NPR 2011-11-07

 In Connecticut: "We're disappointed, discouraged, tired." Chet Matczak from Tariffville, Connecticut expressed the frustration¹ of thousands who have been without power for eight days. Power crews are still working after a freak October snowstorm took down trees and power lines. As of this morning well over 100,000 people were still without power. Governor Dannel P. Malloy told reporters today he's frustrated² and angry.

 

"As you know, at least ten people have died as a result of the storm, many have been cold and many more have been inconvenienced. This should not have happened and my job is to find out why it did and most importantly, my job is to make sure that this does not happen again."

 

Connecticut Light & Power is promising³ to restore service to 99% of affected⁴ customers by midnight.

 

House Speaker John Boehner says he will do everything he can to make sure the so-called congressional super committee is successful. As NPR's Tamara Keith reports, a deadline for action is drawing near.

 

The super committee has just over two weeks to come up with a plan to cut the deficit⁵ by $1.2 trillion or face automatic cuts. Boehner appeared on ABC's "This Week" and said he would be open to a revenue increase. 

 

"I believe that we can create revenue out of fixing our tax code and bring that revenue to the table, as long as our colleagues on the other side of the aisle⁶ are serious about cutting spending."

 

Boehner didn't budge⁷ on his opposition⁸ to new or increased taxes on the rich. He said his biggest regret this year is failing to strike a deficit-cutting deal with President Obama over the summer. Tamara Keith, NPR News.

 

While just about every lobby group in town and environmental groups are watching the work of that super committee, NPR's Jeff Brady tells us environmentalists believe the oil industry could help out with some fiscal⁹ relief. 

 

If your US senator or representative is on the super committee, there likely will be ads running on your TV soon. That's the counter calls for increased taxes on big oil from people like Melinda Pierce of the Sierra Club. 

 

"They are some of the biggest and most profitable industries in our economy."

 

So Pierce thinks the super committee should get rid of tax breaks oil and natural gas companies currently enjoy. But Marty Durbin with the American Petroleum¹⁰ Institute says that would be unfair.

 

"These are the same types of cost recovering mechanisms¹¹ available to manufacturers and others throughout the economy."

 

The oil industry argues higher taxes would hurt one of the few industries in the US that's still hiring. Jeff Brady, NPR News.

 

A critical meeting between the Greek prime minister and the leader of the opposition has concluded in Athens at issue the formation of an interim¹² government. Greek Prime Minister George Papandreou has said he will step aside once an agreement is reached. The European Union is counting on Greece to resolve its political and debt crisis.

 

This is NPR News.

 

In Nigeria, scores of people have been killed in the northeast, the result of attacks by a radical¹³ Muslim sect¹⁴. A Nigerian Red Cross official is predicting the number of dead will rise. At St. Peter's Square in Rome today, Pope Benedict condemned¹⁵ the violence. The sect in Nigeria Boko Haram was to implement¹⁶ strict Shariah law across Nigeria, which has a predominantly Christian¹⁷ south and a Muslim north.

 

The men for air travel during the upcoming holiday season is down this year. But as NPR's David Schaper reports that doesn't mean prices are coming down.

 

The Air Transport Association is expecting a 2% drop in the number of travelers flying this Thanksgiving.

 

That 2% drop translates into about 37,000 fewer people per day are expected to take to the skies during the Thanksgiving holiday period.

 

The industry group's Steve Lott says the soft economy is weakening leisure travel demand but he says that doesn't mean there'll be a lot of planes with empty seats.

 

"Airlines have been working to better match capacity with demand. And we're actually seeing fewer seats available or fewer flights operating this Thanksgiving compared with last Thanksgiving. 

 

And that plus higher fuel cost is pushing up airfares this holiday season. David Schaper, NPR News.

 

Occupy Wall Street protesters in Atlanta and Honolulu clashed with authorities this weekend. Several Atlanta demonstrators who refused to orders to stay on the sidewalk were arrested. Honolulu authorities say they have apprehended¹⁸ several protesters who tried to set up camp at a local park.

 

I'm Louise Schiavone, NPR News, Washington.

1 frustration   

n.挫折，失败，失效，落空

参考例句：

• He had to fight back tears of frustration.他不得不强忍住失意的泪水。
• He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration.他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。

2 frustrated   

adj.挫败的，失意的，泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的过去式和过去分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's very easy to get frustrated in this job. 这个工作很容易令人懊恼。
• The bad weather frustrated all our hopes of going out. 恶劣的天气破坏了我们出行的愿望。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

4 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。

5 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。

6 aisle   

n.（教堂、教室、戏院等里的）过道，通道

参考例句：

• The aisle was crammed with people.过道上挤满了人。
• The girl ushered me along the aisle to my seat.引座小姐带领我沿着通道到我的座位上去。

7 budge   

v.移动一点儿；改变立场

参考例句：

• We tried to lift the rock but it wouldn't budge.我们试图把大石头抬起来，但它连动都没动一下。
• She wouldn't budge on the issue.她在这个问题上不肯让步。

8 opposition   

n.反对，敌对

参考例句：

• The party leader is facing opposition in his own backyard.该党领袖在自己的党內遇到了反对。
• The police tried to break down the prisoner's opposition.警察设法制住了那个囚犯的反抗。

9 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。

10 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

11 mechanisms   

n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 )；机械装置；[生物学] 机制；机械作用

参考例句：

• The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 interim   

adj.暂时的，临时的；n.间歇，过渡期间

参考例句：

• The government is taking interim measures to help those in immediate need.政府正在采取临时措施帮助那些有立即需要的人。
• It may turn out to be an interim technology.这可能只是个过渡技术。

13 radical   

n.激进份子，原子团，根号；adj.根本的，激进的，彻底的

参考例句：

• The patient got a radical cure in the hospital.病人在医院得到了根治。
• She is radical in her demands.她的要求十分偏激。

14 sect   

n.派别，宗教，学派，派系

参考例句：

• When he was sixteen he joined a religious sect.他16岁的时候加入了一个宗教教派。
• Each religious sect in the town had its own church.该城每一个宗教教派都有自己的教堂。

15 condemned   

adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词

参考例句：

• He condemned the hypocrisy of those politicians who do one thing and say another. 他谴责了那些说一套做一套的政客的虚伪。
• The policy has been condemned as a regressive step. 这项政策被认为是一种倒退而受到谴责。

16 implement   

n.(pl.)工具，器具；vt.实行，实施，执行

参考例句：

• Don't undertake a project unless you can implement it.不要承担一项计划，除非你能完成这项计划。
• The best implement for digging a garden is a spade.在花园里挖土的最好工具是铁锹。

17 Christian   

adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒

参考例句：

• They always addressed each other by their Christian name.他们总是以教名互相称呼。
• His mother is a sincere Christian.他母亲是个虔诚的基督教徒。

18 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。