NPR 2008-11-21

Despite early indications of some progress toward reaching an agreement on a plan to help the ailing¹ U. S. automakers， it now appears that is not going to be happening until next month. Democratic leaders in Congress say they have postponed⁴ the vote to bail⁵ out the companies. House Majority Leader Harry⁶ Reid said today the automakers have failed to convince the American people or Congress that the bailout now will “be their last” .” We are prepared to come back into session, the week of December 8th, to help the auto² industry. But only if they present a viable⁷ plan that gives us, the Congress, the confidence, that taxpayers⁸, the auto workers will be well served.” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi also called on the companies to show some sort of plan on how they would spend additional federal dollars. Heads of the major domestic car companies GM, Ford⁹ and Chrysler are requesting 25 billion dollars in loans to help them stay in business to the spring.

 GMAC, the car financing company, has applied¹⁰ to become a bank holding company that would allow it to receive some of the bailout money approved by Congress. NPR's Brian Naylor has more.

 While the CEOs of the nation’s domestic automakers have been pleading with Congress for government loans because they are running out of cash, GMAC is looking for help too. GMAC is jointly¹¹ owned by GM and Cerberus, the same firm that owns Chrysler. It says it needs some of the bailout money in order to continue providing car and mortgage financing. But in order to get the bailout money, GMAC must first receive federal approval to become a bank holding company. The company did not say how much cash it’s seeking; other non-bank financial companies including credit card issuer American Express have also applied to become banks to access the treasury’s bailout funds. Brian Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

 There's a changing of the guard at the helm of a key House committee. NPR's Julie Rovner reports.

 California's Henry Waxman will replace Michigan's John Dingell as chairman of the powerful Energy and Commerce Committee come January. That's the result of the secret ballot¹² of House Democrats¹³. The battle pitted two of the most accomplished¹⁴ legislators in the House. Dingell has been the top Democrat³ on the panel that oversees¹⁵ most health and environmental legislations for 28 years. Waxman chaired its Health SubCommittee for 16 of those years. And during that time, engineer brought expansion to a health care for poor pregnant women and children, the elderly and those with disabilities. In fact, Dingell and Waxman see mostly eye to eye on health care, it’s their divergent views on energy and the environment that prompted the challenge. Waxman's expected to be more aggressive on issues like climate change. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

 The Federal Reserve now plans to attack an extra day onto its final scheduled meeting of the year. Fed policymakers announced today when the Fed's powerful Open Market Committee gathers next month. It will meet for two days, rather than the scheduled one.

 On Wall Street today, the Dow fell 443 points. The S&P was down 54 points today. This is NPR.

 The speculation¹⁶ about who might be part of Obama Cabinet continues in Washington. Chicago businesswoman Penny Prisker says despite  speculation she might be the next Secretary of Commerce under President-elect Obama. She said today she is not a contender for the job. Officials are now saying that Laura D'Andrea Tyson, the former chair of the White House Council of Economic Advisers¹⁷ under President Clinton is in the running. While no official announcement has been made about Cabinet posts under the new administration. Unofficially, that roster¹⁸ is now said to include Arizona Governor Janet Napolitano as possible Secretary of Homeland Security. Washington lawyer Eric Holder¹⁹ as Attorney General and former Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle as Health and Human Services Secretary. Senator Hillary Clinton has been put forth²⁰ as candidate for Secretary of State.

 United Nations' Security Council authorized²¹ more peacekeepers and police to help stabilize²² the east Democratic Republic of Congo. NPR's Quinn Topkin reports.

 The resolution passed today, but there's no telling when the additional peacekeepers and police will get here. Security Council members described the fighting between rebels, various militias²³ and the Congolese army as a situation that should be addressed as a matter of urgency. But the reality of the situation is that it could take months for the new peacekeepers to arrive. And the civilian²⁴ population is desperate now. More than a quarter of million people have been displaced by fighting in recent months, and they're in need of protection. Refugee International and other human rights groups are calling for swift implementation²⁵ of Resolution 1843. They are also urging European powers to dispatch troops who can place it until the United Nations come through. Quinn Topkin, NPR News, Goma.

 Crude oil prices continue to fall. The near-month contract for benchmark crude fell four dollars a barrel to settle at $49. 62 a barrel today.

1 ailing   

v.生病

参考例句：

• They discussed the problems ailing the steel industry. 他们讨论了困扰钢铁工业的问题。
• She looked after her ailing father. 她照顾有病的父亲。

2 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

3 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

4 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

5 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

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 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

8 taxpayers   

纳税人，纳税的机构( taxpayer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Finance for education comes from taxpayers. 教育经费来自纳税人。
• She was declaiming against the waste of the taxpayers' money. 她慷慨陈词猛烈抨击对纳税人金钱的浪费。

9 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。

10 applied   

adj.应用的；v.应用，适用

参考例句：

• She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
• This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。

11 jointly   

ad.联合地，共同地

参考例句：

• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。
• She owns the house jointly with her husband. 她和丈夫共同拥有这所房子。

12 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

13 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

15 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

16 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

17 advisers   

顾问，劝告者( adviser的名词复数 )； （指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• a member of the President's favoured circle of advisers 总统宠爱的顾问班子中的一员
• She withdrew to confer with her advisers before announcing a decision. 她先去请教顾问然后再宣布决定。

18 roster   

n.值勤表，花名册

参考例句：

• The teacher checked the roster to see whom he would teach this year.老师查看花名册，想了解今年要教的学生。
• The next day he put himself first on the new roster for domestic chores.第二天，他把自己排在了新的家务值日表的第一位。

19 holder   

n.持有者，占有者；(台，架等)支持物

参考例句：

• The holder of the office of chairman is reponsible for arranging meetings.担任主席职位的人负责安排会议。
• That runner is the holder of the world record for the hundred-yard dash.那位运动员是一百码赛跑世界纪录的保持者。

20 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

21 authorized   

a.委任的，许可的

参考例句：

• An administrative order is valid if authorized by a statute.如果一个行政命令得到一个法规的认可那么这个命令就是有效的。

22 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

23 militias   

n.民兵组织，民兵( militia的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The troops will not attempt to disarm the warring militias. 部队并不打算解除战斗中的民兵武装。 来自辞典例句
• The neighborhood was a battleground for Shiite and Sunni militias. 那里曾是什叶派和逊尼派武装分子的战场。 来自互联网

24 civilian   

adj.平民的，民用的，民众的

参考例句：

• There is no reliable information about civilian casualties.关于平民的伤亡还没有确凿的信息。
• He resigned his commission to take up a civilian job.他辞去军职而从事平民工作。

25 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。