NPR 2012-04-07

 The unemployment rate is fallen to 8.2%. Fewer people were included in March's employment tally¹ because fewer were looking for work and 120,000 jobs were added to economy in March. That's about half the number from the month before.

 

President Obama is moving to solidify² what appears to be a widening gender³ gap in this fall's election. NPR's Julie Rovner reports the president used the White House Forum⁴ on women's issues to talk the health care law and more.

 

Mr. Obama used part of his speech to note how much the health law helps women. Provisions already in effect are providing both younger and older women with access to preventive care services at no upfront cost. And assuming the Supreme⁵ Court let the law go forward, provisions that will take effect in 2014 will no longer let insurers charge women more simply because of their gender. But the president did acknowledge that his administration hasn't solved all of women's problems.

 

“We haven't gotten on the dry cleaning thing yet, though. I mean, I know that that's still, that's still frustrating⁶. I'm sure.”

 

That's a reference to the fact that dry cleaners charge more for women's shirts than for men's. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

 

Turkey is seeing an influx⁷ of Syrians who are escaping relentless⁸ shelling in their country. NPR's Grant Clark is monitoring developments from Beirut.

 

Turkish officials say more 2,300 Syrians have streamed into Turkey in the past two days. They joined some 23,000 others already taking refuge there. Activists⁹ say the surge follows a blistering¹⁰ three-day air and ground assault on the small town of Taftanaz. The claim cannot be independently verified, but amateur videos show helicopters firing rockets and a mass grave reportedly discovered after the offensive. Grant Clark, NPR News, Beirut.

 

Cairo's Tahrir Square is again the site of demonstrations¹¹ where people are backing a conservative Islamist who may be disqualified from next month's presidential contests in Egypt, as NPR's Peter Kenyon explains.

 

By Egypt's Arab Spring standards, this was not an especially large rally, but those who came were passionate¹³ in their support for Sheikh Hazem Abu Ismail, who may have run afoul of Egyptian's election law. The law says neither a candidate nor his parents can have any non-Egyptian citizenship¹⁴, and the election commission says Abu Ismail's mother had US citizenship. Those at the rally accused Washington and Egypt's military council of conspiring¹⁵ to keep Islamist candidates off the ballot¹⁶. The biggest beneficiary, if Abu Ismail is disqualified, however, would appear to be the Muslim Brotherhood¹⁷ candidate Khairat al-Shater. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Cairo.

 

Three people are injured, but there are no reports of deaths from today's Navy jet crash in a Virginia Beach residential¹² neighborhood. The aircraft's two aviators¹⁸ ejected.

 

This is NPR News.

 

Fourteen New York City teachers accused of inappropriate behavior with students are still teaching, even though the city attempted to fire them. NPR's Margot Adler reports that an arbitrator overruled the city.

 

Sixteen teachers were identified as behaving badly; two were fired. New York law says teachers have the right to a hearing before an independent arbitrator. The arbitrator gave lesser¹⁹ punishments, fines, formal reprimands and suspensions. The New York Times and The New York Daily News requested documents under the freedom of information law. A few teachers were accused of physical contact that made students uncomfortable, a science teacher rubbing against a student in a lab, a few for emailing or texting inappropriate comments. Some of the teachers said the charges were trumped²⁰ up and they were innocent. The current Schools Chancellor²¹ Dennis Walcott said if he had the power, they would not be teaching, but his hands were tied. Margot Adler, NPR News, New York.

 

A ferry captain is being hailed a hero yet again. Mohamed Gouda was on his way back to New Jersey²² from a New York waterway ferry trip when he spotted²³ an overturned tugboat this morning near Liberty Island. He rescued the three crew members, using cradles dipped into the Hudson River, the same strategy used in the “Miracle on the Hudson” back in 2009. That's when a US Airways²⁴ flight managed to land safely in the Hudson, and Gouda was among those who made sure that everyone made it out safely.

 

Christians²⁵ around the world are observing Good Friday described as a commemoration of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the Vatican, Pope Benedict XVI is expected to deliver a speech at the end of a torch-lit nighttime procession. 

 

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 tally   

n.计数器，记分，一致，测量；vt.计算，记录，使一致；vi.计算，记分，一致

参考例句：

• Don't forget to keep a careful tally of what you spend.别忘了仔细记下你的开支账目。
• The facts mentioned in the report tally to every detail.报告中所提到的事实都丝毫不差。

2 solidify   

v.(使)凝固，(使)固化，(使)团结

参考例句：

• Opinion on this question began to solidify.对这个问题的意见开始具体化了。
• Water will solidify into ice if you freeze it.水冷冻会结冰。

3 gender   

n.（生理上的）性，（名词、代词等的）性

参考例句：

• French differs from English in having gender for all nouns.法语不同于英语，所有的名词都有性。
• Women are sometimes denied opportunities solely because of their gender.妇女有时仅仅因为性别而无法获得种种机会。

4 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

5 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

6 frustrating   

adj.产生挫折的，使人沮丧的，令人泄气的v.使不成功( frustrate的现在分词 )；挫败；使受挫折；令人沮丧

参考例句：

• It's frustrating to have to wait so long. 要等这么长时间，真令人懊恼。
• It was a demeaning and ultimately frustrating experience. 那是一次有失颜面并且令人沮丧至极的经历。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 influx   

n.流入，注入

参考例句：

• The country simply cannot absorb this influx of refugees.这个国家实在不能接纳这么多涌入的难民。
• Textile workers favoured protection because they feared an influx of cheap cloth.纺织工人拥护贸易保护措施，因为他们担心涌入廉价纺织品。

8 relentless   

adj.残酷的，不留情的，无怜悯心的

参考例句：

• The traffic noise is relentless.交通车辆的噪音一刻也不停止。
• Their training has to be relentless.他们的训练必须是无情的。

9 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》

10 blistering   

adj.酷热的；猛烈的；使起疱的；可恶的v.起水疱；起气泡；使受暴晒n.[涂料] 起泡

参考例句：

• The runners set off at a blistering pace. 赛跑运动员如脱缰野马般起跑了。
• This failure is known as preferential wetting and is responsible for blistering. 这种故障称为优先吸湿，是产生气泡的原因。 来自辞典例句

11 demonstrations   

证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威

参考例句：

• Lectures will be interspersed with practical demonstrations. 讲课中将不时插入实际示范。
• The new military government has banned strikes and demonstrations. 新的军人政府禁止罢工和示威活动。

12 residential   

adj.提供住宿的；居住的；住宅的

参考例句：

• The mayor inspected the residential section of the city.市长视察了该市的住宅区。
• The residential blocks were integrated with the rest of the college.住宿区与学院其他部分结合在了一起。

13 passionate   

adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的

参考例句：

• He is said to be the most passionate man.据说他是最有激情的人。
• He is very passionate about the project.他对那个项目非常热心。

14 citizenship   

n.市民权，公民权，国民的义务(身份)

参考例句：

• He was born in Sweden,but he doesn't have Swedish citizenship.他在瑞典出生，但没有瑞典公民身分。
• Ten years later,she chose to take Australian citizenship.十年后，她选择了澳大利亚国籍。

15 conspiring   

密谋( conspire的现在分词 )； 搞阴谋； （事件等）巧合； 共同导致

参考例句：

• They were accused of conspiring against the king. 他们被指控阴谋反对国王。
• John Brown and his associates were tried for conspiring to overthrow the slave states. 约翰·布朗和他的合伙者们由于密谋推翻实行奴隶制度的美国各州而被审讯。

16 ballot   

n.（不记名）投票，投票总数，投票权；vi.投票

参考例句：

• The members have demanded a ballot.会员们要求投票表决。
• The union said they will ballot members on whether to strike.工会称他们将要求会员投票表决是否罢工。

17 brotherhood   

n.兄弟般的关系，手中情谊

参考例句：

• They broke up the brotherhood.他们断绝了兄弟关系。
• They live and work together in complete equality and brotherhood.他们完全平等和兄弟般地在一起生活和工作。

18 aviators   

飞机驾驶员，飞行员( aviator的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Analysis on Sickness Status of 1149 Aviators during Recuperation. 飞行员1149例疗养期间患病情况分析。
• In America the whole scale is too big, except for aviators. 在美国整个景象的比例都太大了，不过对飞行员来说是个例外。

19 lesser   

adj.次要的，较小的；adv.较小地，较少地

参考例句：

• Kept some of the lesser players out.不让那些次要的球员参加联赛。
• She has also been affected,but to a lesser degree.她也受到波及，但程度较轻。

20 trumped   

v.（牌戏）出王牌赢（一牌或一墩）( trump的过去分词 )；吹号公告，吹号庆祝；吹喇叭；捏造

参考例句：

• That woman trumped up various baseless charges against him. 那个女人捏造种种毫无根据的罪名指控他。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Several of his colleagues trumped up a complaint to get him removed from the job. 他的几位同事诬告他，使他丟掉了工作。 来自《简明英汉词典》

21 chancellor   

n.(英)大臣；法官；(德、奥)总理；大学校长

参考例句：

• They submitted their reports to the Chancellor yesterday.他们昨天向财政大臣递交了报告。
• He was regarded as the most successful Chancellor of modern times.他被认为是现代最成功的财政大臣。

22 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。

23 spotted   

adj.有斑点的，斑纹的，弄污了的

参考例句：

• The milkman selected the spotted cows,from among a herd of two hundred.牛奶商从一群200头牛中选出有斑点的牛。
• Sam's shop stocks short spotted socks.山姆的商店屯积了有斑点的短袜。

24 AIRWAYS   

航空公司

参考例句：

• The giant jets that increasingly dominate the world's airways. 越来越称雄于世界航线的巨型喷气机。
• At one point the company bought from Nippon Airways a 727 jet. 有一次公司从日本航空公司买了一架727型喷气机。

25 Christians   

n.基督教徒( Christian的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Christians of all denominations attended the conference. 基督教所有教派的人都出席了这次会议。
• His novel about Jesus caused a furore among Christians. 他关于耶稣的小说激起了基督教徒的公愤。