NPR 2009-12-26

Federal authorities are now questioning a man, they say, apparently¹ tried to light some kind of incendiary device aboard a northwest flight landing in Detroit today. However there are conflicting reports about what kind of device was involved, with some reports saying it may have been fireworks. The incident is being treated by authorities as an attempted act of terrorism. The unidentified male passenger who also reportedly claimed to have al-Qaida links was apparently subdued² by other passengers aboard the plane. He was reportedly being treated for burns. The Airbus A-330 was carrying 278 people and was arriving Detroit from Amsterdam. President Obama was reportedly informed about the incident.

President has nominated 7 U.S. attorneys, including one man who made news as a prosecutor³ during the Bush administration. More from NPR’s Ari Shapiro.
In Buffalo⁴, New York, Bill Hochul successfully prosecuted⁵ the first home-grown terrorism case in the U.S., the so-called Lackawanna Six. He won the Attorney General’s Award for exceptional service and years later, Hochul applied⁶ for a promotion⁷ to a counter-terrorism job at Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. According to investigation⁸ by the inspector⁹ general, Hochul was the most qualified¹⁰ for the job and the supervisor¹¹ wanted to hire him. But the Justice Department’s White House Liaison¹² Monica Goodling said no because Hochul’s wife had worked in Democratic politics. Instead, the job went to a man with no terrorism experience but strong conservative bona fides. That story was part of a larger inspector general’s report on politicized hiring during the Bush administration. Now President Obama has nominated Hochul to be the US’s attorney for western New York. Ari Shapiro, NPR News Washington.

A strong weather system is continuing in the central US. The National Weather Service warns heavy snowfall is making travel difficult in the north-central states. Oklahoma has been particularly hard hit when 19 people have died in storm related accidents. NPR’s Joanne Silberner has more.

On the National Weather Service’s map, a cold patch of blue representing temperatures in the teens and 20s steps from Wyoming, south to Oklahoma, with blizzard¹³ warnings from most of the Dakotas and Nebraska. A bright red smile, starting along the north Carolina shore running down through Florida across the southern tip of Texas and swinging up to California coast, shows temperatures in the 70s or above. Interstates were closed in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Nebraska, Illinois and Iowa. Travel isn’t so bad a bit east of the coast, Washington, Chicago, at least not yet. As of this afternoon, there were only short delays and a handful of cancellations at Ohio International Airport. Joanne Silberner, NPR News.

Pope Benedict XVI delivered his annual Christmas greeting to the faithful from a balcony at Saint Peter’s Basilica today. Pope called for the world to abandon violence and vengeance¹⁴. The 82-year-old pontiff seemed no worse for where after a Christmas Eve assault that saw him knocked to the ground by a woman Vatican says has a history of mental problems apparently tried a similar attack on the pontiff last year.

This is NPR.

China’s most prominent dissident has been sent to jail for 11 years for his role in helping¹⁵ to organize a petition calling for sweeping¹⁶ political reforms and prior to that the pro-democracy protests centered in Tiananmen Square  that were crashed by armed troops. 54-year-old Liu Xiaobo stood quietly in the Beijing courtroom as the sentence was handed down. He was one of the most outspoken¹⁷ critics of China’s one-party rule. Standing¹⁸ outside the courtroom where the sentence was handed out, the U.S. diplomat¹⁹ said Washington is deeply concerned. The UN’s high commissioner²⁰ for human rights also condemned²¹ the sentence.

In her 57th Christmas message, Britain’s Queen Elizabeth Ⅱ described 2009 as a difficult year citing the economic downturn and the war in Afghanistan. Larry Miller²² has more from London.

In a Christmas Day broadcast, Queen Elizabeth focused on British casualties in Afghanistan. A hundred and six British troops have been killed there this year. “I’m sure that we’ve been all affected²³ by events in Afghanistan and saddened by the casualties, suffered by our forces serving there.” It’s been nearly 70 years since then Princess Elizabeth made her first broadcast as a14-year-old that was during World War Ⅱ. Her message was to British children evacuated²⁴ from the cities. “My sister, Margaret, Rose and I feel so much for you. As we know from experience what it means to be away from those we love most of all.” The British monarchy²⁵ remains²⁶ highly popular. For NPR News, I’m Larry Miller in London.

US markets are close today for the Christmas holiday. Many of the European markets are also closed. Shares in Tokyo move lower today and investor²⁷ profit taking in a relative thin trading.

I’m Jack²⁸ Speer. NPR News in Washington.

1 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

2 subdued   

adj. 屈服的，柔和的，减弱的 动词subdue的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He seemed a bit subdued to me. 我觉得他当时有点闷闷不乐。
• I felt strangely subdued when it was all over. 一切都结束的时候，我却有一种奇怪的压抑感。

3 prosecutor   

n.起诉人；检察官，公诉人

参考例句：

• The defender argued down the prosecutor at the court.辩护人在法庭上驳倒了起诉人。
• The prosecutor would tear your testimony to pieces.检查官会把你的证言驳得体无完肤。

4 buffalo   

n.(北美)野牛；(亚洲)水牛

参考例句：

• Asian buffalo isn't as wild as that of America's. 亚洲水牛比美洲水牛温顺些。
• The boots are made of buffalo hide. 这双靴子是由水牛皮制成的。

5 prosecuted   

a.被起诉的

参考例句：

• The editors are being prosecuted for obscenity. 编辑因刊载污秽文字而被起诉。
• The company was prosecuted for breaching the Health and Safety Act. 这家公司被控违反《卫生安全条例》。

6 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。

7 promotion   

n.提升，晋级；促销，宣传

参考例句：

• The teacher conferred with the principal about Dick's promotion.教师与校长商谈了迪克的升级问题。
• The clerk was given a promotion and an increase in salary.那个职员升了级，加了薪。

8 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。

9 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

10 qualified   

adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的

参考例句：

• He is qualified as a complete man of letters.他有资格当真正的文学家。
• We must note that we still lack qualified specialists.我们必须看到我们还缺乏有资质的专家。

11 supervisor   

n.监督人，管理人，检查员，督学，主管，导师

参考例句：

• Between you and me I think that new supervisor is a twit.我们私下说，我认为新来的主管人是一个傻瓜。
• He said I was too flighty to be a good supervisor.他说我太轻浮不能成为一名好的管理员。

12 liaison   

n.联系，（未婚男女间的）暖昧关系，私通

参考例句：

• She acts as a liaison between patients and staff.她在病人与医护人员间充当沟通的桥梁。
• She is responsible for liaison with researchers at other universities.她负责与其他大学的研究人员联系。

13 blizzard   

n.暴风雪

参考例句：

• The blizzard struck while we were still on the mountain.我们还在山上的时候暴风雪就袭来了。
• You'll have to stay here until the blizzard blows itself off.你得等暴风雪停了再走。

14 vengeance   

n.报复，报仇，复仇

参考例句：

• He swore vengeance against the men who murdered his father.他发誓要向那些杀害他父亲的人报仇。
• For years he brooded vengeance.多年来他一直在盘算报仇。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

17 outspoken   

adj.直言无讳的，坦率的，坦白无隐的

参考例句：

• He was outspoken in his criticism.他在批评中直言不讳。
• She is an outspoken critic of the school system in this city.她是这座城市里学校制度的坦率的批评者。

18 standing   

n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的

参考例句：

• After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
• They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

19 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

20 commissioner   

n.（政府厅、局、处等部门）专员，长官，委员

参考例句：

• The commissioner has issued a warrant for her arrest.专员发出了对她的逮捕令。
• He was tapped for police commissioner.他被任命为警务处长。

21 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

22 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

23 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

24 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

25 monarchy   

n.君主，最高统治者；君主政体，君主国

参考例句：

• The monarchy in England plays an important role in British culture.英格兰的君主政体在英国文化中起重要作用。
• The power of the monarchy in Britain today is more symbolical than real.今日英国君主的权力多为象徵性的，无甚实际意义。

26 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

27 investor   

n.投资者，投资人

参考例句：

• My nephew is a cautious investor.我侄子是个小心谨慎的投资者。
• The investor believes that his investment will pay off handsomely soon.这个投资者相信他的投资不久会有相当大的收益。

28 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。