是容易瞄准的。
• Wait until the bus is stationary before you get off.你要等公共汽车停稳了再下车。

25 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

26 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

27 disorder   

n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调

参考例句：

• When returning back,he discovered the room to be in disorder.回家后，他发现屋子里乱七八糟。
• It contained a vast number of letters in great disorder.里面七零八落地装着许多信件。

28 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。