NPR 2010-07-08

An oppressive combination of heat and humidity continues across the Northeast today. NPR's Tovia Smith reports it's setting records, stressing power grids¹ and sending some to the hospital.

Temperatures topped 100 from the nation's capital all the way up to Massachusetts, getting scorching² 105 in Baltimore. Many outside workers pushed up their schedules to the crack of dawn to avoid the peak heat. Julio Meady, who services swimming pools in Boston, was trying to keep up with a busier day than usual and having a hard time resisting the obvious temptation.

"I want to keep jumping in the pool. I did think about it. But I just keep dousing⁴ myself with water, bottles, er, bottles of water just pouring on. That's it. It's the only thing you can do."

Scorching temperatures also caused disruptions in everything from power supplies to train service and impacted everyone from summer campers to Massachusetts lieutenant⁵ governor. He spent three days in a hospital after feeling the effects of the extreme heat. Tovia Smith, NPR News, Boston.

Five of the ten people arrested last month, accused of being Russian spies have been ordered to New York. That's amid reports that the US and Russia are working on a swap⁶ of spies. Meetings between Russian and US diplomats⁷ have taken place.

The federal government is asking an appeals court to reinstate the moratorium⁸ on deepwater drilling it declared in the wake of the BP oil well explosion. NPR's Kathy Lohr reports that in a hearing tomorrow the government will make its case that that moratorium is necessary.

The appeals court in New Orleans will hear arguments on a judge's ruling last month that struck down the moratorium. The federal judge said the government did not have clear reasons and evidence for a ban on deepwater drilling, but the government promised to refine its case. A lawsuit⁹ filed by Hornbeck Offshore¹⁰, an oilfield service company, says the moratorium would have severe economic consequences. But in a brief filed this week, the government argues it needs to adopt safety measures to reduce risks. Attorneys contend the company, which is a lead plaintiff in the case, has not shown it will suffer irreparable harm if the moratorium is reinstated, and attorneys say that public interest demands a stay and a short-term suspension of deepwater drilling until safety regulations are updated. Kathy Lohr, NPR News, New Orleans.

Applications for refinancing of home loans rose last week as consumers took advantage of mortgage rates at the lowest rates in nearly 40 years. The Mortgage Bankers Association says applications were up nearly 7% last week from the week before, but that though is still lower than a year ago. Freddie Mac says the average 30-year mortgage now stands at 4.58%. It's the lowest level since the agency started keeping records in 1971.

An upbeat forecast from Boston's State Street Corporation and a boost in energy stocks after a report showed a higher forecast for worldwide oil demand pushed stocks higher today. Just before the close, the Dow was up 237 points, the NASDAQ up 64.

This is NPR News.

Two people are unaccounted for in the Delaware River after a tourist tugboat, just an amphibious vehicle, hit a barge¹¹. Philadelphia police say 37 people were on the boat, some had to be pulled from the water, but it's not clear the extent of injuries.

The former chief justice of a major city in southwest China was executed today as a result of an ongoing¹² anti-mafia campaign. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Beijing that the campaign has garnered¹³ mixed reviews from the Chinese public.

Until last year, 55-year-old Wen Qiang was head of the municipal justice bureau, and before that, vice³ chief of police for 16 years. His bailiwick was Chongqing, the main port city on the middle reaches of the Yangtze River. State media report that Wen was put to death this morning for taking around two million dollars in bribes¹⁴. In return, he shielded five criminal syndicates and doled¹⁵ out official jobs in business contracts. Wen is the highest ranking among thousands of gangsters¹⁶ and officials to fall to the sweep. Many Chinese applaud the campaign, but others are alarmed by reports that torture of criminal suspects, manipulation of media coverage¹⁷ and political grandstanding have been widespread. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Beijing.

Spain and Germany are battling each other today for the right to face the Netherlands in the World Cup final. Right now, Spain is leading Germany 1-0.

A new problem for the iPhone, AT&T says a glitch¹⁸ in software and its network from Alcatel-Lucent is limiting data uploads from the phone. That means in some areas of the country some users will not be able to send photos, videos or other content. However, AT&T says they're working with Lucent to find a fix

1 grids   

n.格子( grid的名词复数 )；地图上的坐标方格；（输电线路、天然气管道等的）系统网络；（汽车比赛）赛车起跑线

参考例句：

• Typical framed structures are beams, grids, plane and space frames or trusses. 典型构架结构为梁、格栅、平面的和空间的框架或桁架。 来自辞典例句
• The machines deliver trimmed grids for use or stock. 这种机器铸出修整过的板栅，以供使用或储存。 来自辞典例句

2 scorching   

adj. 灼热的

参考例句：

• a scorching, pitiless sun 灼热的骄阳
• a scorching critique of the government's economic policy 对政府经济政策的严厉批评

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 dousing   

v.浇水在…上( douse的现在分词 )；熄灯[火]

参考例句：

• The other spider took a second dousing before it emerged, still alive. 另外一个蜘蛛在冲刷第二遍时才被发现，是个活蜘蛛。 来自互联网
• At this point, the specimen can be shattered by dousing it with sterilized warm saline. 此时，可以用浸入温暖的消毒盐水的方法粉碎标本。 来自互联网

5 lieutenant   

n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员

参考例句：

• He was promoted to be a lieutenant in the army.他被提升为陆军中尉。
• He prevailed on the lieutenant to send in a short note.他说动那个副官，递上了一张简短的便条进去。

6 swap   

n.交换；vt.交换，用...作交易

参考例句：

• I will swap you my bicycle for your radio.我想拿我的自行车换你的收音机。
• This comic was a swap that I got from Nick.这本漫画书是我从尼克那里换来的。

7 diplomats   

n.外交官( diplomat的名词复数 )；有手腕的人，善于交际的人

参考例句：

• These events led to the expulsion of senior diplomats from the country. 这些事件导致一些高级外交官被驱逐出境。
• The court has no jurisdiction over foreign diplomats living in this country. 法院对驻本国的外交官无裁判权。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 moratorium   

n.(行动、活动的)暂停(期)，延期偿付

参考例句：

• The government has called for a moratorium on weapons testing.政府已要求暂停武器试验。
• We recommended a moratorium on two particular kinds of experiments.我们建议暂禁两种特殊的实验。

9 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。

10 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

11 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

12 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。

13 garnered   

v.收集并（通常）贮藏（某物），取得，获得( garner的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Mr. Smith gradually garnered a national reputation as a financial expert. 史密斯先生逐渐赢得全国金融专家的声誉。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals. 他的提议得到了广泛的支持。 来自辞典例句

14 bribes   

n.贿赂( bribe的名词复数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂v.贿赂( bribe的第三人称单数 )；向（某人）行贿，贿赂

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• corrupt officials accepting bribes 接受贿赂的贪官污吏

15 doled   

救济物( dole的过去式和过去分词 )； 失业救济金

参考例句：

• The food was doled out to the poor. 食品分发给了穷人。
• Sisco briskly doled out the United States positions on the key issues. 西斯科轻快地把美国在重大问题上的立场放了出去。

16 gangsters   

匪徒，歹徒( gangster的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The gangsters offered him a sum equivalent to a whole year's earnings. 歹徒提出要给他一笔相当于他一年收入的钱。
• One of the gangsters was caught by the police. 歹徒之一被警察逮捕。

17 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

18 glitch   

n.干扰；误操作，小故障

参考例句：

• There is a glitch in the computer program somewhere.这个计算机程序中的某个部分有点小问题。
• It could just be a random glitch that can be solved by restarting the machine.可能只是一个小故障，重新启动主机就能解决了。