NPR 2011-09-30

 The US economy is growing a little more than earlier estimates show. But as NPR's Paul Brown told us the rate of growth is still very small.

 

 

The Commerce Department says the gross domestic product to grow at 1.3% annual rate in the second quarter. It's a raty economist¹ Johnson calls **,but he says things are moving in the right direction and still more patience is needed on the part of investors² and policy makers³.

 

 

It's a great deal of impatience,now I don't think anybody realizes how long it takes to sort of eliminate or work off,the accesses there were built during the,we called the mainly of  2004, 2005. It takes a very long time to work through those accesses.  Johnson says some increase and economic demand and employment over the next two years as the real estate market reaches balance and people pay off debts and start to spend again. Paul Brown NPR news, Washington.

 

 

Starting next year,Bank of America customers will have to pay a five-dollar monthly fee to use their debit⁴ cards for purchases. That's on top of other monthly fees linked to people's basic accounts. BOA is the latest in a string of institutions charging higher fees to help cover money. The banks say they are loosing under new regulation that goes into effect October 1st. Banks are going to be limited in the amount they can charge merchants whenever customers swipe the debit cards.

 

 

Now as many Americans unable to borrow money,you are still looking for work,the housing market is seeing another declining contract side on home sales. Even low interest rates,not seeing in decades are making much of the debt. And this week those rates were down even further,Freddie Mac says 30-year fixed⁵ rate mortgages fell to 4.01% and 50-year loans hit 3.28%. 

 

 

Federal agency have(应该是has) arrested more than three dozen people at a Boeing plant in Philadelphia after a long-term investigation⁶ of prescription⁷ drug abuse. The Justice Department says several employees at the plant have been charged with illegal distribution of  Oxycodone and Xanax. NPR's  Carrie Johnson reports the Boeing officials flagged the problem for non-enforcement.

 

 

The top prosecutor⁸ in Philadelphia says he focuses not only on the people selling illegal prescription drugs,but also the employees at the Boeing plant who use them. Because US attorney  Zane Memeger,says those workers played a critical role in making airplanes used by the US military. Authorities had put undercover agents on the case who purchased the drugs are sold others ** pills not the real thing. Boeing had no immediate⁹ comment on the arrests. Carrie Johnson,NPR news,Washington.

 

 

At last check on Wall Street,Dow Jones Industrial Average down 12 points at 10,999. NASDAQ down 54  at 2438. S&P 500 down  10 points. This is NPR.

 

 

The State Department says no embassy employees in Syria were hurt  today when a mob attacked ambassador  Robert Ford's convoy¹⁰. Ford,an outspoken¹¹ critic of Syria's President was meeting the leading opposition¹² figure of that country,when the crowd pelted¹³ stones,tomatoes and eggs at the convoy and tried to raid the building. Spokesman Mark Toner decried¹⁴ the attack.

 

 

Intimidation¹⁵ by pro-government mobs is just not civilized¹⁶ behavior. It's an inexcusable  assault that reflects the tolerance¹⁷ on the part of the regime and its supporters.

 

 

Syrian security showed up about an hour after the attack.

 

 

Kazakhstan's President is preparing to sign a controversial law involving religious freedoms. As Jessica Gallaher reports from Moscow,many believe the law will weaken them.

 

 

Earlier today,Kazakhstan's upper chamber¹⁸ of parliament voted in favor of the new law proposed by the country's president. It will ban religious ceremonies and all state institutions 

and require missionaries¹⁹ and religious groups to re-register with the government. Both Muslim and Christian²⁰ groups in the Muslim  central Asian state have criticized the proposed law,which targets unregistered minority religious groups,including Muslims not affiliated²¹ with the State Muslim oversight²² body. The government claims the novel attempt a wave of what it calls religious extremism. For NPR news,I'm Jessica Gallaher,in Moscow.

 

 

Several injuries are reported from a blast at a hotel in the commercial section of Pakistan's capital. Local authorities in Islamabad say an initial investigation indicates the explosion was caused by a gas leak.

 

 

Dow was down more than 30 points,at 10,976.

1 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。

2 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

3 makers   

n.制造者，制造商（maker的复数形式）

参考例句：

• The makers of the product assured us that there had been no sacrifice of quality. 这一产品的制造商向我们保证说他们没有牺牲质量。
• The makers are about to launch out a new product. 制造商们马上要生产一种新产品。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 debit   

n.借方，借项，记人借方的款项

参考例句：

• To whom shall I debit this sum?此款应记入谁的账户的借方？
• We undercharge Mr.Smith and have to send him a debit note for the extra amount.我们少收了史密斯先生的钱，只得给他寄去一张借条所要欠款。

5 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

6 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。

7 prescription   

n.处方，开药；指示，规定

参考例句：

• The physician made a prescription against sea- sickness for him.医生给他开了个治晕船的药方。
• The drug is available on prescription only.这种药只能凭处方购买。

8 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。

9 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

10 convoy   

vt.护送，护卫，护航；n.护送；护送队

参考例句：

• The convoy was snowed up on the main road.护送队被大雪困在干路上了。
• Warships will accompany the convoy across the Atlantic.战舰将护送该船队过大西洋。

11 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

12 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

13 pelted   

（连续地）投掷( pelt的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续抨击； 攻击； 剥去…的皮

参考例句：

• The children pelted him with snowballs. 孩子们向他投掷雪球。
• The rain pelted down. 天下着大雨。

14 decried   

v.公开反对，谴责( decry的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The measures were decried as useless. 这些措施受到指责，说是不起作用。
• The old poet decried the mediocrity of today's writing. 老诗人抨击了现代文体的平庸无奇。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

15 intimidation   

n.恐吓，威胁

参考例句：

• The Opposition alleged voter intimidation by the army.反对党声称投票者受到军方的恐吓。
• The gang silenced witnesses by intimidation.恶帮用恐吓的手段使得证人不敢说话。

16 civilized   

a.有教养的，文雅的

参考例句：

• Racism is abhorrent to a civilized society. 文明社会憎恶种族主义。
• rising crime in our so-called civilized societies 在我们所谓文明社会中日益增多的犯罪行为

17 tolerance   

n.宽容；容忍，忍受；耐药力；公差

参考例句：

• Tolerance is one of his strengths.宽容是他的一个优点。
• Human beings have limited tolerance of noise.人类对噪音的忍耐力有限。

18 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

19 missionaries   

n.传教士( missionary的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Some missionaries came from England in the Qing Dynasty. 清朝时，从英国来了一些传教士。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The missionaries rebuked the natives for worshipping images. 传教士指责当地人崇拜偶像。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

20 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

21 affiliated   

adj. 附属的, 有关连的

参考例句：

• The hospital is affiliated with the local university. 这家医院附属于当地大学。
• All affiliated members can vote. 所有隶属成员都有投票权。

22 oversight   

n.勘漏，失察，疏忽

参考例句：

• I consider this a gross oversight on your part.我把这件事看作是你的一大疏忽。
• Your essay was not marked through an oversight on my part.由于我的疏忽你的文章没有打分。