NPR 2012-04-22

 The United Nations Security Council voted unanimously today to increase the number of observers in Syria from 30 to 300. The monitors are there to see whether government troops and rebel forces are complying with a weeklong ceasefire. Violence has been escalating¹. The Syrian government has allowed monitors to enter the battle-scarred city of Homs. Activists² say what had been regular shelling stopped ahead of the visit. NPR’s Kelly McEvers reports the cessation of violence comes as dozens were killed after protests yesterday.

 

The UN observers are in Syria to see whether Syrian government troops are complying with a ceasefire their government had agreed to more than a week ago. That ceasefire requires that all troops and heavy machinery³ be pulled out of cities and towns. Residents of Homs say armored personnel carriers are leaving the area, but they fear it won’t last long. Hundreds of people have been killed in shelling and attacks on protests since the ceasefire was supposed to go into effect. Kelly McEvers, NPR News, Beirut.

 

Afghan officials say they prevented a major plot to attack Kabul. Security forces arrested five militants⁴ with 11 tons of explosives. They allegedly had brought the explosives into the Afghan capital from Pakistan. Officials say three of the militants were members of the Pakistani Taliban. The others belong to the Afghan Taliban. Officials also said today they thwarted⁵ a plot to assassinate⁶ the vice⁷ president in his home. They say three Afghan men were picked up earlier this week, equipped with small arms and suicide vests.

 

President Obama is calling for an end to the fighting between Sudan and South Sudan. He’s urging dialog to resolve the crisis. NPR’s Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports his appeal comes as the border conflict over oil intensifies⁸ between the Horn of African neighbors.

 

In his message to the people and presidents of Sudan and South Sudan, President Obama says conflict is not inevitable⁹.

 

“The government of Sudan must stop its military actions including aerial bombardments, must give aid workers the access they need to save lives, and it must end its support for armed groups inside the South. Likewise, the government of South Sudan must end its support for armed groups inside Sudan, and it must cease its military actions across the border.”

 

President Obama says the two leaders should have the courage to return to the table to resolve their issues peacefully. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Dakar.

 

The committee to reelect President Obama took in 27 million dollars last month. Both major candidates filed their latest campaign finance reports last night. Republican Mitt¹⁰ Romney’s campaign raised 12.5 million dollars. Republicans in Utah held a convention today to decide their choice to run for Senate in the fall. Incumbent¹¹ Orrin Hatch failed to win enough delegates to avoid a primary runoff. He’s served in the Senate since 1976.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Environmentalists are gearing up for Earth Day tomorrow. It’s been held every year since 1970 as a way get people to care more about the planet with events such as tree plantings and river cleanups.

 

Today is Record Store Day. NPR’s Neda Ulaby explains it’s a growing grassroots effort to support independent music stores, and it’s making a surprising, if one day only, economic impact in the struggling music industry.

 

Happy Record Store Day, over 300 new records are getting released in the US today, including this posthumous¹² one from Joey Ramone.

 

“Seven o’clock and I’m feeling bad. I gotta pull myself together, yeah.”

 

Record Store Day was unsurprisingly dreamed up by a record store employee named Chris Brown. He won support as employer of the indie music chain Bull Moose, and the idea became a reality five years ago. Now on the third Saturday in April, major and independent labels make a number of new releases available early only at record stores often on vinyl. Record stores saw an 8% bump in sales on this day last year, significant for the roughly 2000 that remain open across the country. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

 

A man who inspired aspiring¹³ musicians for decades has died. His agent says Bert Weedon died yesterday at his home in England after a long illness. Weedon wrote “Play in a Day,” a manual for learning how to play the guitar. It was first released in 1957 and sold two million copies. Eric Clapton said he would’ve never persisted [slip] without the tips and encouragement of the book. Other fans included Brian May of Queen and the late John Lennon. Bert Weedon was 91.

 

I’m Nora Raum, NPR News in Washington.

1 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

2 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 machinery   

n.(总称)机械，机器；机构

参考例句：

• Has the machinery been put up ready for the broadcast?广播器材安装完毕了吗？
• Machinery ought to be well maintained all the time.机器应该随时注意维护。

4 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

5 thwarted   

阻挠( thwart的过去式和过去分词 )； 使受挫折； 挫败； 横过

参考例句：

• The guards thwarted his attempt to escape from prison. 警卫阻扰了他越狱的企图。
• Our plans for a picnic were thwarted by the rain. 我们的野餐计划因雨受挫。

6 assassinate   

vt.暗杀，行刺，中伤

参考例句：

• The police exposed a criminal plot to assassinate the president.警方侦破了一个行刺总统的阴谋。
• A plot to assassinate the banker has been uncovered by the police.暗杀银行家的密谋被警方侦破了。

7 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。

8 intensifies   

n.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的名词复数 )v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• A clear atmosphere intensifies the blue of the sky. 纯净的空气使天空变得更蓝。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Blowing on fire intensifies the heat. 吹火使热度加强。 来自《简明英汉词典》

9 inevitable   

adj.不可避免的，必然发生的

参考例句：

• Mary was wearing her inevitable large hat.玛丽戴着她总是戴的那顶大帽子。
• The defeat had inevitable consequences for British policy.战败对英国政策不可避免地产生了影响。

10 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

11 incumbent   

adj.成为责任的，有义务的；现任的，在职的

参考例句：

• He defeated the incumbent governor by a large plurality.他以压倒多数票击败了现任州长。
• It is incumbent upon you to warn them.你有责任警告他们。

12 posthumous   

adj.遗腹的；父亡后出生的；死后的，身后的

参考例句：

• He received a posthumous award for bravery.他表现勇敢，死后受到了嘉奖。
• The legendary actor received a posthumous achievement award.这位传奇男星在过世后获得终身成就奖的肯定。

13 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句