NPR 2012-04-04

 The Dallas-Fort Worth area is under a tornado¹ warning after witnesses reported seeing at least two twisters touch down. All planes at the international airport reportedly are grounded. There’s still no word on possible injuries. But NPR's Wade² Goodwyn, who’s been monitoring local radio and TV reports, says it's clear the storms are powerful.

 

You know, I just watched it plow³ through a tractor-trailer parking lot like it was Godzilla in a temper tantrum, I mean. It's quite an amazing thing to see dozens of tractor-trailers tossed 100 feet in the air all at one time.

 

That's NPR's Wade Goodwyn.

 

President Obama continues to take verbal jabs at Republicans for their plans to address high gas prices and the economy at a gathering⁴ in Washington earlier today. The president warned that while more companies are hiring people, voters should not expect the economy to have completely rebounded⁵ by the time November’s election rolls around.

 

“Too many Americans will still be looking for a job that pays enough to cover their bills or their mortgage.”

 

Now the GOP front-runner, Mitt⁶ Romney, is firing back with claims that the president is failing to concede failures in his handling of the US economy. NPR's Ari Shapiro reports Romney made a campaign stop outside Milwaukee, Wisconsin which along with Maryland and DC are holding primaries today.

 

On Wisconsin Primary Day, Romney handed out sub sandwiches and urged his supporters to get out and vote. Then he pivoted⁸ to an attack on President Obama, saying the president wants to take credit for everything good that happens in the country, but he won't take the blame for the high gas prices and other problems.

 

“I will not only get things right again, I’ll take responsibility for my errors and make sure that people understand we have a president in the White House again where the buck⁹ will stop at his desk.”

 

This is part of a strategic pivot⁷ by the Romney campaign to a focus on a general election as the primary campaign enters its final stages. Ari Shapiro, NPR News, Waukesha, Wisconsin.

 

A big news for the economy today: the Commerce Department says factory orders increased in February 1.3% after falling by as much the month before when a tax credit for equipment purchases expired. Orders reached nearly 470 billion dollars. They have been steadily¹⁰ rising since the recession ended nearly three years ago. 

 

Ford¹¹ and Chrysler are coming off their best month of sales in four years. Chrysler Group is posting a 34% increase on strong sales of Fiat¹² small cars and Chrysler sedans and Ford. They can thank the focus for attracting more buyers in March.

 

Before the close on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 66 points at 13,198 in trading of three billion shares; NASDAQ off six points at 3,113; and the S&P 500 down six at 1,413.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Police say the man suspected of killing¹³ seven people at a small Christian¹⁴ college in Oakland, California was upset over being teased by other students about his limited English skills. NPR's Craig Windham reports investigators¹⁵ say the man had planned the attack for weeks.

 

Oakland Police Chief Howard Jordan says 43-year-old One Goh had been expelled for behavioral problems months ago. Jordan says Goh came looking for one administrator¹⁶ and after finding she was not there, instead, began randomly¹⁷ shooting people.

 

“We've learned that this was a very chaotic¹⁸, calculated and determined¹⁹ gentleman that came there with a very specific intent to kill people.” 

 

Jordan on ABC's “Good Morning America.” He says the victims included six students and a secretary, and all but one of the victims were women. Craig Windham, NPR News.

 

A spokesman for the United Nations and Arab League envoy²⁰ on Syria, Kofi Annan, says an advanced team from the UN is due in Damascus in the next 48 hours to discuss the deployment²¹ of international monitors. The BBC's Jim Muir has more from neighboring Lebanon. 

 

Mr. Annan's spokesman, Ahmad Fawzi, said the hope is that there will be a complete end to hostilities²² by the 12th of April, two days after the deadline from the Syrian government to put its military out of towns and cities. In that hope, preparations are underway for the deployment of the United Nations Observer Mission of up to 250 monitors, who'd be recruited from existing UN peacekeeping missions in the region. An advanced group is expected in Damascus in the next couple of days. It will be negotiating a detailed²³ protocol²⁴ covering the scope and modalities of the proposed observer mission. 

 

That's Jim Muir reporting.

1 tornado   

n.飓风，龙卷风

参考例句：

• A tornado whirled into the town last week.龙卷风上周袭击了这座城市。
• The approaching tornado struck awe in our hearts.正在逼近的龙卷风使我们惊恐万分。

2 wade   

v.跋涉，涉水；n.跋涉

参考例句：

• We had to wade through the river to the opposite bank.我们只好涉水过河到对岸。
• We cannot but wade across the river.我们只好趟水过去。

3 plow   

n.犁，耕地，犁过的地；v.犁，费力地前进[英]plough

参考例句：

• At this time of the year farmers plow their fields.每年这个时候农民们都在耕地。
• We will plow the field soon after the last frost.最后一场霜过后，我们将马上耕田。

4 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

5 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

6 mitt   

n.棒球手套，拳击手套，无指手套；vt.铐住，握手

参考例句：

• I gave him a baseball mitt for his birthday.为祝贺他的生日，我送给他一只棒球手套。
• Tom squeezed a mitt and a glove into the bag.汤姆把棒球手套和手套都塞进袋子里。

7 pivot   

v.在枢轴上转动；装枢轴，枢轴；adj.枢轴的

参考例句：

• She is the central pivot of creation and represents the feminine aspect in all things.她是创造的中心枢轴，表现出万物的女性面貌。
• If a spring is present,the hand wheel will pivot on the spring.如果有弹簧，手轮的枢轴会装在弹簧上。

8 pivoted   

adj.转动的，回转的，装在枢轴上的v.（似）在枢轴上转动( pivot的过去式和过去分词 )；把…放在枢轴上；以…为核心，围绕（主旨）展开

参考例句：

• His old legs and shoulders pivoted with the swinging of the pulling. 他一把把地拉着，两条老迈的腿儿和肩膀跟着转动。 来自英汉文学 - 老人与海
• When air is moving, the metal is pivoted on the hinge. 当空气流动时，金属板在铰链上转动。 来自辞典例句

9 buck   

n.雄鹿，雄兔；v.马离地跳跃

参考例句：

• The boy bent curiously to the skeleton of the buck.这个男孩好奇地弯下身去看鹿的骸骨。
• The female deer attracts the buck with high-pitched sounds.雌鹿以尖声吸引雄鹿。

10 steadily   

adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地

参考例句：

• The scope of man's use of natural resources will steadily grow.人类利用自然资源的广度将日益扩大。
• Our educational reform was steadily led onto the correct path.我们的教学改革慢慢上轨道了。

11 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

12 fiat   

n.命令，法令，批准；vt.批准，颁布

参考例句：

• The opening of a market stall is governed by municipal fiat.开设市场摊位受市政法令管制。
• He has tried to impose solutions to the country's problems by fiat.他试图下令强行解决该国的问题。

13 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。

14 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。

15 investigators   

n.调查者，审查者( investigator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• This memo could be the smoking gun that investigators have been looking for. 这份备忘录可能是调查人员一直在寻找的证据。
• The team consisted of six investigators and two secretaries. 这个团队由六个调查人员和两个秘书组成。 来自《简明英汉词典》

16 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。

17 randomly   

adv.随便地，未加计划地

参考例句：

• Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
• Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句

18 chaotic   

adj.混沌的，一片混乱的，一团糟的

参考例句：

• Things have been getting chaotic in the office recently.最近办公室的情况越来越乱了。
• The traffic in the city was chaotic.这城市的交通糟透了。

19 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

20 envoy   

n.使节，使者，代表，公使

参考例句：

• Their envoy showed no sign of responding to our proposals.他们的代表对我方的提议毫无回应的迹象。
• The government has not yet appointed an envoy to the area.政府尚未向这一地区派过外交官。

21 deployment   

n. 部署,展开

参考例句：

• He has inquired out the deployment of the enemy troops. 他已查出敌军的兵力部署情况。
• Quality function deployment (QFD) is a widely used customer-driven quality, design and manufacturing management tool. 质量功能展开(quality function deployment,QFD)是一个广泛应用的顾客需求驱动的设计、制造和质量管理工具。

22 hostilities   

n.战争；敌意(hostility的复数)；敌对状态；战事

参考例句：

• Mexico called for an immediate cessation of hostilities. 墨西哥要求立即停止敌对行动。
• All the old hostilities resurfaced when they met again. 他们再次碰面时，过去的种种敌意又都冒了出来。

23 detailed   

adj.详细的，详尽的，极注意细节的，完全的

参考例句：

• He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
• A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。

24 protocol   

n.议定书，草约，会谈记录，外交礼节

参考例句：

• We must observe the correct protocol.我们必须遵守应有的礼仪。
• The statesmen signed a protocol.那些政治家签了议定书。