NPR 2011-08-28

 Hurricane Irene has been lashing¹ North Carolina’s coast. High winds and rainfall were in sheets that windshield wipers can barely keep up with. Irene is maintaining category 1 winds of 85 miles an hour. It’s creating storm surges in coastal² towns. And the hurricane has now claimed at least one life. More on the scene in North Carolina from Will Michaels of North Carolina public radio.

 

 

 

Fifteen-foot waves have been crashing down on the fragile Outer Banks. Major highways are covered with sand and water as residents are being forced to hunker down and wait out the storm. Governor Beverly Perdue says emergency teams are ready to move out. 

 

 

 

“I want people of North Carolina to listen up if they were those who’re affected³ by the storm, please stay inside. We’ve had reports of folks who are beginning to venture out. You endanger your safety and the safety of the first responders who might come to try to rescue you.”

 

 

 

Forecasters say high winds extended to central North Carolina. Police say a man walking outside his home was killed by a falling tree limp, 150 miles inland. For NPR News, I’m Will Michaels in Chapel⁴ Hill, North Carolina.

 

 

 

The National Hurricane Center in Miami says this storm is so massive that it would be felt in Canada.

 

 

 

“The storm almost stayed right on the center of the state, right on our coast through the evening tonight. Then tomorrow morning it will go up the coastline in New Jersey⁵ shore and then make a landfall in extreme western Long Island and move inland over the New England and eventually off in Canada.”

 

 

 

Bill Read, National Hurricane Center director. 

 

 

 

Government hurricane hunters have taken to the skies to gather data about Irene. Bobbie O'Brien, WUSF has more from Tampa.

 

 

 

Every 12 hours a NOAA turbo prop⁶ plane crisscross the eye on hurricane Irene measuring wind speed and air pressure. The plane also drops sensors⁷ that transmit back the ocean's temperature. NOAA deputy administrator⁸ Kathryn Sullivan says flying into the storm is necessary because data from land-based radar⁹ and satellites is limited when the hurricane is over the water.

 

 

 

“So let’s get inside, take the hurricane at the temperature of the storm while it’s cooking. So we can make sure that the models have that richness of the information, and can rely on the outcomes.”

 

 

 

NOAA has other aircraft ready to fly after the storm to gather data to help assess the damage. For NPR News, I’m Bobbie O'Brien in Tampa.

 

 

 

New York Mayor Bloomberg has ordered more than a quarter of million people to evacuate¹⁰ low-lying areas including Battery Park and Rockaway in Coney Island. But like Maxine Wills, many aren’t sure they'll go.

 

 

 

“We might be better off here. People are running to the Bronx, they are running to the Queens. Those places might not be the safest place.”

 

 

 

At the same time, the subways are shutting down. This is NPR.

 

 

 

Defense¹¹ Secretary Leon Panetta is telling 6,500 active duty troops to be ready to help with hurricane Irene relief work. The Pentagon says Panetta issued to prepare to deploy¹² order for troops from all branches as the storm moves up the East Coast. 

 

 

 

And initial green light has been given for a US-Canada oil pipeline¹³. As Dan Karpenchuk reports, U.S. officials say there’s no evidence so far the pipeline would have a significant impact on the 6 states it will cross.

 

 

 

The pipeline would carry Canadian crude oil from northern Alberta to refineries¹⁴ along the Texas Gulf¹⁵ Coast according to the U.S. State Department that there would be no major risks to the environment. But activists¹⁷ feared the pipeline could increase demand for oil for Alberta’s oil sands described as the dirtiest oil in the world because of the greenhouse gas emissions¹⁸ associated with its extraction. They also claimed the U.S. officials have not fully¹⁹ assessed the risks and failed to study pipeline safety measures and look at alternate routes that would avoid a crucial source of water in Nebraska. Activist¹⁶ from both sides of the borders said the project is a disaster waiting to happen. Supporters said the pipeline would create thousands of jobs and help end U.S. reliance on oil for the Mideast. For NPR News, I’m Dan Karpenchuk in Toronto.

 

 

 

In his weekly address, the President is calling on the nation to come together in the spirit of unity²⁰. Mr. Obama appealed for cooperation in the period of serious financial stress. He asked Americans to rekindle²¹ the spirit of unity that characterized the days after the 9/11 attacks. Senator Dean Heller from Nevada delivered the GOP address, their message: it’s time for a balanced budget constitutional amendment²² and less government.

1 lashing   

n.鞭打；痛斥；大量；许多v.鞭打( lash的现在分词 )；煽动；紧系；怒斥

参考例句：

• The speaker was lashing the crowd. 演讲人正在煽动人群。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rain was lashing the windows. 雨急打着窗子。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 coastal   

adj.海岸的，沿海的，沿岸的

参考例句：

• The ocean waves are slowly eating away the coastal rocks.大海的波浪慢慢地侵蚀着岸边的岩石。
• This country will fortify the coastal areas.该国将加强沿海地区的防御。

3 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。

4 chapel   

n.小教堂，殡仪馆

参考例句：

• The nimble hero,skipped into a chapel that stood near.敏捷的英雄跳进近旁的一座小教堂里。
• She was on the peak that Sunday afternoon when she played in chapel.那个星期天的下午，她在小教堂的演出，可以说是登峰造极。

5 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

6 prop   

vt.支撑；n.支柱，支撑物；支持者，靠山

参考例句：

• A worker put a prop against the wall of the tunnel to keep it from falling.一名工人用东西支撑住隧道壁好使它不会倒塌。
• The government does not intend to prop up declining industries.政府无意扶持不景气的企业。

7 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

8 administrator   

n.经营管理者，行政官员

参考例句：

• The role of administrator absorbed much of Ben's energy.行政职务耗掉本很多精力。
• He has proved himself capable as administrator.他表现出管理才能。

9 radar   

n.雷达，无线电探测器

参考例句：

• They are following the flight of an aircraft by radar.他们正在用雷达追踪一架飞机的飞行。
• Enemy ships were detected on the radar.敌舰的影像已显现在雷达上。

10 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

11 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

12 deploy   

v.（军）散开成战斗队形，布置，展开

参考例句：

• The infantry began to deploy at dawn.步兵黎明时开始进入战斗位置。
• The president said he had no intention of deploying ground troops.总统称并不打算部署地面部队。

13 pipeline   

n.管道，管线

参考例句：

• The pipeline supplies Jordan with 15 per cent of its crude oil.该管道供给约旦15%的原油。
• A single pipeline serves all the houses with water.一条单管路给所有的房子供水。

14 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

15 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。

16 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

17 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

19 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

20 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。

21 rekindle   

v.使再振作；再点火

参考例句：

• Nothing could rekindle her extinct passion.她激情已逝,无从心回意转。
• Is there anything could rekindle his extinct passion?有什么事情可重燃他逝去的热情呢？

22 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。