NPR 2010-04-20

Transportation authorities in Europe are opening up more airspace to commercial airline flights despite some ongoing¹ concern about the cloud of volcanic² ash that has been lingering over the continent for days. The flights will be restricted to so-called “caution zones”. Alex Bristol is a spokesman for Britain’s air traffic control. He says governments are eager to get flights flying again.

 

“We’re ready to provide that service at the instant that we know there’s no ash cloud up there for the aircraft to fly through and do that safely.”

 

An estimated 40,000 Americans have been stranded⁴ in Britain alone by Europe’s air travel problems.

 

Vice³ President Biden says the killing⁵ of two top leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq deals a potentially devastating⁶ blow to the insurgent⁷ group known as AQI for short. NPR’s Scott Horsley reports Biden praised both U.S. and Iraqi forces.

 

Biden said the attack highlights the growing strength of Iraq’s own security forces.

 

“The Iraqis led this operation and it was based on intelligence the Iraqi security forces themselves developed following their capture of a senior AQI leader last month.”

 

A stronger homegrown security force makes it easier for the U.S. to end its combat mission in Iraq this summer as promised and withdraw all troops next year. Biden notes Iraq’s political leaders still have to take the next step by forming an inclusive and representative government. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

 

The sound of a ceremony in Oklahoma City today where survivors⁸ and relatives have been marking the 15th anniversary of the bomb attack that left 168 people dead. Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

 

“We cannot guarantee there will not be another attack. No one can. But we are a strong and resilient country.”

 

Napolitano was a federal prosecutor⁹ back in 1995 and assisted in the investigation¹⁰ to bring Oklahoma City bomber¹¹ Timothy McVeigh to justice.

 

Dozens of gun-carrying demonstrators have been rallying in Virginia just across the Potomac River from the nation’s capital to show their support for the Second Amendment¹². Organizers say it’s the first such demonstration¹³ since the passage of a law allowing people to carry firearms in national parks. NPR’s Jamie Tarabay reports a group of unarmed demonstrators held a similar rally on the grounds of the Washington Monument.

 

They sat in picnic chairs and waved flags and cheered speakers like 34-year-old Nikki Goeser.

 

“I can assure you a police officer that is called to the scene of a crime would much rather find an innocent person with a smoking gun and a dead bad guy than the other way around.”

 

Her husband was shot and killed a year ago in Nashville, Tennessee. She says she could have prevented his death, had she been allowed to carry her gun. Something Tennessee law says isn’t allowed near places where alcohol is sold. Jamie Tarabay, NPR News, Washington.

 

On Wall Streets, stocks are mixed. The Dow up 67; the NASDAQ down two points. This is NPR.

 

A key gauge¹⁴ of future economic activity is up sharply, rising nearly 1.5% in March. That’s the fastest pace of growth for the Conference Board’s Index of Leading Economic Indicators¹⁵ in ten months. Ken¹⁶ Goldstein, an economist¹⁷ with the group, says the increase bodes¹⁸ well for the US economy.

 

“Here’s some suggestion from the Leading Economic Index that while we might not continue at the pace of March, some of that could well continue into May and June, July and August.”

 

Goldstein says the index is pointing to a slow recovery.

 

A new study finds that people who undergo intestinal¹⁹ surgery tend to do slightly worse, if the operation is done in a teaching hospital. NPR’s Joanne Silberner has more.

 

Studies have shown that the best places for many complex surgeries are large high-dime teaching hospitals where experienced surgeons train younger ones, but a new study in the current Archives of Surgeries suggests that lower-key hospitals might be a little better for people getting parts of their colons²¹ removed. Such surgeries are routine and they’re done for cancer, obstructions²², abscesses, diverticulitis and other conditions. Researchers analyzed²³ the charts of more than 115,000 patients who had part of their colons removed. Patients had longer stays at the teaching hospitals and the risk of death was 3.9% in teaching hospitals and 3.7% in non-teaching hospitals. The researchers do note that teaching hospitals may have a lower death rate for colon²⁰ cancer surgery. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

 

The space shuttle Discovery is staying in orbit for an extra day after rainy weather forced cancellation²⁴ of this morning’s scheduled landing. NASA will try again tomorrow. Discovery has enough supplies and fuel aboard to remain in orbit until Wednesday.

 

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

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 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

5 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

6 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

7 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

8 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

9 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

10 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

11 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

12 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

13 demonstration   

n.表明，示范，论证，示威

参考例句：

• His new book is a demonstration of his patriotism.他写的新书是他的爱国精神的证明。
• He gave a demonstration of the new technique then and there.他当场表演了这种新的操作方法。

14 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

15 indicators   

（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )； 指示物； （车辆上的）转弯指示灯； 指示信号

参考例句：

• The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。
• It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

16 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

17 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

18 bodes   

v.预示，预告，预言( bode的第三人称单数 )；等待，停留( bide的过去分词 )；居住；（过去式用bided）等待

参考例句：

• This bodes ill for the failure of the programme. 这是那项计划有凶兆。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• This bodes him no good. 这对他是不祥之兆。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

19 intestinal   

adj.肠的；肠壁；肠道细菌

参考例句：

• A few other conditions are in high intestinal obstruction. 其它少数情况是高位肠梗阻。 来自辞典例句
• This complication has occasionally occurred following the use of intestinal antiseptics. 这种并发症偶而发生在使用肠道抗菌剂上。 来自辞典例句

20 colon   

n.冒号，结肠，直肠

参考例句：

• Here,too,the colon must be followed by a dash.这里也是一样，应当在冒号后加破折号。
• The colon is the locus of a large concentration of bacteria.结肠是大浓度的细菌所在地。

21 colons   

n.冒号( colon的名词复数 )；结肠

参考例句：

• Enter unlisted values here. Use semi-colons to separate multiple values. 在此处输入未列出的值。用分号分隔多个值。 来自互联网
• Colons separate hours, minutes, and seconds, although all need not be specified. 用冒号分隔小时、分钟和秒，但所有这些内容并非都需要指定。 来自互联网

22 obstructions   

n.障碍物( obstruction的名词复数 )；阻碍物；阻碍；阻挠

参考例句：

• The absence of obstructions is of course an idealization. 没有障碍物的情况当然是一种理想化的情况。 来自辞典例句
• These obstructions could take some weeks to clear from these canals. 这些障碍物可能要花几周时间才能从运河中清除掉。 来自辞典例句

23 analyzed   

v.分析( analyze的过去式和过去分词 )；分解；解释；对…进行心理分析

参考例句：

• The doctors analyzed the blood sample for anemia. 医生们分析了贫血的血样。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The young man did not analyze the process of his captivation and enrapturement, for love to him was a mystery and could not be analyzed. 这年轻人没有分析自己蛊惑著迷的过程，因为对他来说，爱是个不可分析的迷。 来自《简明英汉词典》

24 cancellation   

n.删除，取消

参考例句：

• Heavy seas can cause cancellation of ferry services.海上风浪太大，可能须要取消渡轮服务。
• Her cancellation of her trip to Paris upset our plan.她取消了巴黎之行打乱了我们的计划。