美国国家电台 NPR 2012-08-24

 Sharp drop in US stocks today on fading hopes of economic stimulus¹ from the Fed disappointing reports from the eurozone and China's mixed data on the US economy. At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was off 114 points at 13,058.

 

 

New Home sales are at their highest levels in two years after climbing 3.6% last month. Brian Wesbury Chief economist² with First Trust in Illinois says, he is convinced housing is just on the mend.

Just about every housing number we have seen in the past two or three months has shown that the housing recovery is for real.

On the downside, an additional 4,000 people filed new unemployment claims last week. The last volatile³ four-week average has also risen slightly.

 

 

Many residents and tourists in the US Virgin⁴ Islands and Puerto Rico are feeling the effects of tropical storm Issac as it moves closer. There is a concern it will hit Florida as a hurricane in the next few days. The state says it is prepared though ahead of the Republican National convention to be held in Tampa. 

 

 

Missouri senator Claire McCaskill's gain in the aftermath of challenger Todd Akin's controversial comments on the abortion⁵ and rape⁶ may be Florida senator Bill Nelson's loss. The conservative tax-exempt group that pulled ads attacking McCaskill in Missouri is starting to run ads against Nelson. NPR's ** reports.

Crossroads GPS has emerged the biggest spending outside group in the coming elections. It had not gone after Nelson this year who is facing a challenge from Republican congressman⁷ Connie Mack IV. That changed today. When it announced a 4-million dollar ad campaign in four states. With more than half of it in Florida, accusing Nelson of cutting medicare. 

Bill Nelson has been voting for the new health care law which cuts medicare spending by 700 billion dollars.

Crossroads had invested millions in the Missouri senate race before pulling its ads earlier this week after Akin's remarks about pregnancy⁸ and rape. The other states in the new buy are Montana, Ohio, and New Mexico. ** NPR News.

 

 

The man accused of killing⁹ 12 people in a Colorado movie theatre is back in court today. His lawyers argued over whether his school records can be used in the case against him. Colorado Public Radio's  Megan Verlee reports. 

Holmes is in the process of dropping out a neuroscience PHD program at the University of Colorado before the attacks. Documents from his time at the school could be used by prosecutors¹⁰ to challenge Holmes expected insanity¹¹ plea. It's not clear what arguments Holmes lawyers are relying on to keep the documents out of the case. Because their briefs have been sealed by the court. The school records may include things like transcripts¹² and emails between professors about Holmes. Next week, both sides will debate whether Holmes had a doctor-patient relationship with the psychiatrist¹³ at the university and whether a package he sent can be used as evidence in the case. For NPR News, I'm Megan Verlee, in San Antonio, Colorado. 

 

 

This is NPR News.

 

 

The last surviving member of one of the most famous Gospel group of the last century has died. Willa Ward¹⁴ was 91 years old. As NPR's Neda Ulaby reports the Ward Singers influenced Aretha Franklin among many others.

The Ward Singers were female centred Gospel force from the 1930s to the 1960s. They brought glamour¹⁵ to Gospel. With their ** covered and they had voices like trumpets¹⁶ and hoots¹⁷.

That's Willa Ward singing lead. She was never quite as famous as her younger sister Clara Ward, but Willa Ward was part of a galvanizing musical movement. The Ward sisters just played ** musical during the days of segregation¹⁸, ** Gospel to main street attention with appearance on ** and other national television shows. Willa Ward lacked the group her mother funded early on partly . Because she is more interested in popular music. Ward died in Philadelphia after a long battle with **. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.(纠结。)

 

 

The weekly drought monitor map shows 2/3 of Iowa. The nation's No.1 corn producer now impacted by the nationwide drought. Price of corn, soybeans and wheat have been rising as more states are effected especially in the middle west. 

 

 

A southern Indiana farm has been linked now to a deadly salmonella outbreak from tainted¹⁹ cantaloup. The Food and Drug Administration says Chamberlain farm is under investigation²⁰ as possibly one source of the outbreak that has killed at least two people and sickened 178 in several states.

1 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

2 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。

3 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。

4 virgin   

n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的

参考例句：

• Have you ever been to a virgin forest?你去过原始森林吗？
• There are vast expanses of virgin land in the remote regions.在边远地区有大片大片未开垦的土地。

5 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

6 rape   

n.抢夺，掠夺，强奸；vt.掠夺，抢夺，强奸

参考例句：

• The rape of the countryside had a profound ravage on them.对乡村的掠夺给他们造成严重创伤。
• He was brought to court and charged with rape.他被带到法庭并被指控犯有强奸罪。

7 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

8 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。

9 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

10 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

11 insanity   

n.疯狂，精神错乱；极端的愚蠢，荒唐

参考例句：

• In his defense he alleged temporary insanity.他伪称一时精神错乱，为自己辩解。
• He remained in his cell,and this visit only increased the belief in his insanity.他依旧还是住在他的地牢里，这次视察只是更加使人相信他是个疯子了。

12 transcripts   

n.抄本（ transcript的名词复数 ）；转写本；文字本；副本

参考例句：

• Like mRNA, both tRNA and rRNA are transcripts of chromosomal DNA. tRNA及rRNA同mRNA一样，都是染色体DNA的转录产物。 来自辞典例句
• You can't take the transfer students'exam without your transcripts. 没有成绩证明书，你就不能参加转学考试。 来自辞典例句

13 psychiatrist   

n.精神病专家；精神病医师

参考例句：

• He went to a psychiatrist about his compulsive gambling.他去看精神科医生治疗不能自拔的赌瘾。
• The psychiatrist corrected him gently.精神病医师彬彬有礼地纠正他。

14 ward   

n.守卫，监护，病房，行政区，由监护人或法院保护的人（尤指儿童）；vt.守护，躲开

参考例句：

• The hospital has a medical ward and a surgical ward.这家医院有内科病房和外科病房。
• During the evening picnic,I'll carry a torch to ward off the bugs.傍晚野餐时，我要点根火把，抵挡蚊虫。

15 glamour   

n.魔力，魅力；vt.迷住

参考例句：

• Foreign travel has lost its glamour for her.到国外旅行对她已失去吸引力了。
• The moonlight cast a glamour over the scene.月光给景色增添了魅力。

16 trumpets   

喇叭( trumpet的名词复数 )； 小号； 喇叭形物； （尤指）绽开的水仙花

参考例句：

• A wreath was laid on the monument to a fanfare of trumpets. 在响亮的号角声中花圈被献在纪念碑前。
• A fanfare of trumpets heralded the arrival of the King. 嘹亮的小号声宣告了国王驾到。

17 hoots   

咄，啐

参考例句：

• His suggestion was greeted with hoots of laughter. 他的建议引起了阵阵嗤笑。
• The hoots came from the distance. 远处传来呜呜声。

18 segregation   

n.隔离，种族隔离

参考例句：

• Many school boards found segregation a hot potato in the early 1960s.在60年代初，许多学校部门都觉得按水平分班是一个棘手的问题。
• They were tired to death of segregation and of being kicked around.他们十分厌恶种族隔离和总是被人踢来踢去。

19 tainted   

adj.腐坏的；污染的；沾污的；感染的v.使变质( taint的过去式和过去分词 )；使污染；败坏；被污染，腐坏，败坏

参考例句：

• The administration was tainted with scandal. 丑闻使得政府声名狼藉。
• He was considered tainted by association with the corrupt regime. 他因与腐败政府有牵连而名誉受损。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 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。