NPR 2012-05-15

 The political tug-of-war(拔河) in Greece is threatening to unravel¹ Greece’s bailout arrangement with its EU and IMF partners, which could cause a ripple² effect through global markets. They’re struggling to form a coalition³ government, without that, new elections will have to be held next month.

 

 

Before the close on Wall Street, we see the Dow down 125 points, nearly 1% at 12,695; Nasdaq and S&P 500 already down 1%.

 

 

JP Morgan Chase’s Chief Investment Officer is the first so far the bank’s highest ranking casualty of the $2 billion trading loss announced last week. NPR’s Sonari Glinton has more on the announcement that Ina Drew is retiring.

Ina Drew who worked at JP Morgan for more than 30 years will retire, that’s according to a statement from JP Morgan. In addition, two of Drew’s direct employees based in London are also expected to leave. Drew’s departure comes after her unit, which was responsible for managing derivatives⁴ tied to the creditworthiness of bonds had at least a $2 billion loss. The failed hedging strategy has renewed calls for tight regulations from Congress. The company’s CEO Jamie Dimon is expected to address JP Morgan’s annual meeting on Tuesday. Sonari Glinton, NPR news.

 

 

Rastan, Syria coming under heavy military shelling today, according to this amateur recording⁵ that could not be independently verified. But there’ve been various reports from anti-government activists⁷ in the town, who say hospitals are overwhelmed with people wounded in the latest reported clashes. The unrest is spilling across the border in Lebanon. The uprising continues to inflame⁸ sectarian conflict in Turkey. There are renewed concerns about the safety of refugee camps.

 

 

Weeks of mass hunger strike among Palestinians in Israeli prisons appear to be over. NPR’s Lourdes Garcia-Navarro reports that inmates⁹ agree to a deal in which hundreds of Palestinian inmates, some of whom were near death, are expected to see their prison conditions improved.

Some of the hunger strikers have not been eating for over 70 days, making this the longest strike ever by Palestinians and certainly the largest. At least 1,200 Palestinians have participated in the protest, and it’s had an effect. The deal signed at Israeli prison will see increase family visitation rights for prisoners from the Gaza Strip and an end to solitary¹⁰ confinement¹¹ among the initial demands where an end to the use of administrative¹² detention¹³, in which Palestinian prisoners can be held infinitely¹⁴ without charge, Israel though, will continue the controversial practice. Apart from helping¹⁵ to end the strike and improve the life of Palestinian prisoners, the deal say activist⁶ shows that the Palestinians push towards non-violent resistance. It’s having an effect. Lourdes Garcia-Navarro, NPR news.

 

 

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Ron Paul is shifting gear in his bid for the presidency¹⁶ in a statement today. The candidate announces he will stop spending money on campaigning. From now on, the favorite libertarians will fight for delegates. But that’s likely to prove insurmountable(难以对付的). The GOP’s presumptive nominee¹⁷ is Mitt¹⁸ Romney. He is 178 delegates shy of the number he needs to clinch¹⁹ the republican nomination²⁰ by the start of the convention in Tampa.

 

 

Florida A&M University’s renowned²¹ marching band is being suspended until next year, FA&M President James Ammons notifies the school’s Board of Trustees today of his decision as 17 band members face felony hazing²² charges, two others face misdemeanor counts in connection with the death of a fellow band member, Robert Champion last November.

 

 

There are some changes among the most popular names for babies in the United States. Sophia has edged up Isabella to top of the list of popular girl’s names last year. As compiled by the Social Security Administration, NPR’s Craig Windham reports there is only one new name in the top ten on either list.

It’s not Billy or William, that’s the number three name for boys, it’s Mason, number two on the list of boy’s names, knocking Mike out of the top five for the first time in decades. And where did Mason come from? Well, some point to reality TV star Kardashian, who gave birth to his son Mason, after a highly publicized pregnancy²³. The top boy’s name remains²⁴ Jacob for the 13 straight years, rounding up the top five for boys Jaden and Noah, and for girls, Emma, Olivia and Eva. Craig Windham, NPR news, Washington.

1 unravel   

v.弄清楚（秘密）；拆开，解开，松开

参考例句：

• He was good with his hands and could unravel a knot or untangle yarn that others wouldn't even attempt.他的手很灵巧，其他人甚至都不敢尝试的一些难解的绳结或缠在一起的纱线，他都能解开。
• This is the attitude that led him to unravel a mystery that long puzzled Chinese historians.正是这种态度使他解决了长期以来使中国历史学家们大惑不解的谜。

2 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

3 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

4 derivatives   

n.衍生性金融商品；派生物，引出物( derivative的名词复数 )；导数

参考例句：

• Many English words are derivatives of Latin words. 许多英语词来自拉丁语。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• These compounds are nitrosohydroxylamine derivatives. 这类合成物是亚硝基羟胺衍生物。 来自辞典例句

5 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

6 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。

7 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》

8 inflame   

v.使燃烧；使极度激动；使发炎

参考例句：

• Our lack of response seemed to inflame the colonel.由于我们没有反应,好象惹恼了那个上校。
• Chemical agents manufactured by our immune system inflame our cells and tissues,causing our nose to run and our throat to swell.我们的免疫系统产生的化学物质导致我们的细胞和组织发炎，导致我们流鼻水和我们的喉咙膨胀。

9 inmates   

n.囚犯( inmate的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• One of the inmates has escaped. 被收容的人中有一个逃跑了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The inmates were moved to an undisclosed location. 监狱里的囚犯被转移到一个秘密处所。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 solitary   

adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士

参考例句：

• I am rather fond of a solitary stroll in the country.我颇喜欢在乡间独自徜徉。
• The castle rises in solitary splendour on the fringe of the desert.这座城堡巍然耸立在沙漠的边际，显得十分壮美。

11 confinement   

n.幽禁，拘留，监禁；分娩；限制，局限

参考例句：

• He spent eleven years in solitary confinement.他度过了11年的单独监禁。
• The date for my wife's confinement was approaching closer and closer.妻子分娩的日子越来越近了。

12 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

13 detention   

n.滞留，停留；拘留，扣留；(教育)留下

参考例句：

• He was kept in detention by the police.他被警察扣留了。
• He was in detention in connection with the bribery affair.他因与贿赂事件有牵连而被拘留了。

14 infinitely   

adv.无限地，无穷地

参考例句：

• There is an infinitely bright future ahead of us.我们有无限光明的前途。
• The universe is infinitely large.宇宙是无限大的。

15 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

16 presidency   

n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期)

参考例句：

• Roosevelt was elected four times to the presidency of the United States.罗斯福连续当选四届美国总统。
• Two candidates are emerging as contestants for the presidency.两位候选人最终成为总统职位竞争者。

17 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。

18 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。

19 clinch   

v.敲弯，钉牢；确定；扭住对方 [参]clench

参考例句：

• Clinch the boards together.用钉子把木板钉牢在一起。
• We don't accept us dollars,please Swiss francs to clinch a deal business.我方不收美元，请最好用瑞士法郎来成交生意。

20 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。

21 renowned   

adj.著名的，有名望的，声誉鹊起的

参考例句：

• He is one of the world's renowned writers.他是世界上知名的作家之一。
• She is renowned for her advocacy of human rights.她以提倡人权而闻名。

22 hazing   

n.受辱，被欺侮v.（使）笼罩在薄雾中( haze的现在分词 )；戏弄，欺凌（新生等，有时作为加入美国大学生联谊会的条件）

参考例句：

• With labor, the hazing period ends. 费了好大力气，痛苦的时期终于过了。 来自互联网
• A high-gloss paint surface is one that directly reflects light with minimum hazing or diffusion. 高度光洁的漆表面可以直接反射光源。 来自互联网

23 pregnancy   

n.怀孕，怀孕期

参考例句：

• Early pregnancy is often accompanied by nausea.怀孕早期常有恶心的现象。
• Smoking during pregnancy increases the risk of miscarriage.怀孕期吸烟会增加流产的危险。

24 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。