NPR 2009-08-14

The number of US households in some stage of foreclosure took another bump-up in July. The group RealtyTrac which maintains an extensive database of foreclosure activity nationwide says foreclosure filings last month were up 7% from the previous month, 32% from the same period a year ago. Rick Sharga, a senior vice¹ president RealtyTrac: "For the month of July across the country, one at every 355 households received a foreclosure notice, that's the highest level we ever tracked for an individual month." Just four states, California, Florida, Arizona and Nevada were responsible for 57% of all new foreclosure filings last month. RealtyTrac says many of the new foreclosures are occurring in states where job losses are continuing to mount.

 US Marines fighting to gain control of a strategic Taliban-held town in southern Afghanistan got some key reinforcement today in the form of aircraft and missile strikes. Marines along with Afghan troops have been exchanging heavy gunfire with insurgents² as they moved into Dahaneh, Afghanistan. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has been with the Marines and describes where the operation stands now.

 The Afghan National Army did go out with some Marines today on armies patrols. This is the first time they worked together, and they were doing searches of the compounds here. They basically cleared up through most of the town with the exception of a bazaar³, which is very crucial ’cause apparently⁴ there is Taliban activity in that bazaar. So they are still trying to find how they're gonna handle that. But with any luck, what they’re saying tomorrow is that they plan to open this combat outpost and actually move the ANA forces there. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson. US forces have been seeking to secure the town ahead of next week's scheduled presidential election in Afghanistan.

 Guitarist Les Paul has died; the 94-year-old musician died of complications from pneumonia⁵ at White Plains Hospital in New York. The guitarist was also a pioneer of the electric guitar and other recording⁶ studio technologies. NPR's Felix Contreras has this appreciation⁷.

 As early as 1929, Les Paul was already working on trying to make his acoustic⁸ guitar louder and once crooner Bing Crosby gave him a tape recorder, he eventually devised technology to create a forerunner⁹ of a multi-track recording device. In the 1950s, Paul and his wife vocalist Mary Ford¹⁰ sold millions of records while hosting a television show from their home. But Paul's greatest influence was as a guitarist. His playing and his early work on developing the solid-body electric guitar made him a hero to a legion of rockers such as Eric Clapton and Eddie Van Halen. Felix Contreras, NPR News.

 A public wake is being held today for Eunice Kennedy Shriver at Cape¹¹ Cod¹² church. The body of the sister of John F. Kennedy and Senator Edward Kennedy arrived in a hearse just afternoon. Shriver died earlier this week at the age of 88.

 On Wall Street today the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 36 points.

 This is NPR.

 Giant Exxon-Mobil has agreed to pay roughly 7,000 dollars each for dozens of migratory¹³ birds killed at a number of its company properties. Exxon Mobil pleaded guilty to the charges that it's responsible for causing the deaths of about 85 protected birds, the majority of which died after an explosion of company's natural gas well reserve pits and waste water storage facilities. The birds died in Colorado, Wyoming, Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas. In addition to paying a fine over 600,000 dollars, the company also agreed to make changes to prevent similar bird deaths in the future.

 A US-based human rights group says Israeli troops shot and killed Palestinian civilians¹⁴ who were flying white flags during the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Linda Gradstein reports.

 In a report issued in Jerusalem today Human Rights Watch called on Israel to investigate seven incidents that killed 11 unarmed civilians in Gaza during fighting last winter. The report said that in all of these cases, the civilians were waving white flags and there were no armed Palestinian fighters in the area. In a statement the Israeli army said the report is based on the testimony¹⁵ of a number Palestinians whose credibility has not been substantiated¹⁶. The army also said that merely displaying a white flag does not automatically grant immunity¹⁷. The number of civilians killed during the fighting in Gaza continues to be in dispute. Palestinians say at least 900 civilians were killed while Israel puts the number at just 300 along with 900 fighters. The human rights report is the latest to accuse Israel of possible war crimes in Gaza. For NPR News, I'm Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

 Crude oil futures¹⁸ rose 36 cents a barrel to close at $70.52 a barrel in New York today.

 I'm Jack¹⁹ Speer, NPR News in Washington.

1 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

2 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

3 bazaar   

n.集市，商店集中区

参考例句：

• Chickens,goats and rabbits were offered for barter at the bazaar.在集市上，鸡、山羊和兔子被摆出来作物物交换之用。
• We bargained for a beautiful rug in the bazaar.我们在集市通过讨价还价买到了一条很漂亮的地毯。

4 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。

5 pneumonia   

n.肺炎

参考例句：

• Cage was struck with pneumonia in her youth.凯奇年轻时得过肺炎。
• Pneumonia carried him off last week.肺炎上星期夺去了他的生命。

6 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

7 appreciation   

n.评价；欣赏；感谢；领会，理解；价格上涨

参考例句：

• I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to you all.我想对你们所有人表达我的感激和谢意。
• I'll be sending them a donation in appreciation of their help.我将送给他们一笔捐款以感谢他们的帮助。

8 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

9 forerunner   

n.前身，先驱（者），预兆，祖先

参考例句：

• She is a forerunner of the modern women's movement.她是现代妇女运动的先驱。
• Penicillin was the forerunner of modern antibiotics.青霉素是现代抗生素的先导。

10 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

11 cape   

n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风

参考例句：

• I long for a trip to the Cape of Good Hope.我渴望到好望角去旅行。
• She was wearing a cape over her dress.她在外套上披着一件披肩。

12 cod   

n.鳕鱼；v.愚弄；哄骗

参考例句：

• They salt down cod for winter use.他们腌鳕鱼留着冬天吃。
• Cod are found in the North Atlantic and the North Sea.北大西洋和北海有鳕鱼。

13 migratory   

n.候鸟，迁移

参考例句：

• Many migratory birds visit this lake annually.许多候鸟每年到这个湖上作短期逗留。
• This does not negate the idea of migratory aptitude.这并没有否定迁移能力这一概念。

14 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

15 testimony   

n.证词；见证，证明

参考例句：

• The testimony given by him is dubious.他所作的证据是可疑的。
• He was called in to bear testimony to what the police officer said.他被传入为警官所说的话作证。

16 substantiated   

v.用事实支持（某主张、说法等），证明，证实( substantiate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The results of the tests substantiated his claims. 这些检验的结果证实了他的说法。
• The statement has never been substantiated. 这一陈述从未得到证实。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

17 immunity   

n.优惠；免除；豁免，豁免权

参考例句：

• The law gives public schools immunity from taxation.法律免除公立学校的纳税义务。
• He claims diplomatic immunity to avoid being arrested.他要求外交豁免以便避免被捕。

18 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

19 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。