NPR 2009-04-05

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Carol Van Dam.

Three officers are dead and two more were injured in what is being called the deadliest day in Pittsburgh Police history, following a domestic disturbance¹ call. Arnie Bernard of member station WDUQ reports.

At about 7: 30 this morning, officers Eric Kelly, Stephen Mayhle and Paul Sciullo III responded to a call about a domestic disturbance at a residence in Northeast Pittsburgh. As they approached the door, 22-year-old Richard Poplawski opened fire on the officers with an AK-47 assault rifle, fatally wounding the three and began a nearly four-hour standoff in which Poplawski and SWAT team personnel exchanged over 100 rounds. The suspect eventually surrendered to police negotiators after being wounded in the gunfight. Police Chief Nate Harper says it's a tragic² day for officers in the city. "It's a very sad and solemn day. Anytime you lose a family member, and we mourn as if we are the immediate³ family.” The two officers injured in the incident are in fair condition. Poplawski faces three counts of homicide and aggravated⁴ assault. For NPR News, I'm Arnie Bernard in Pittsburgh.

Police in Binghamton, New York say the man who killed 13 people at an immigration center in Bingham had been wearing body armor. That means he may have wanted a standoff with police.

President Obama speaking at the end of the NATO Summit in Strasbourg, France, says NATO is taking a giant step forward by vowing⁵ to send an additional 5,000 non-combat troops and trainers to Afghanistan. Mr. Obama says the decision will bolster⁶ security against insurgence⁷ in the region, be it al-Qaeda or other types of militants⁸. "The whole point of the strategy was to get beyond this notion that somehow there's one kind of troop, and one kind of way of accomplishing our mission in Afghanistan.” Chancellor⁹ Angela Merkel of Germany says NATO must ensure no more terrorist danger emanates¹⁰ from Afghanistan. British Prime Minister Gordon Brown chimed in, saying building a successful democratic Afghanistan will make the streets safer in Britain.

A suicide bomber¹¹ has struck in Pakistan's capital. Officials say at least eight people were killed. NPR's Philip Reeves heard the explosion and he's at the scene.

At around dinner time in the capital city of Pakistan, Islamabad, there was a loud explosion. It happened in the middle of the city, eh, a couple of issues followed by a burst of gunfire and about five minutes later the sound of more gunfire. The security sent is rushed to the scene in an up-market part of Islamabad, near an area called Jinnah Market." NPR's Philip Reeves in Islamabad.

President Obama says NATO is drawing its support behind efforts to strengthen Pakistan’s moves to take care of its people. He says he's glad that other world leaders are putting NATO stamp of approval on his strategy for the volatile¹² region. He says the US and its NATO allies will provide Pakistan with more aid.

This is NPR.

Forty-one years ago today, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated¹³ on the balcony of a motel in Memphis, Tennessee. In Atlanta, some of King's children remember their father and focused on today's civil rights issues. From member station WABE in Atlanta, Charles Edwards has this report.

At the King National Historic Site, many reflected upon the civil rights icon¹⁴ and his influence. King Jr. pastored at historic Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Martin Luther King III wonders what his father would preach today if he were still alive. The younger King knows his father would be proud America elected its first black president. However, King III also assures his father would remind people there's still work to be done. "But he would probably rush to tell us that until we address the issues of poverty and militarism that the world is nowhere near complete.” In Atlanta, Martin Luther King Jr's eternal flame has been refurbished and relit to increase the flame's visibility. For NPR News, I'm Charles Edwards in Atlanta.

Police have found the bodies of 11 people shot to death around Mexico, some of whom bore signs of torture, typical of drug gang violence. Police say four of the victims were found in a car along with a message from one criminal gang threatening another. Six other slain¹⁵ bodies were found in different cities. They too have been tortured. Mexico's drug violence has killed some 9,000 people in the past three weeks.

There's been another large eruption¹⁶ at Alaska's mountain Redoubt. The Volcano had been relatively¹⁷ quiet for about a week. The National Weather Service says radar¹⁸ detected a plume¹⁹ of volcanic²⁰ ash some 50, 000 feet into the sky. It's one of the largest eruptions²¹ since the volcano became active two weeks ago.

1 disturbance   

n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调

参考例句：

• He is suffering an emotional disturbance.他的情绪受到了困扰。
• You can work in here without any disturbance.在这儿你可不受任何干扰地工作。

2 tragic   

adj.悲剧的，悲剧性的，悲惨的

参考例句：

• The effect of the pollution on the beaches is absolutely tragic.污染海滩后果可悲。
• Charles was a man doomed to tragic issues.查理是个注定不得善终的人。

3 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

4 aggravated   

使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火

参考例句：

• If he aggravated me any more I shall hit him. 假如他再激怒我，我就要揍他。
• Far from relieving my cough, the medicine aggravated it. 这药非但不镇咳，反而使我咳嗽得更厉害。

5 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

6 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。

7 insurgence   

n.起义；造反；暴动；叛乱

参考例句：

• US troops moved into the Afghan mountains in an offensive to stop Taliban insurgence. 美军日前进军阿富汗山区阻止塔利班组织的一次暴动。 来自互联网

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

10 emanates   

v.从…处传出，传出( emanate的第三人称单数 )；产生，表现，显示

参考例句：

• He emanates power and confidence. 他表现出力量和信心。
• He emanates sympathy. 他流露出同情。 来自辞典例句

11 bomber   

n.轰炸机，投弹手，投掷炸弹者

参考例句：

• He flew a bomber during the war.他在战时驾驶轰炸机。
• Detectives hunting the London bombers will be keen to interview him.追查伦敦爆炸案凶犯的侦探们急于对他进行讯问。

12 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。

13 assassinated   

v.暗杀( assassinate的过去式和过去分词 )；中伤；诋毁；破坏

参考例句：

• The prime minister was assassinated by extremists. 首相遭极端分子暗杀。
• Then, just two days later, President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. 跟着在两天以后，肯尼迪总统在达拉斯被人暗杀。 来自辞典例句

14 icon   

n.偶像，崇拜的对象，画像

参考例句：

• They found an icon in the monastery.他们在修道院中发现了一个圣像。
• Click on this icon to align or justify text.点击这个图标使文本排齐。

15 slain   

杀死，宰杀，杀戮( slay的过去分词 )； (slay的过去分词)

参考例句：

• The soldiers slain in the battle were burried that night. 在那天夜晚埋葬了在战斗中牺牲了的战士。
• His boy was dead, slain by the hand of the false Amulius. 他的儿子被奸诈的阿缪利乌斯杀死了。

16 eruption   

n.火山爆发；（战争等）爆发；（疾病等）发作

参考例句：

• The temple was destroyed in the violent eruption of 1470 BC.庙宇在公元前1470年猛烈的火山爆发中摧毁了。
• The eruption of a volcano is spontaneous.火山的爆发是自发的。

17 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。

18 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

19 plume   

n.羽毛；v.整理羽毛，骚首弄姿，用羽毛装饰

参考例句：

• Her hat was adorned with a plume.她帽子上饰着羽毛。
• He does not plume himself on these achievements.他并不因这些成就而自夸。

20 volcanic   

adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

21 eruptions   

n.喷发，爆发( eruption的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There have been several volcanic eruptions this year. 今年火山爆发了好几次。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Over 200 people have been killed by volcanic eruptions. 火山喷发已导致200多人丧生。 来自辞典例句