NPR 2009-07-03

The news the economy lost another 467, 000 jobs last month and the unemployment rate rose to 9.5% drew comments from President Obama today. Speaking at the White House Rose Garden, the president said he understands why people are "deeply concerned" though he pointed¹ out there are some signs the pace of layoff² has been easing in recent months. "While the average loss of about 4, 000 jobs per month this quarter is less devastating³ than the 700, 000 per month that we lost in the previous quarter, and while there are continuing signs that the recession is slowing, obviously this is little comfort to all those Americans who’ve lost their jobs." Still the June unemployment numbers were higher than many analysts⁴ had forecasted and perhaps just as worrisome was even those people still working appear to be earning less.

The Commerce Department said today US factory orders were up substantially by 1.2% in May. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports.

New factory orders have been increasing in three of the last four months. And this is the latest in a series of optimistic reports indicating a long slump⁵ in manufacturing could be abating⁶. The May increase was the biggest jump in new orders since June of 2008. Demand rebounded⁷ in particular for durable⁸ goods, big ticket items that last more than three years. Demand for those products increased much faster than non-durable goods like food and chemicals. But signs of improvement were seemingly offset⁹ by the jobs report. The Labor¹⁰ Department said manufacturing lost 136,000 jobs in June of this year. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

Billions of dollars in federal stimulus¹¹ funds for public education are not getting to the states in time to avert¹² more budget cuts and teacher layoffs¹³. NPR's Claudio Sanchez reports.

US Education Secretary Arne Duncan says today the department has done everything possible to get stimulus funds out the door quickly and effectively. He says his department is turning around applications from states within ten days on average, but apparently¹⁴ it's not fast enough. So Duncan is now releasing another $2.7 billion immediately and earlier than anticipated to help public schools facing budget cuts this fall. The so-called state fiscal¹⁵ stabilization¹⁶ funds approved by Congress totaled about $48 billion which is nearly half of the 100 billion set aside for the US Department of Education to augment¹⁷ state education budgets and drive school reform. 26.6 billion went out in April, but many states have been slow to apply for the money, which is why so many schools districts are still in financial trouble. Claudio Sanchez, NPR News.

The Obama administration said today it would need two more months to review an internal CIA report on the agency's secret detention¹⁸ and interrogation program. Report by the CIA's Inspector¹⁹ General questioned the effectiveness of what had been billed as harsh interrogation methods employed by the CIA that some had deemed to be torture including waterboarding.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 223 points.

This is NPR.

There are now reports of at least one US death in connection with a major US military operation in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province that had gone underway yesterday. Marine²⁰ officials say a yet unidentified marine was killed in fighting as the military carries out a major offensive against the Taliban. There are also reports of a number of wounded and injured. The mission which is being described as the biggest US military offensive since Fallujah in Iraq involves some 4, 000 troops, many from Camp Lejuene North Carolina. The goal of the assault is to take control of the area which also is the world's largest opium²¹ poppy producing region from the Taliban.

The Williams sisters have faced one another in the Wimbledon Tennis Finals three times and they will square off Saturday again the fourth of July in an all American Williams final. In London, Larry Miller²² looks how the pair did in the semi-finals today. The two Williams matches couldn't have been more different. Two-time Wimbledon winner Serena lost her first set so far in the tournament to the Russian Elena Dementieva and was facing match point in the second set before coming back to win that and a hard-fought third set that went 8-6. A few minutes later, her sister and defending champion Venus walked on Wimbledon center court outclassing and quickly dispatching the world NO.1 Dinara Safina 6-1, 6-0, setting up a Saturday sisterly final. Venus is going for her third straight Lady's grass court title. Head to head, Serena has beaten Venus twice losing once. Regardless of who wins, they’ll deposit $2.1 million into the family bank account from the combined prize money. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

Crude oil prices fell $2.58 a barrel to close at $66.73.

1 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

2 layoff   

n.临时解雇，操作停止，活动停止期间，失业期

参考例句：

• Finally, prepare an explanation about what led to your layoff.最后，要准备好一套说辞来解释你被解雇的原因。
• Workers were re-employed after the layoff.在暂时解雇不久后工人们又被再度雇用了。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 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。

5 slump   

n.暴跌，意气消沉，（土地）下沉；vi.猛然掉落，坍塌，大幅度下跌

参考例句：

• She is in a slump in her career.她处在事业的低谷。
• Economists are forecasting a slump.经济学家们预言将发生经济衰退。

6 abating   

减少( abate的现在分词 )； 减去； 降价； 撤消（诉讼）

参考例句：

• The storm showed no signs of abating. 暴风雨没有减弱的迹象。
• The recent public anxiety about this issue may now be abating. 近来公众对这个问题的焦虑心情现在也许正在缓和下来。

7 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

8 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

9 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

10 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

11 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

12 avert   

v.防止，避免；转移(目光、注意力等)

参考例句：

• He managed to avert suspicion.他设法避嫌。
• I would do what I could to avert it.我会尽力去避免发生这种情况。

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 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。

15 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。

16 Stabilization   

稳定化

参考例句：

• The position of barycentre on plane directly impacts the stabilization and manipulation of plane. 飞机重心位置直接影响飞机的稳定和操纵特性。
• With the higher olefins, stabilization of the energetic intermediates occurs more easily. 在较高的烯烃情况下，高能的中间物稳定作用更易出现。

17 augment   

vt.(使)增大，增加，增长，扩张

参考例句：

• They hit upon another idea to augment their income.他们又想出一个增加收入的办法。
• The government's first concern was to augment the army and auxiliary forces.政府首先关心的是增强军队和辅助的力量。

18 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

19 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。

20 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

21 opium   

n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的

参考例句：

• That man gave her a dose of opium.那男人给了她一剂鸦片。
• Opium is classed under the head of narcotic.鸦片是归入麻醉剂一类的东西。

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。