NPR 2011-12-09

 Virginia Tech’s on lockdown while police search for a gunman who killed a police officer and another person a few hours ago following a traffic stop on the campus. 

 

University spokesman Mark Owczarski is heard on WDBJ Television.

 

“As right now, the status of the shooter is unknown. We’re asking the campus community to stay, to shelter in place, to stay indoors, to secure themselves. And we’re asking for no visitors, for no one to come on the campus.”

 

Virginia Tech was the site of an unprecedented¹ mass shooting in 2007 in which 33 people lost their lives. NPR’s Cheryl Corley reports that as a result of that tragedy and intense public scrutiny², Virginia Tech swiftly implemented³ new emergency procedures.

 

When authorities get word of trouble on Virginia Tech’s campus, the emergency response kicks in the place of needed. Sirens began to wail⁴, and students, faculty⁵ and staffs start receiving warnings by phone, email and text messages telling them to lock themselves indoors. Alerts are also post on the university’s website and Twitter accounts. Virginia Tech was fined more than $50,000 by the US Department of Education for its response to the 2007 shooting, which left 33 dead and several others wounded on campus. Following that rampage, the school revamped its emergency alert system to include other ways to warn students besides email. The school was appealing the fine related to the 2007 incident today. Cheryl Corley, NPR News.

 

Jerry Sandusky is now at a jail. He posted bail⁶ on new child sexual abuse charges and all. He now faces more than 50 charges. Two more alleged⁷ victims accused the former Penn State coach of molesting⁸ them as boys whom he met through a charity he founded for troubled youth. Sandusky maintains he did nothing wrong.

 

The European Central Bank today announced greater lending capability⁹ to European banks. They also said they would not help out the governments in trouble, as NPR’s Zoe Chace reports.

 

Central Bank President Mario Draghi was at his Draghiest — acerbic¹⁰, skeptical¹¹, reserved. This is the MO of the ECB. You think we’re gonna jump into the bridge and save European economy. Think again. It’s on you governments.

 

“We have a treaty which says no monetary¹² financing to governments.”

 

The European Union treaty forbids direct central bank lending to governments. There have been hope that in light of negotiations¹³ over a new EU treaty. The ECB today would commit to financing the indebted governments anyway as they did to the banks. Zoe Chace, NPR News, New York.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow was down 166 points at 12,030; NASDAQ off 42 at 2,607; the S&P 500 down 23 points; it’s at 1,238. All the major indexes down more than 1%. 

 

You’re listening to NPR News.

 

Senate Republicans apparently¹⁴ holding to their threat to block any nominee¹⁵ to the relatively¹⁶ new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau until it’s been restructured. Today, they rejected the nomination¹⁷ of former Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.

 

In a report released today, the committee to protect journalists says Iran jails more journalists than any other country. NPR’s Peter Kenyon reports from Istanbul that China, Syria and Turkey also have large numbers of journalists in jail.

 

The annual CPJ survey finds that worldwide the number of jailed journalists is up 20% to its highest level since the mid-1990s. For the first time in a decade, China is not at the head of the list. Iran is with 42 imprisoned¹⁸ journalists. The report says since the controversial Iranian elections of 2009, there’s been a revolving¹⁹ door of journalists passing through the judicial²⁰ system. An exiled Iranian journalist is quoted as describing the chilling effect the policy has on the media. The New York-based CPJ also found what it called an alarming number of journalists being held without charge or due process around the world. Peter Kenyon, NPR News.

 

NATO fuel tankers²¹ have been attacked near Quetta, southwestern Pakistan. So far no word of casualties. Local police say assailants fired rockets at the tankers, saying at least 10 of them on fire. This was the first such a attack since Pakistan closed a NATO supply route to troops in neighboring Afghanistan to protest a NATO air strike last month. Twenty-four Pakistani soldiers were killed.

 

The Dow is down 163 points; it’s 12,033.

1 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。

2 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

3 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

4 wail   

vt./vi.大声哀号，恸哭；呼啸，尖啸

参考例句：

• Somewhere in the audience an old woman's voice began plaintive wail.观众席里，一位老太太伤心地哭起来。
• One of the small children began to wail with terror.小孩中的一个吓得大哭起来。

5 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

6 bail   

v.舀（水），保释；n.保证金，保释，保释人

参考例句：

• One of the prisoner's friends offered to bail him out.犯人的一个朋友答应保释他出来。
• She has been granted conditional bail.她被准予有条件保释。

7 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

8 molesting   

v.骚扰( molest的现在分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵

参考例句：

• He was accused of sexually molesting a female colleague. 他被指控对一位女同事进行性骚扰。 来自辞典例句
• He was charged with molesting a woman. 他被指控调戏妇女。 来自辞典例句

9 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。

10 acerbic   

adj.酸的，刻薄的

参考例句：

• His lyrics are as acerbic and poignant as they ever have been.他的歌词一如既往的犀利辛辣。
• He sent back an acerbic letter.他回复了一封尖刻的信。

11 skeptical   

adj.怀疑的，多疑的

参考例句：

• Others here are more skeptical about the chances for justice being done.这里的其他人更为怀疑正义能否得到伸张。
• Her look was skeptical and resigned.她的表情是将信将疑而又无可奈何。

12 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

13 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

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 nominee   

n.被提名者；被任命者；被推荐者

参考例句：

• His nominee for vice president was elected only after a second ballot.他提名的副总统在两轮投票后才当选。
• Mr.Francisco is standing as the official nominee for the post of District Secretary.弗朗西斯科先生是行政书记职位的正式提名人。

16 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

17 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。

18 imprisoned   

下狱，监禁( imprison的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He was imprisoned for two concurrent terms of 30 months and 18 months. 他被判处30个月和18个月的监禁，合并执行。
• They were imprisoned for possession of drugs. 他们因拥有毒品而被监禁。

19 revolving   

adj.旋转的，轮转式的；循环的v.（使）旋转( revolve的现在分词 )；细想

参考例句：

• The theatre has a revolving stage. 剧院有一个旋转舞台。
• The company became a revolving-door workplace. 这家公司成了工作的中转站。

20 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

21 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。