Suspicious Powder Discovered on Capitol Hill

Suspicious Powder Discovered on Capitol Hill

Deborah Tate

Three U.S. Senate office buildings are closed, and congressional business has been disrupted a day after a suspicious powder, believed to be the poison, ricin, was discovered on Capitol Hill.

Authorities are awaiting definitive¹ results from tests conducted on the white substance found in a mailroom in the Dirksen Senate Office Building Monday. Eight tests on the material have already been done, and six of them came back positive for ricin.

Although Senate office buildings closed as a precautionary measure, the Senate is in session. Senator majority leader Bill Frist spoke² on the senator floor, "Somebody, in all likelihood, manufactured this with the intent to harm, and this is a criminal investigation³ that will be under way,"

The Capitol building is open, although public tours have been canceled. House office buildings are also open. Mail delivery to Capitol Hill has been suspended.

Senator Frist said it appears the contamination has been isolated⁴. "All air sampling, all environmental studies are negative with the exception of what was found in that single office at that site."

But suspicious powder was also found at a postal⁵ facility in Connecticut, where anthrax spores⁶ were found in 2001. A series of anthrax-tainted letters were mailed to locations in the eastern United States that year, including to Senators Tom Daschle and Patrick Leahy. Five people died. No one has been arrested in those incidents.

No illnesses have been reported in connection with the discovery of the white substance on Capitol Hill, or in Connecticut.

Inhaling⁸ significant quantities of ricin can result in death within a day or two. There is no known antidote⁹.

 

注释：

disrupt [dis5rQpt] v. 使中断

ricin [5raisin] n. 篦麻毒素

Capitol Hill  国会山

definitive [di5finitiv] adj. 最后的

Dirksen Senate Office Building  德克森参议院办公大楼

precautionary measure  防范措施

in session  在开会

under way  进行中

Capitol [5kApitEl] n. 国会大厦

contamination [kEn7tAmi5neiFEn] n. 污染，污染物

air sampling  空气取样

anthrax spores  炭疽孢子

taint⁷ [teint] vt. 使污染

inhale¹⁰ [in5heil] vt. 吸入

antidote [5AntidEut] n. 解毒药

 

1 definitive   

adj.确切的，权威性的；最后的，决定性的

参考例句：

• This book is the definitive guide to world cuisine.这本书是世界美食的权威指南。
• No one has come up with a definitive answer as to why this should be so.至于为什么该这样，还没有人给出明确的答复。

2 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

3 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

4 isolated   

adj.与世隔绝的

参考例句：

• His bad behaviour was just an isolated incident. 他的不良行为只是个别事件。
• Patients with the disease should be isolated. 这种病的患者应予以隔离。

5 postal   

adj.邮政的，邮局的

参考例句：

• A postal network now covers the whole country.邮路遍及全国。
• Remember to use postal code.勿忘使用邮政编码。

6 spores   

n.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的名词复数 )v.（细菌、苔藓、蕨类植物）孢子( spore的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Ferns, mosses and fungi spread by means of spores. 蕨类植物、苔藓和真菌通过孢子传播蔓生。
• Spores form a lipid membrane during the process of reproducing. 孢于在生殖过程中形成类脂膜。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 预防生物武器

7 taint   

n.污点；感染；腐坏；v.使感染；污染

参考例句：

• Everything possible should be done to free them from the economic taint.应尽可能把他们从经济的腐蚀中解脱出来。
• Moral taint has spread among young people.道德的败坏在年轻人之间蔓延。

8 inhaling   

v.吸入( inhale的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• He was treated for the effects of inhaling smoke. 他因吸入烟尘而接受治疗。 来自辞典例句
• The long-term effects of inhaling contaminated air is unknown. 长期吸入被污染空气的影响还无从知晓。 来自互联网

9 antidote   

n.解毒药，解毒剂

参考例句：

• There is no known antidote for this poison.这种毒药没有解药。
• Chinese physicians used it as an antidote for snake poison.中医师用它来解蛇毒。

10 inhale   

v.吸入(气体等)，吸(烟)

参考例句：

• Don't inhale dust into your lung.别把灰尘吸进肺里。
• They are pleased to not inhale second hand smoke.他们很高兴他们再也不会吸到二手烟了。