NPR 2010-07-19

BP says its containment¹ cap may stay shut and stop its oil leak until a relief well kills the broken well next month. Eileen Fleming of member station WWNO reports it depends on testing that so far shows no oil leaking under the seabed.

 

BP spokesman Doug Suttles says pressure on the containment cap is lower than hoped, but high enough to indicate the well is intact.

 

"No one associated with this whole activity, whether you're with BP or any of the government groups or anyone who lives along the Gulf² Coast, wants to see any more oil flow into the Gulf of Mexico. And we're hopeful that if the encouraging signs continue, we'll be able to continue the integrity test all the way to the point that we get the well killed."

 

If problems develop, the cap would be reopened to relieve pressure. Oil would gush³ into the water for up to three days while containment vessels⁴ would be hooked up again. Officials say the containment cap that's been holding back oil since Thursday could be shut again if a hurricane develops. For NPR News, I'm Eileen Fleming in New Orleans.

 

Vice⁵ President Joe Biden said today that although some people who have taken part in Tea Party events have made what he called really unfortunate comments, he doesn't think the Tea Party movement is racist⁶.

 

"I don't believe that; very conservative, very different views on government and a whole lot of things, but it is not a racist organization."

 

Another topic Biden told ABC: He thinks the Democrats⁷ will retain control of the House and the Senate after the November elections, saying they'll 'shock the heck out of everybody'. Some Democrats in South Carolina were shocked when Alvin Greene won the Democratic nomination⁸ for Senate. He's a speaker for the short time since for as shortly for the first time since then at his home town of Manning.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton began a South Asia tour today. In the Pakistani capital of Islamabad, NPR's Jackie Northam is traveling with the secretary.

 

Secretary Clinton's two-day tour to Islamabard is meant in part to shore up US development committments to Pakistan and to speak with the country's political and military leaders about the war against Islamist radicals⁹ in their country and in neighboring Afghanistan. Pakistani officials have been inserting themselves into a tentative peace process in Afghanistan. There's also an outreach effort to appeal to the Pakistani people, and the US sentiment runs high here in Pakistan. Clinton was last here in October when she held several robust¹⁰ town hall meetings, where she heard an earful of complaints. She plans to meet again with many of those same people during more town halls planned for this trip. Jackie Northam, NPR News, Islamabad.

 

In eastern Pakistan today, a man blew himself up at a Shiite mosque¹¹, injuring several worshipers. There were several other suicide bombings in the region today. A man killed 43 people in Baghdad; a second killed three people in Ambar Pronvince. Previously¹², civilians¹³ were killed in Kabul, Afghanistan.

 

This is NPR News.

 

A heat wave is affecting much of the nation for another day. New York City is offering cooling centers today and tomorrow. Out west, forecasters report close-to-record high temperatures and unusually humid conditions in California. It's 110 degrees in Phoenix¹⁴, Arizona so hot. People are being urged not to walk barefoot outside.

 

Suspected drug hit man burst into a garden party in northern Mexico early this morning. Police say 17 people were shut to death, another 18 people were injured. The massacre¹⁵ occured in a region which has seen escalating¹⁶ voilence between rival gangs.

 

A drug lord known as the Pablo Escobar of the Caribbean has been arrested after a manhunt lasting¹⁷ more than a decade. NPR's Neda Ulaby reports.

 

No one really knows how much cocaine¹⁸ Jose Figueroa Agosto shipped from Colombia to the United States over the years, but it was enough to finance luxuries like armored cars and a ranch¹⁹ with a private zoo. The notorious drug lord escaped from prison in 1999 after being convicted for killing²⁰ a man suspected of stealing his drugs. And he's been on the lam throughout the Colombia ever since. Agosto's believed to have taunted²¹ police on call-in radio shows and he was almost caught several times. He was apprehended²² Saturday after a high-speed chase in Porto Rico. Agosto is wanted in the Dominican Republic for charges that included drug trafficking, kidnapping, money laundering²³ and murder. Authorities are expected to announce today actions to be taken against him. Neda Ulaby, NPR News.

 

In golf, the winner of the British Open is Louis Oosthuizen. The 27-year-old South African finished 16-under-par, seven in front of Lee Westwood for his first major championship

1 containment   

n.阻止，遏制；容量

参考例句：

• Your list might include such things as cost containment,quality,or customer satisfaction.你的清单上应列有诸如成本控制、产品质量、客户满意程度等内容。
• Insularity and self-containment,it is argued,go hand in hand.他们争论说，心胸狭窄和自我封闭是并存的。

2 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

3 gush   

v.喷，涌；滔滔不绝(说话)；n.喷，涌流；迸发

参考例句：

• There was a gush of blood from the wound.血从伤口流出。
• There was a gush of blood as the arrow was pulled out from the arm.当从手臂上拔出箭来时，一股鲜血涌了出来。

4 vessels   

n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人

参考例句：

• The river is navigable by vessels of up to 90 tons. 90 吨以下的船只可以从这条河通过。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• All modern vessels of any size are fitted with radar installations. 所有现代化船只都有雷达装置。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

5 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。

6 racist   

n.种族主义者，种族主义分子

参考例句：

• a series of racist attacks 一连串的种族袭击行为
• His speech presented racist ideas under the guise of nationalism. 他的讲话以民族主义为幌子宣扬种族主义思想。

7 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 nomination   

n.提名，任命，提名权

参考例句：

• John is favourite to get the nomination for club president.约翰最有希望被提名为俱乐部主席。
• Few people pronounced for his nomination.很少人表示赞成他的提名。

9 radicals   

n.激进分子( radical的名词复数 )；根基；基本原理；[数学]根数

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals. 一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The worry is that the radicals will grow more intransigent. 现在人们担忧激进分子会变得更加不妥协。 来自辞典例句

10 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

11 mosque   

n.清真寺

参考例句：

• The mosque is a activity site and culture center of Muslim religion.清真寺为穆斯林宗教活动场所和文化中心。
• Some years ago the clock in the tower of the mosque got out of order.几年前，清真寺钟楼里的大钟失灵了。

12 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

13 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。

14 phoenix   

n.凤凰，长生(不死)鸟；引申为重生

参考例句：

• The airline rose like a phoenix from the ashes.这家航空公司又起死回生了。
• The phoenix worship of China is fetish worship not totem adoration.中国凤崇拜是灵物崇拜而非图腾崇拜。

15 massacre   

n.残杀，大屠杀；v.残杀，集体屠杀

参考例句：

• There was a terrible massacre of villagers here during the war.在战争中，这里的村民惨遭屠杀。
• If we forget the massacre,the massacre will happen again!忘记了大屠杀，大屠杀就有可能再次发生！

16 escalating   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的现在分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The cost of living is escalating. 生活费用在迅速上涨。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The cost of living is escalating in the country. 这个国家的生活费用在上涨。 来自辞典例句

17 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。

18 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

19 ranch   

n.大牧场，大农场

参考例句：

• He went to work on a ranch.他去一个大农场干活。
• The ranch is in the middle of a large plateau.该牧场位于一个辽阔高原的中部。

20 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

21 taunted   

嘲讽( taunt的过去式和过去分词 )； 嘲弄； 辱骂； 奚落

参考例句：

• The other kids continually taunted him about his size. 其他孩子不断地耻笑他的个头儿。
• Some of the girls taunted her about her weight. 有些女孩子笑她胖。

22 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

23 laundering   

n.洗涤（衣等），洗烫（衣等）；洗（钱）v.洗（衣服等），洗烫（衣服等）( launder的现在分词 )；洗（黑钱）（把非法收入改头换面，变为貌似合法的收入）

参考例句：

• Separate the white clothes from the dark clothes before laundering. 洗衣前应当把浅色衣服和深色衣服分开。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He was charged with laundering money. 他被指控洗钱。 来自《简明英汉词典》