NPR 2009-04-11

Wild weather continues to plague the Middle West and the South today. Weather officials in central Tennessee said at least two people are dead, 30 others are injured after a twister touchdown there today. Officials said the Blackman community in Murfreesboro was the hardest hit; meanwhile three people were killed by a tornado¹ that struck the Mountain Community of Mena, Arkansas just after 8:00 pm last night. Resident Debt Hails says the town took direct hit.
“A big tornado comes through and just raid us, half of destruction, like you wouldn’t believe.”
Tornado also touched down in southwestern Kentucky today, injuring two people, damaging homes and then knocking down trees and power lines. That happened in an area some 120 miles to the southwest of Louisville.

The waiting game between the US navy and Somali pirates who are holding an American captain hostage continues. As NPR’s Dina Temple-Raston reports, both sides are between a rock and hard place.

One FBI official familiar with the investigation² said that the US navy and the pirates are facing a high seize-Dog Day Afternoon. If the US navy moves in, the pirates have said they will kill their hostage, American Richard Phillips. If the pirates actually kill Phillips, what little leverage³ they have disappears. In 2006, the US navy and Somali pirates were in a similar standoff. In that case, the pirates had 16 Indian hostages. They exchange shots with the US navy and eventually they gave up. All the hostages were released unharmed and the pirates were put on trial in Kenya. They are still in jail today. FBI negotiators are working with the US navy to try to talk these Somalis into giving up. Dina Temple-Raston, NPR News.

Five US soldiers were killed and another was wounded today when a suicide bomber⁴ rammed⁵ his truck into a wall outside an Iraqi police complex in the northern city of Mosul. Two Iraqi policemen were also killed and 17 others were hurt. According to US military officials the American soldiers were not targeted in the attack but just happened to be on the street when the incident occurred. It’s the deadliest attack on US forces in Iraqi in more than a year.

Financial crisis is causing the Federal budget deficit⁶ to soar towards record levels. NPR’s Giles Snyder reports.

For last month alone the government posted a more than 192-billion-dollar deficit. That’s a record for March and as nearly four times that capped this time last years. When you totaled up the first six month of the budget year that started October 1st, the deficit is well on its way to the more than 1.7 trillion dollars. The Obama administration is projecting for the hole of fiscal⁷ 2009. For the first half of fiscal year, the Treasury⁸ Department says the deficit totals more than 956 billion dollars. The government has handed out billions primarily to troubled banks, but also to the insurance giant American International Group, Detroit auto⁹ companies, and housing finance companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. The government is also paying more in unemployment benefits and food stamps. Giles Snyder, NPR News, Washington.

Wall Street is closed today.

This is NPR.

Wild fires have destroyed more than 100 homes in Oklahoma and are being blamed for three deaths in Texas, along with their destruction of at least 30 homes there. Oklahoma’s governor has declared a state of emergency while the governor of Texas is asking the federal government to issue an emergency declaration for 199 counties. The wild fires driven by high winds have scorched¹⁰ more than 100,000 acres in Texas alone. Montague county’s sheriff department official says a couple died when fire overtook their home. A woman died en route to the hospital possibly from a heart attack.

In Washington D.C., the Corcoran Gallery of Art has announced it is cutting 18 jobs in its museum and art school. NPR’s Kitty Adam has more.

The Corcoran was founded in the 1869. Representatives say it is the second oldest art gallery in the country. Paul Greenhalgh is the director at the Corcoran; he said professors were not among those laid-off. The museum didn’t want to risk loosing students. “The students obviously are the great students, are central to our, you know, laid a lace to our institution. And so we have to protect it that very carefully.” Greenhalgh says despite economic problems, applications to the graduate and undergraduate programs at the school are at record highs. The Corcoran is not the only museum that’s been affected¹¹ by the ailing¹² economy. The Smithsonian and the museum, also in Washington D.C., recently announced layoffs¹³. New York’s Metropolitan¹⁴ Museum of Art has done the same. Kitty Adam, NPR News, Washington.

Seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong said today a French anti-doping agency could prevent him from riding in this year’s race. The 37-year-old Armstrong in a video aired on his anti-cancer website said he violated protocols¹⁵ during a recent drug test.

1 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 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。

3 leverage   

n.力量，影响；杠杆作用，杠杆的力量

参考例句：

• We'll have to use leverage to move this huge rock.我们不得不借助杠杆之力来移动这块巨石。
• He failed in the project because he could gain no leverage. 因为他没有影响力，他的计划失败了。

4 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。

5 rammed   

v.夯实（土等）( ram的过去式和过去分词 )；猛撞；猛压；反复灌输

参考例句：

• Two passengers were injured when their taxi was rammed from behind by a bus. 公共汽车从后面撞来，出租车上的两位乘客受了伤。
• I rammed down the earth around the newly-planted tree. 我将新栽的树周围的土捣硬。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

7 fiscal   

adj.财政的，会计的，国库的，国库岁入的

参考例句：

• The increase of taxation is an important fiscal policy.增税是一项重要的财政政策。
• The government has two basic strategies of fiscal policy available.政府有两个可行的财政政策基本战略。

8 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

9 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。

10 scorched   

烧焦，烤焦( scorch的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（植物）枯萎，把…晒枯； 高速行驶； 枯焦

参考例句：

• I scorched my dress when I was ironing it. 我把自己的连衣裙熨焦了。
• The hot iron scorched the tablecloth. 热熨斗把桌布烫焦了。

11 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。

12 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。

13 layoffs   

临时解雇( layoff的名词复数 )； 停工，停止活动

参考例句：

• Textile companies announced 2000 fresh layoffs last week. 各纺织公司上周宣布再次裁员两千人。
• Stock prices broke when the firm suddenly announced layoffs. 当公司突然宣布裁员时，股票价格便大跌

14 metropolitan   

adj.大城市的，大都会的

参考例句：

• Metropolitan buildings become taller than ever.大城市的建筑变得比以前更高。
• Metropolitan residents are used to fast rhythm.大都市的居民习惯于快节奏。

15 protocols   

n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 )；（外交条约的）草案；（数据传递的）协议；科学实验报告（或计划）

参考例句：

• There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
• Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网