NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2013-12-14

 The House easily passed a bi-partisan budget agreement that will finance the government the next years in cut deficit¹ by 23 billion dollars over the next decade. NPR’s Ailsa Chang reports the measure gets the full backing of House leaders despite harsh criticisms from conservatives. 

The deal reverses many of cross board spending cuts known as sequesters² that was scheduled to get worse next month. And that’s why the conservative groups have been bashing the plan all week. They want the sequester-level spending. The plan also didn’t come close to get cuts to entitlement spending for Republicans, or close tax loopholes for Democrats³. But Republican Paul Ryan from Wisconsin who helped cropped the bargain says everyone has to give something up.

“That’s the nature of compromise. In a divided government, you don’t get everything you want, but I think this bill is a firm step in the right direction. It’s not perfect, it’s a start.”

The Senate plans to take the legislation next week. Ailsa Chang, NPR News, the Capitol. 

 

While Obama administration officials are toning an improvement in the government-held healthcare.gov website, it appears another difficulty remain. The coverage⁴ deadline for one key group is being extending. During a conference called today with reports, House Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is announcing the extension.

“We don't want these folks to experience a coverage gap, so their PCIP benefits will continue to be available for an additional month.”

Sebelius confirmed so-called pre-existing conditioning insurance plan was supposed to disappear January 1 and since the new healthcare launch they’d no longer be able to turn away patience without issues, but some people have problem in enrolling⁵ in new healthcare plans online. 

 

North Korea official news agency is reporting today the uncle of the country’s leader has been executed after military tribunal found him guilty for trying to overthrow⁶ the state. @@ comes just days after it was announced that Chang Song-thaek，served as the mentor⁷ of Kim Jong-un, has been removed from all the posts met allegations of corruption⁸, including drug use, gambling⁹ and womanizing. Chang was long considered to be the second most powerful official in North Korea. 

 

Commerce department’s retail¹⁰ sell increased 0.7% last month. NPR’s Sonari Glinton reports not all retailers¹¹ benefit though. 

The department stores didn’t do so well in November, and gas stations took a hit. But sell of furniture and plants were up. Jack¹² Clemons is with the National Retail Federation¹³, he says that’s a sign of spillover effect of improving housing market.

“People are making investments in their homes and home improvements is largely a reflection of rising prices of their homes and certainly the wealth effect we’ve been seen for the last year and half so in housing market.”

In addition to furniture, electronics were up boosted by sales of new Xbox and new iPhone, and November retail numbers are also solidified¹⁴ by strong sales in cars and trucks. Sonari Glinton, NPR News.

 

On Wall Street, the Dow was down 104, at 15, 739; the S&P500 lost 7 points; the NASDAQ fell 5 points. 

 

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A Montana judge is accepting the guilty plea from Jordan Graham. Graham is a woman is accused of pushing her husband to his death just days after their marriage. Prosecutors¹⁵ contend the 24 years old pushed her 25 years old husband Cody Johnson off a stiff cliff at Glacier¹⁶ National Park because she was having a second thought about the marriage. Graham pleaded guilty to charge of the second grade murder as jurors were sent to their closing argument in the trial, so they think a maximum of live prison. 

 

Facebook-owned photo service Instagram unveiled a new feature today to let its users sent images and messages privately¹⁷. As NPR’s Laura Sydell explains, @@ catch up move for the service. 

 

The new feature called Instagram direct lets users send photos or videos to a single person or up to 15 people. The Instagram app traditionally lets users take share photos with a wide group of followers¹⁸. The app is priced for its variety of special affect filters to color the photos. Facebook purchased Instagram for a billion dollars last year, the a new feature comes as Facebook and Instagram face growing competition from companies such as What’s Up and Snapchat that already led users share content with limited groups. In October, Facebook reported that it would see a decline in daily use by younger teenagers in the US. Laura Sydell, NPR News, San Francisco. 

 

You think the vehicles on the American roadways just keep getting more fuel-efficient. Well you right. That’s based on the latest mile figures from US government. According to Environment Protection Agency, with trucks fuel efficiency, new US cars and trucks sold last year average 23.6 miles per gallon, a new record. That was manufactured the best overall oil efficiency just over 27 miles per gallon. 

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 sequesters   

v.使隔绝，使隔离( sequester的第三人称单数 )；扣押

参考例句：

• The dentist sequesters the tooth he is working on. 牙科医生把他正研究的牙齿隔开了。 来自互联网

3 democrats   

n.民主主义者，民主人士( democrat的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The Democrats held a pep rally on Capitol Hill yesterday. 民主党昨天在国会山召开了竞选誓师大会。
• The democrats organize a filibuster in the senate. 民主党党员组织了阻挠议事。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 coverage   

n.报导，保险范围，保险额，范围，覆盖

参考例句：

• There's little coverage of foreign news in the newspaper.报纸上几乎没有国外新闻报道。
• This is an insurance policy with extensive coverage.这是一项承保范围广泛的保险。

5 enrolling   

v.招收( enrol的现在分词 )；吸收；入学；加入；[亦作enrol]( enroll的现在分词 )；登记，招收，使入伍（或入会、入学等），参加，成为成员；记入名册；卷起，包起

参考例句：

• They lashed out at the university enrolling system. 他们猛烈抨击大学的招生制度。 来自辞典例句
• You're enrolling in a country club, Billy. 你是注册加入乡村俱乐部了，比利。 来自辞典例句

6 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

7 mentor   

n.指导者，良师益友；v.指导

参考例句：

• He fed on the great ideas of his mentor.他以他导师的伟大思想为支撑。
• He had mentored scores of younger doctors.他指导过许多更年轻的医生。

8 corruption   

n.腐败，堕落，贪污

参考例句：

• The people asked the government to hit out against corruption and theft.人民要求政府严惩贪污盗窃。
• The old man reviled against corruption.那老人痛斥了贪污舞弊。

9 gambling   

n.赌博；投机

参考例句：

• They have won a lot of money through gambling.他们赌博赢了很多钱。
• The men have been gambling away all night.那些人赌了整整一夜。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

12 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

13 federation   

n.同盟，联邦，联合，联盟，联合会

参考例句：

• It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
• Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

14 solidified   

（使）成为固体，（使）变硬，（使）变得坚固( solidify的过去式和过去分词 )； 使团结一致； 充实，巩固； 具体化

参考例句：

• Her attitudes solidified through privilege and habit. 由于特权和习惯使然，她的看法变得越来越难以改变。
• When threatened, he fires spheres of solidified air from his launcher! 当危险来临，他就会发射它的弹药！

15 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

16 glacier   

n.冰川，冰河

参考例句：

• The glacier calved a large iceberg.冰河崩解而形成一个大冰山。
• The upper surface of glacier is riven by crevasses.冰川的上表面已裂成冰隙。

17 privately   

adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地

参考例句：

• Some ministers admit privately that unemployment could continue to rise.一些部长私下承认失业率可能继续升高。
• The man privately admits that his motive is profits.那人私下承认他的动机是为了牟利。

18 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。