NPR 2010-08-03

President Obama is reaffirming a pledge to end US combat operations in Iraq by the end of the month, but he told a gathering¹ of disabled veterans in Atlanta today about the military's huge shift to the other hot zone—Afghanistan.

"We will continue to face huge challenges in Afghanistan. But it's important that the American people know that we are making progress and we are focused on goals that are clear and achievable. On the military front, nearly all the additional forces that I ordered to Afghanistan are now in place."

The president ordered a surge of 30,000 additional troops in Afghanistan, which, along with Pakistan, is now essential in the US-led fight against the Taliban and al-Qaeda. But at the moment, the Pakistani government is grappling with the aftermath of monsoon² rains and floods that have claimed up to 1,200 lives and displaced countless³ more. One of many military helicopters hovering⁴ over flood-ravaged Peshawar, valley part of a broad attempt to reach thousands of stranded⁵ survivors⁶, as the BBC's Aleem Maqbool reports from Islamabad.

Pakistan's army says it's doing everything it can to help those in need, but there are still thousands waiting for assistance. The biggest challenge for the emergency services is access. So many areas had their transport and communication links destroyed and are isolated⁷. For many of those who've already lost their belongings⁸ and in some cases members of their family, there are also now real fears about the spread of disease. Food is scarce for the stranded, and water supplies have been contaminated by the floods.

The BBC's Aleem Maqbool reporting.

In the Gulf⁹, several minor¹⁰ leaks are being reported near the blown-out well, but retired¹¹ Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen says though should not delay an operation to plug the oil leak for good. Separately, NPR's Richard Harris tells us the Environmental Protection Agency says dispersants mixed with oil are no more toxic¹² than the oil itself.

BP used large quantities of dispersants in its response to the Gulf oil spill. On the plus side, the dispersants help keep oil away from the sensitive coastal¹³ areas. But dispersants themselves are also toxic to wildlife, so the EPA has been testing the chemicals to see how big a hazard they are. New results find that the dispersant Corexit when blended with oil is no worse than oil alone. And since there was 100 times more oil in the Gulf than dispersants, the EPA says the dispersants turn out to pose a relatively¹⁴ small risk. The downside of dispersant use is that it kept oil under the ocean surface, and it's not clear right now how big an environmental problem that in itself could be. The EPA says dispersants do help speed up the natural breakdown¹⁵ of oil in the sea. Richard Harris, NPR News.

August certainly starts on an up note with pretty good economic news out today. Dow's up more than 200.

This is NPR.

Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters has been charged with violating ethics¹⁶ rules. The California lawmaker is a senior member of the House Financial Services Committee. She faces a trial in the fall unless she negotiates a settlement.

A large study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry¹⁷ suggests that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy¹⁸ are significantly more likely to develop psychiatric disorders¹⁹ in early adulthood²⁰. NPR's Alix Spiegel has more.

The study looked at all children born in Finland between 1987 and 1989 and found a strong correlation²¹ between prenatal smoking and a child's risk of developing mental illness. For children whose mothers did not smoke, there was only a 13% chance of developing a mental illness during early adulthood, but it was nearly twice that if she did. Twenty-one percent of children whose mothers smoked less than ten cigarettes a day later struggled with psychiatric disorders. If a mother smoked more than ten cigarettes a day, the percentage of kids with mental illness went up to 24%. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

The first lawsuit²² challenging President Obama's new health care law clears its first hurdle²³. A federal district judge in Richmond denied the Justice Department's attempt to dismiss the Virginia suit, saying more hearings have to take place before he can weigh the merits of the case. Virginia's attorney general argues Congress overstepped its authority by requiring citizens to buy health insurance or pay a penalty.

Here's an update from Wall Street. Dow Jones Industrial Average gaining 209 points at last check at 10,674, amid good economic news out today, NASDAQ up 41 at 2,295.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
 

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 monsoon   

n.季雨，季风，大雨

参考例句：

• The monsoon rains started early this year.今年季雨降雨开始得早。
• The main climate type in that region is monsoon.那个地区主要以季风气候为主要气候类型。

3 countless   

adj.无数的，多得不计其数的

参考例句：

• In the war countless innocent people lost their lives.在这场战争中无数无辜的人丧失了性命。
• I've told you countless times.我已经告诉你无数遍了。

4 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 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。

6 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

7 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

8 belongings   

n.私人物品，私人财物

参考例句：

• I put a few personal belongings in a bag.我把几件私人物品装进包中。
• Your personal belongings are not dutiable.个人物品不用纳税。

9 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。

10 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

11 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

12 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

13 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

14 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

15 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

16 ethics   

n.伦理学；伦理观，道德标准

参考例句：

• The ethics of his profession don't permit him to do that.他的职业道德不允许他那样做。
• Personal ethics and professional ethics sometimes conflict.个人道德和职业道德有时会相互抵触。

17 psychiatry   

n.精神病学，精神病疗法

参考例句：

• The study appeared in the Amercian science Journal of Psychiatry.这个研究发表在美国精神病学的杂志上。
• A physician is someone who specializes in psychiatry.精神病专家是专门从事精神病治疗的人。

18 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

19 disorders   

n.混乱( disorder的名词复数 )；凌乱；骚乱；（身心、机能）失调

参考例句：

• Reports of anorexia and other eating disorders are on the increase. 据报告，厌食症和其他饮食方面的功能紊乱发生率正在不断增长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The announcement led to violent civil disorders. 这项宣布引起剧烈的骚乱。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 adulthood   

n.成年，成人期

参考例句：

• Some infantile actions survive into adulthood.某些婴儿期的行为一直保持到成年期。
• Few people nowadays are able to maintain friendships into adulthood.如今很少有人能将友谊维持到成年。

21 correlation   

n.相互关系，相关，关连

参考例句：

• The second group of measurements had a high correlation with the first.第二组测量数据与第一组高度相关。
• A high correlation exists in America between education and economic position.教育和经济地位在美国有极密切的关系。

22 lawsuit   

n.诉讼，控诉

参考例句：

• They threatened him with a lawsuit.他们以诉讼威逼他。
• He was perpetually involving himself in this long lawsuit.他使自己无休止地卷入这场长时间的诉讼。

23 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。