NPR 2009-09-01

A wildfire that continues to burn out of control northeast of Los Angeles has now destroyed at least 21 homes while continuing to threaten as many as 1,200 others and a historic observatory¹ at top Mount Wilson. The fire now encompasses² 134 square mile area near Angeles National Forest after nearly doubling in size overnight. Bruce Quintelier is a spokesman of the US Forest Service. He says hot, dry conditions are fueling flames. "The amount of dry material and dead vegetation that’s mixed in with, some of this old brush that hasn't burnt in a while has made for the situation we are in very unique, probably unprecedented³ fire behavior." Two firefighters were killed yesterday when they drove off a road over an embankment northeast of Sacramento when another fire’s shot around 60 structures, many in the town of Auburn. California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has declared a state of emergency in four California counties.

 Top commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan has finished his 60-day strategic review of the war. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson has more from Kabul.

 According to a NATO statement, the strategic assessment⁴ by US General Stanley McChrystal finds the situation in Afghanistan to be serious but winnable. McChrystal says what's needed is revised strategy, commitment and resolve to reduce the capability⁵ of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. There were no other details released, although it appears the general did not ask for more troops in this review, such "options such as an additional brigade of troops are expected in a separate report next week." The review was requested by US Secretary Robert Gates and NATO headquarters. McChrystal sent them the report today. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Kabul.

 Former Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge⁶ is now downplaying statements he made in a new book that politics might have been a factor in efforts to get him to raise the terror alert days before the 2004 presidential election. NPR's Pam Fessler has more.

In his new book, "The Test of Our Times", Ridge notes that President Bush's approval ratings went up every time the threat level was raised and he wondered whether politics motivated then-Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and Attorney General John Ashcroft to push him to raise the alert level shortly before the election. Now Ridge says he wasn't pressured to raise the alert. He told ABC's “Good Morning America” that officials were expressing their opinions. "Process worked. We didn't go up and it was designed so that nobody could pressure anybody to do anything. A consensus⁷ was reached. We didn't go up." Ridge said people are hyper-ventilating about that one passage in his book, although he and other officials warned repeatedly in the months leading up to the elections that terrorists were intent on disrupting the US democratic process. Pam Fessler, NPR News, Washington.

 On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 47 points to close at 9,496. The NASDAQ lost 19 points today.

 This is NPR.

 Hurricane Jimena, now a powerful Category 4 storm and strengthening is continuing to make a beeline toward Mexico’s Bahar peninsula with the latest forecasts calling for the storm to possibly wreck⁸ the area around Los Cabos by tomorrow evening. The storm is now packing sustained winds of around 150 miles an hour moving northwest at about 8 miles an hour. Jimena is less than 350 miles south of the resort area of Cabos San Lucas. At least 10,000 families have already been evacuated⁹ from potential flood zones according to Mexican officials.

 It was one week ago today that the police foot chase ended in a shooting in a church day-care center in Rockford, Illinois. Today state police are taking over that investigation¹⁰. From WNIJ in Rockford, Susan Stevens reports.

 An autopsy¹¹ commissioned by Mark Anthony Barmore's family shows he was shot four times, three times in the back. Police say Barmore tried to grab an officer's gun during the struggle. Witnesses say he had his hands up. Barmore was black. The two officers involved in the shooting are white. Over the weekend, Reverent¹² Jesse Jackson asked Rockford's mayor to turn the case over to the US Department of Justice. "This is yet an explosive situation, but could be used to be a source of healing testing the strengthening character of the community." Mayor Larry Morrissey says he welcomes help from the outside. "Our main concern is that we have a credible¹⁴, accurate, and honest and open investigation." Rockford officials will meet with Jackson again this week. He returns for Barmore's funeral Thursday. For NPR News, I'm Susan Stevens.

 Concerns about the global economy sent crude oil futures¹⁵ prices lower. Oil prices were down $2.78 a barrel to close at $69.96 a barrel.

 I'm Jack¹³ Speer, NPR News in Washington.

1 observatory   

n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台

参考例句：

• Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。
• Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

2 encompasses   

v.围绕( encompass的第三人称单数 )；包围；包含；包括

参考例句：

• The job encompasses a wide range of responsibilities. 这项工作涉及的职责范围很广。
• Its conservation law encompasses both its magnitude and its direction. 它的守恒定律包括大小和方向两方面。 来自辞典例句

3 unprecedented   

adj.无前例的，新奇的

参考例句：

• The air crash caused an unprecedented number of deaths.这次空难的死亡人数是空前的。
• A flood of this sort is really unprecedented.这样大的洪水真是十年九不遇。

4 assessment   

n.评价；评估；对财产的估价，被估定的金额

参考例句：

• This is a very perceptive assessment of the situation.这是一个对该情况的极富洞察力的评价。
• What is your assessment of the situation?你对时局的看法如何？

5 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

6 ridge   

n.山脊；鼻梁；分水岭

参考例句：

• We clambered up the hillside to the ridge above.我们沿着山坡费力地爬上了山脊。
• The infantry were advancing to attack the ridge.步兵部队正在向前挺进攻打山脊。

7 consensus   

n.(意见等的)一致，一致同意，共识

参考例句：

• Can we reach a consensus on this issue?我们能在这个问题上取得一致意见吗？
• What is the consensus of opinion at the afternoon meeting?下午会议上一致的意见是什么？

8 wreck   

n.失事，遇难；沉船；vt.(船等)失事，遇难

参考例句：

• Weather may have been a factor in the wreck.天气可能是造成这次失事的原因之一。
• No one can wreck the friendship between us.没有人能够破坏我们之间的友谊。

9 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。

10 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。

11 autopsy   

n.尸体解剖；尸检

参考例句：

• They're carrying out an autopsy on the victim.他们正在给受害者验尸。
• A hemorrhagic gut was the predominant lesion at autopsy.尸检的主要发现是肠出血。

12 reverent   

adj.恭敬的，虔诚的

参考例句：

• He gave reverent attention to the teacher.他恭敬地听老师讲课。
• She said the word artist with a gentle,understanding,reverent smile.她说作家一词时面带高雅，理解和虔诚的微笑。

13 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。

14 credible   

adj.可信任的，可靠的

参考例句：

• The news report is hardly credible.这则新闻报道令人难以置信。
• Is there a credible alternative to the nuclear deterrent?是否有可以取代核威慑力量的可靠办法？

15 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。