NPR 2012-07-27

 The Olympic torch is passing London landmarks¹ today just ahead tomorrow's ceremonies. Britian's Prince William and his wife Kate welcomed the Olympic torch debarking in palace today. It's also being carried by athletes and charity workers. The torch will light the Olympic flame tomorrow signalling the start of the games. US Olympic simmer Michael Phelps says for him, these games will be emotionally overwhelming. 

These are the last. In a competitive moments that I will have in my career. So, you know, it's big, you know, it's something that I haven't been able to ever experience.

 

 

Republican presidential candidate Mitt² Romney is in London for the Opening ceremonies. He is a former Olympic organiser. He raised eyebrows³ yesterday by suggesting London might not be ready to host the games. He softened⁴ his tone today after meeting with British Prime Minister David Cameron.

What I have seen shows imagination and forethought and a lot of organisation⁵. And I expect the Games to be highly successful.

Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

 

 

Democratic leaders in the senate are stepping up pressure for a vote in the house on a measure to extend Bush-era tax cuts for a year for families making 250,000 dollars a year or less. The White House says that would cover 98% of Americans and nearly every small business owner. NPR's Craig Windham reports the Senate passed such a bill last night.

Senate Majority Leader Harry⁶ Reid is calling on House speaker John Boehner to bring the measure up for a vote.

House speaker Boehner needs to bring the bill to the floor. He should do it and should do it soon. 

Boehner says he will do just that. 

If our Democratic colleagues want to offer the president's plan or the Senate Democratic plan, we are more  than happy to give them a vote.

But Boehner says he will also bring up the GOP proposal to extend all expiring tax cuts including those benefiting the 2% of Americans who earned more than 250,000 dollars a year. Republicans say rising taxes on  high earners would take away money from business owners that might otherwise be used to create jobs. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington. 

 

 

Some of the victims of the movie theatre shooting  in Colorado who don't have medical insurance are getting help with steep bills. Donations from the public have reached two million dollars according to the Associated Press. Three of the five hospitals treating victims including Children's Hospital Colorado say they will limit or forgive medical bills. They warned doctors working at the hospitals may still charge fees. 

 

 

Reports from Syria say a billet of armored troops loyal to President Bashar al-Assad continues on the outskirts⁷ of the city of Aleppo. The reporters say that there is great columns of smoke and people are having trouble fleeing this city. 

 

 

India is sending more troops to the northeast part of the country to quell⁸ ethnic⁹ violence. There is fighting reported there between ethnic Bodo and Muslim settlers. 

 

 

On Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average is up 207 points. 

 

 

This is NPR.

 

 

The Labor¹⁰ Department says unemployment claims  dropped last week by 35,000 to 353,000. It's the best report in more than two years. A less volatile¹¹ jobless figure is the four-week moving average. Those claims dropped by more than 8,700 last week. Economist¹² say that is the lowest level reported since March. 

 

 

Ford¹³ is recalling nearly half a million Escape SUVs. NPR's Sonari Glinton reports the problem involves sticky gas pedals that could cause crashes.

This recall involves models of the Ford Escape from 2001 until 2004. They called it the Maverick¹⁴ in Europe. On these old models of the Escape, cruise-control cables can snag on top of the engine. That could cause the gas pedal to get stuck. According to a Ford spokesperson, this only happens when the accelerator is fully¹⁵ depressed¹⁶. So if someone slams on the accelerator all the way, there is potential it can get stuck there. Ford is quick to point out that vehicles do not accelerate on their own. But the Department of Transportation says there have been 13 crashes and one death related to the Ford Escape accelerator problem.  Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

 

 

The wife of a disgraced  Chinese politician is charged with murdering a British businessman.  Gu Kailai allegedly argued with businessman Neil Heywood over money. The Chinese government accuses her and her aide of poisoning Heywood last November. He was initially¹⁷ thought to have died at a heart attack. Gu's Husband Bo Xilai was suspended from China's powerful Politburo three month ago. The reason given was displine violations¹⁸. Bo was previously¹⁹ China's most powerful politicians.

 

 

I'm Korva Coleman, NPR News.

                                               

1 landmarks   

n.陆标( landmark的名词复数 )；目标；（标志重要阶段的）里程碑 ~ (in sth)；有历史意义的建筑物（或遗址）

参考例句：

• The book stands out as one of the notable landmarks in the progress of modern science. 这部著作是现代科学发展史上著名的里程碑之一。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The baby was one of the big landmarks in our relationship. 孩子的出世是我们俩关系中的一个重要转折点。 来自辞典例句

2 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。

3 eyebrows   

眉毛( eyebrow的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Eyebrows stop sweat from coming down into the eyes. 眉毛挡住汗水使其不能流进眼睛。
• His eyebrows project noticeably. 他的眉毛特别突出。

4 softened   

（使）变软( soften的过去式和过去分词 )； 缓解打击； 缓和； 安慰

参考例句：

• His smile softened slightly. 他的微笑稍柔和了些。
• The ice cream softened and began to melt. 冰淇淋开始变软并开始融化。

5 organisation   

n.组织，安排，团体，有机休

参考例句：

• The method of his organisation work is worth commending.他的组织工作的方法值得称道。
• His application for membership of the organisation was rejected.他想要加入该组织的申请遭到了拒绝。

6 harry   

vt.掠夺，蹂躏，使苦恼

参考例句：

• Today,people feel more hurried and harried.今天，人们感到更加忙碌和苦恼。
• Obama harried business by Healthcare Reform plan.奥巴马用医改掠夺了商界。

7 outskirts   

n.郊外，郊区

参考例句：

• Our car broke down on the outskirts of the city.我们的汽车在市郊出了故障。
• They mostly live on the outskirts of a town.他们大多住在近郊。

8 quell   

v.压制，平息，减轻

参考例句：

• Soldiers were sent in to quell the riots.士兵们被派去平息骚乱。
• The armed force had to be called out to quell violence.不得不出动军队来镇压暴力行动。

9 ethnic   

adj.人种的，种族的，异教徒的

参考例句：

• This music would sound more ethnic if you played it in steel drums.如果你用钢鼓演奏，这首乐曲将更具民族特色。
• The plan is likely only to aggravate ethnic frictions.这一方案很有可能只会加剧种族冲突。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

12 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。

13 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

14 maverick   

adj.特立独行的；不遵守传统的；n.持异议者，自行其是者

参考例句：

• He's a maverick.He has his own way of thinking about things.他是个特异独行的人。对事情有自己的看法。
• You're a maverick and you'll try anything.你是个爱自行其是的人，样样事情都要尝试一下。

15 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

16 depressed   

adj.沮丧的，抑郁的，不景气的，萧条的

参考例句：

• When he was depressed,he felt utterly divorced from reality.他心情沮丧时就感到完全脱离了现实。
• His mother was depressed by the sad news.这个坏消息使他的母亲意志消沉。

17 initially   

adv.最初，开始

参考例句：

• The ban was initially opposed by the US.这一禁令首先遭到美国的反对。
• Feathers initially developed from insect scales.羽毛最初由昆虫的翅瓣演化而来。

18 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

19 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。