Business Channel 2006-12-17&20

I am not, ah,real, real tall, but I do like to get those extra-large, exit row seats, because it just is a more comfortable way of traveling. Well, JetBlue is now trying to make more legroom for everyone. The discount airline announced that it would increase passenger legroom by removing a row from each plane in its A320 fleet. The removal of 6 seats means 4 more inches of space for passengers in the front of the plane. Exit rows and seats in the back of the plane, Virginia, will remain unchanged though.

--Well, you can't have everything. You know, Val, the airline industry, of course, as you know, is very competitive, so how can Jet afford, JetBlue afford to do this?

--Well, the answer really is not that surprising, because not only can JetBlue afford the change, but the seat removal, they have extra incentive¹ because it's actually gonna save the carrier money. Follow closely, I'll try to explain. Losing 6 seats means reducing the total seat number to 150. Since one flight attendant is required for every 50 passengers, this means an A320 plane can reduce the number of attendants from 4 to 3. There will also be the fuel savings² due to the lighter³ weight of the aircraft, and with the change, JetBlue expects to save 30 million dollars over 5 years. The airline assures us that there will not be a fare hike either, Virginia.

--Can we get that in writing(Oh, No.) All right, you're covering something today that, I think, most of us here at CNN can relate to. It shows that Americans are using all forms of media more than ever. Can you talk about that?

--Oh, yes, this is according to statistics in a new government report, and it says media use has risen every year since the start of the decade. In fact, Americans spend more time watching TV, listening to the radio, surfing the Internet and reading newspapers than almost anything else .The hunger and sometimes even the addiction⁴ to media consumption has been helped by faster and easier ways to get information and entertainment, Nicole.

--So, Val, just how many hours of consumption (… Virginia, I'm sorry) are we talking about here?
--Yeah,
--Ah, OK, here we go, we spend an average of 9.5 hours a day with various media, however, hours spent doing two things at once, like listening to the radio while you read the newspaper, those were double counted in the report. Topping the list, television, which we spend 4.5 hours a day with at least, followed by radio and the Internet, newspaper, coming in last, so this question for you, Virginia, do you think Pipeline⁵ counts for both TV and Internet?
--Em, that's a good question, maybe they have to come up (I think) with a new category.
--I think we can double dip in both categories. This Pipeline…--I think you are...
--It covers everything.
--Absolutely, as we like to do. (Emm hmm) OK, let's move on to brass⁶ tacks⁷(tax), what about Wall Street? How does that do today?
--Oh, another record high, the Dow Industrials ended, added to, ah, Thursday's all-time record, helped by some good economic news. The Consumer Price Index was unchanged in November indicating that inflation is under control. Dow Industrials gained 28 points to close at 12,445; that represents nearly a quarter of a percent increase. The NASDAQ Composite and the S&P 500 edged up just fractionally.



brass tacks (n.) the most important facts or details of something

1 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

2 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

5 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

6 brass   

n.黄铜；黄铜器，铜管乐器

参考例句：

• Many of the workers play in the factory's brass band.许多工人都在工厂铜管乐队中演奏。
• Brass is formed by the fusion of copper and zinc.黄铜是通过铜和锌的熔合而成的。

7 tacks   

大头钉( tack的名词复数 )； 平头钉； 航向； 方法

参考例句：

• Never mind the side issues, let's get down to brass tacks and thrash out a basic agreement. 别管枝节问题，让我们讨论问题的实质，以求得基本一致。
• Get down to the brass tacks,and quit talking round the subject. 谈实质问题吧，别兜圈子了。