NPR美国国家公共电台 NPR 2014-03-05

 How to handle Russia's military intervention¹ in Ukraine, that's what President Obama says US and its allies are studying. NPR's Scott Horsley reports Mr Obama says Russia will pay a price for violating international law. 

President Obama vowed² to continue diplomatic efforts aimed at isolating³ Russia, even as Russian troops solidified⁴ their hold on the Ukrainian territory of Crimea. The US and other leading countries has suspended preparations for a G8 summit meeting in Russia in summer. Obama says they are also weighing economic sanctions in response to Russia's military movement.

'The strong condemnation⁵ that proceeds from countries around the world, indicates a degree which Russia is on wrong side of history on this.'

Secretary of State Kerry is visiting Ukrainian capital of Kiev and show support this week. Obama also urge Congress to OK an aid package for Ukraine's fragile economy. Scott Horsley NPR News, Washington. 

 

 

While a winter misery⁶ across a large swathe of US today after another storm moved in dumping ice and snow on a broad area of the mid-western and east coast, our forecasters rained in their storm projections⁷. The Baltimore Washington D.C. have already got 48 inches of snow before results setting down. New Jersey⁸ saw half a foot of snow today. Delaware also saw 48 inches of snow. More than 27,000 airline flights around the country were cancelled today.  

 

 

Harsh winter weather is also having an effect on the economy. Cold weather push down sales while boosting trucks and SUV sales. Spending rose in January, but the increase came largely from higher heating bills. NPR's * has more.

The Commerce Department says spending rose by 4/10 of recent. That increase reflected a jumping spending on services that was mainly from higher spending on heating bills. CB with Kelley Blue Books says the weather also pushed up sales of trucks and SUV brands, such as  * and the Ford⁹ f450. 

'Those brands sell vehicles that are actually appealing to people who are stuck in a polar vortex looking for some form of escape or at least a tool to help them battle it.'

Overall spending on durable¹⁰ goods, such as car fell, nondurable goods covering clothing and food dropped by 7/10 of a percent. *, NPR News.

 

 

Nation's manufacturers say activity picked up somewhat in February. The Institute for Supply Management key purchasing managers grow. So its manufacturing index was up just under 2 points, harshly reviving a 5 * depth of the previous month. At 53.2, the index is above the level that shows expansion in manufacturing rather than contraction¹¹. Report data coincides with data showing China's manufacturing sector¹² cooling somewhat though.

 

 

On Wall Street, stocks have a tumble today as tensions increase over Russia's intervention in Ukraine. The Dow Jones Industrial Average down 153 points to 16,168. The NASDAQ fell 30 points. The S&P 500 closed down 13 points today. 

 

 

You are listening to NPR News in Washington.

 

 

With the ban over the proposed XL pipeline¹³ expected to come to an end sometime within the next few months, Mineral groups say they now plan to broaden their focus to include the possible loosing of curbs¹⁴ by the administration, US oil and gas exports. Some environmental groups are concerned that President Obama lifts the decades oil ban on US crude exports, and could undercut promises made to deal with climate change. TransCanada Cooperation pipeline will move around * 1,000 barrels of oil a day from Canada to US refineries¹⁵. 

 

 

New analysis of the national park service says communities adjacent to parks lost more than $400 m in visitors' spending during the two-week government shutdown last October. NPR's Howard Berkes reports an estimated 8 m people would've visited national parks during the shutdown.

The estimates are based on visitation numbers and tourism revenues for three previous Octobers. National Park service statisticians then figure what the the visitation and spending should have been during the 16 days gates were closed. Communities in North Carolina and Tennessee depending on the Great Smoky Mountains National Park were hit hardest, with estimated losses of more than 300,000 visitors and  $25 m. Grand Canyon¹⁶, the K  * and Yellowstone were closed behind. The impact in some areas was blunted, when state officials provided state, local and private funding to get park to reopen during the government shut down. Howard Berkes NPR News.

 

 

In Bowling¹⁷ Green Kentucky, the home of the National Corvette Museum, they now recovered the first-made classic vehicle swallowed up when a portion of the museum's floor caved in. Cheers erupted as the car, classic blue 2009 ZR1 cranked up, and drove a few feet away and resume power. Online video showed a portion of the museum's floor opening up with giant sinkhole. The cars fell into the 40-foot wide hole. 

1 intervention   

n.介入，干涉，干预

参考例句：

• The government's intervention in this dispute will not help.政府对这场争论的干预不会起作用。
• Many people felt he would be hostile to the idea of foreign intervention.许多人觉得他会反对外来干预。

2 vowed   

起誓，发誓（vow的过去式与过去分词形式）

参考例句：

• He vowed quite solemnly that he would carry out his promise. 他非常庄严地发誓要实现他的诺言。
• I vowed to do more of the cooking myself. 我发誓自己要多动手做饭。

3 isolating   

adj.孤立的，绝缘的v.使隔离( isolate的现在分词 )；将…剔出（以便看清和单独处理）；使（某物质、细胞等）分离；使离析

参考例句：

• Colour filters are not very effective in isolating narrow spectral bands. 一些滤色片不能很有效地分离狭窄的光谱带。 来自辞典例句
• This became known as the streak method for isolating bacteria. 这个方法以后就称为分离细菌的划线法。 来自辞典例句

4 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！

5 condemnation   

n.谴责; 定罪

参考例句：

• There was widespread condemnation of the invasion. 那次侵略遭到了人们普遍的谴责。
• The jury's condemnation was a shock to the suspect. 陪审团宣告有罪使嫌疑犯大为震惊。

6 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

7 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

8 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。

9 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。

10 durable   

adj.持久的，耐久的

参考例句：

• This raincoat is made of very durable material.这件雨衣是用非常耐用的料子做的。
• They frequently require more major durable purchases.他们经常需要购买耐用消费品。

11 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

12 sector   

n.部门，部分；防御地段，防区；扇形

参考例句：

• The export sector will aid the economic recovery. 出口产业将促进经济复苏。
• The enemy have attacked the British sector.敌人已进攻英国防区。

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 curbs   

v.限制，克制，抑制( curb的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• In executing his functions he is not bound by any legal curbs on his power. 在他履行职务时，他的权力是不受任何法律约束的。 来自辞典例句
• Curbs on air travel were being worked out and would shortly be announced. 限制航空旅行的有关规定正在拟定中，不久即将公布。 来自辞典例句

15 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。

16 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

17 bowling   

n.保龄球运动

参考例句：

• Bowling is a popular sport with young and old.保龄球是老少都爱的运动。
• Which sport do you 1ike most,golf or bowling?你最喜欢什么运动，高尔夫还是保龄球？