NPR 2009-11-12

The nation is paying tribute to its war veterans today in suburban¹ Washington, President Obama spoke² at the annual ceremony at Arlington National Cemetery³. "To our veterans, to the fallen and to their families, there is no tribute, no commemoration, no praise that can truly match the magnitude of your service and your sacrifice. " Mr. Obama placed a wreath at the Tomb of Unknowns and joined visitors at the grave sites of loved ones killed in Iraq and Afghanistan. President Obama has been meeting with his national security team today to chart a new course for the war in Afghanistan. The White House says Mr. Obama has yet to make up his mind and He's unlikely to announce the decision for several weeks. But before heading into the meeting, General David Petraeus told CNN that the decision on sending more American troops to Afghanistan is near. The President is leaving Thursday for a trip to Asia.

At Fort Hood⁴ Texas, people are still trying to make sense of last week shootings that left 13 people dead. Post spokesman Colonel John Rossi said today that officials are looking closely at security measures and taking steps toward the wellbeing of the soldiers station there. "We expect leaders to be invasive. This is a 24/7 business. You need to know your soldiers. So it's OK to ask them how they are doing and encourage them to seek help if they need it. We want leadership doing that right now from the command level, down to your sergeant⁵ who might be in charge of two or three soldiers. " Rossi said 15 people who were wounded in the shootings are still in local hospitals. He said they are all in stable condition.

The Mormon Church has endorsed⁶ a pair of gay rights measures in Salt Lake City, despite that state-passed opposition⁷ to gay marriage. The measures banning job and housing discrimination against gays past unanimously. From Salt Lake City, NPR's Howard Berkes reports.

The anti-discrimination ordinances⁸ are the first in Utah and are consistent with earlier statement by Mormon leaders rejecting job and housing bias⁹ aimed at gays. But the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints did not act on their statements until Tuesday night. When a spokesman told the Salt Lake City Council the ordinances are fair and reasonable and do not do violence to the institution of marriage. Extensive Mormon support for California's ballot¹⁰ measure banning gay marriage made the faith a target of gay rights groups. Gay rights activists¹¹ and Mormon leaders met in secret in the days proceeding¹² the Salt Lake City vote. They agreed to language exempting¹³ religious groups from some elements of the ordinances. Now attention turns to the Utah legislature with a vast majority of lawmakers are Mormon. Howard Berkes, NPR News, Salt Lake City.

On Wall Street, stocks were up at the close. Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 46 points to 10, 293. The NASDAQ composite index's up 14 points. And the S&P 500 has gained five. You are listening to NPR News.

A new study warns that nine states are head for the same financial crisis that plagues California. The list from the Pew Center on the states includes Arizona, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey¹⁴, Oregon, Rhode Island and Wisconsin. The study says big budget gaps, rising unemployment and high home foreclosure rates are among the key reasons.

Members of the development community are welcoming the naming of the nominee¹⁵, the head of the United States Agency for International Development. The post has been vacant for months and the acting¹⁶ director's temporary appointment was about to expire. NPR's Brenda Wilson reports.

President Obama has reportedly had a tough time trying to find someone willing to take over the USAID, because of strenuous¹⁷ vetting¹⁸ process and internal administration politics. The President's choice, Doctor Rajiv Shah has already undergone that process to serve as an undersecretary in the US Department of Agriculture, in the area of food security. A physician, Shah is relatively¹⁹ unknown to people in the world of development, they note that he hasn't run a large organization like USAID or spent much time in the field working in development. Before coming into the administration, he worked for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's global development programs. And that capacity, analysts²⁰ say, he was strongly supportive of the use of new technologies, including genetically²¹ modified crops to address food shortages in developing countries. Brenda Wilson, NPR News.

A husband of retire Supreme²² Court justice Sandra Day O'Connor has died. John O'Connor died today in Phoenix²³ of complications from Alzheimer's disease. He was 79. Justice O'Connor cited her husband's deteriorating²⁴ condition when she retired²⁵ in 2005.

This is NPR.

1 suburban   

adj.城郊的，在郊区的

参考例句：

• Suburban shopping centers were springing up all over America. 效区的商业中心在美国如雨后春笋般地兴起。
• There's a lot of good things about suburban living.郊区生活是有许多优点。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 cemetery   

n.坟墓，墓地，坟场

参考例句：

• He was buried in the cemetery.他被葬在公墓。
• His remains were interred in the cemetery.他的遗体葬在墓地。

4 hood   

n.头巾，兜帽，覆盖；v.罩上，以头巾覆盖

参考例句：

• She is wearing a red cloak with a hood.她穿着一件红色带兜帽的披风。
• The car hood was dented in.汽车的发动机罩已凹了进去。

5 sergeant   

n.警官，中士

参考例句：

• His elder brother is a sergeant.他哥哥是个警官。
• How many stripes are there on the sleeve of a sergeant?陆军中士的袖子上有多少条纹？

6 endorsed   

vt.& vi.endorse的过去式或过去分词形式v.赞同( endorse的过去式和过去分词 )；在（尤指支票的）背面签字；在（文件的）背面写评论；在广告上说本人使用并赞同某产品

参考例句：

• The committee endorsed an initiative by the chairman to enter discussion about a possible merger. 委员会通过了主席提出的新方案，开始就可能进行的并购进行讨论。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The government has broadly endorsed a research paper proposing new educational targets for 14-year-olds. 政府基本上支持建议对14 岁少年实行新教育目标的研究报告。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

8 ordinances   

n.条例，法令( ordinance的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These points of view, however, had not been generally accepted in building ordinances. 然而，这些观点仍未普遍地为其他的建筑条例而接受。 来自辞典例句
• Great are Your mercies, O Lord; Revive me according to Your ordinances. 诗119:156耶和华阿、你的慈悲本为大．求你照你的典章将我救活。 来自互联网

9 bias   

n.偏见，偏心，偏袒；vt.使有偏见

参考例句：

• They are accusing the teacher of political bias in his marking.他们在指控那名教师打分数有政治偏见。
• He had a bias toward the plan.他对这项计划有偏见。

10 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。

11 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》

12 proceeding   

n.行动，进行，(pl.)会议录，学报

参考例句：

• This train is now proceeding from Paris to London.这次列车从巴黎开往伦敦。
• The work is proceeding briskly.工作很有生气地进展着。

13 exempting   

使免除[豁免]( exempt的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• EPA adopted regulations exempting discharges from agricultural activities, with certain exceptions for relatively major pollution sources. 环境保护局采用管制规章，禁止源自农业活动的各种排放，对于一些相关的大型污染源也有例外。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

14 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

15 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

16 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

17 strenuous   

adj.奋发的，使劲的；紧张的；热烈的，狂热的

参考例句：

• He made strenuous efforts to improve his reading. 他奋发努力提高阅读能力。
• You may run yourself down in this strenuous week.你可能会在这紧张的一周透支掉自己。

18 vetting   

n.数据检查[核对，核实]v.审查（某人过去的记录、资格等）( vet的现在分词 )；调查；检查；诊疗

参考例句：

• Scripts had to be submitted to Ministry of Information officials for vetting. 必须把脚本提交给信息部官员审查。 来自互联网
• Their purpose in clicking deeper into a site is one of vetting. 他们深入点击网站的目的是一种诊疗。 来自互联网

19 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

20 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

21 genetically   

adv.遗传上

参考例句：

• All the bees in the colony are genetically related. 同一群体的蜜蜂都有亲缘关系。
• Genetically modified foods have already arrived on American dinner tables. 经基因改造加工过的食物已端上了美国人的餐桌。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 基因与食物

22 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

23 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

24 deteriorating   

恶化，变坏( deteriorate的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The weather conditions are deteriorating. 天气变得越来越糟。
• I was well aware of the bad morale and the deteriorating factories. 我很清楚，大家情绪低落，各个工厂越搞越坏。

25 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。