NPR 2008-06-22

Representatives from the US and other nations are gathering¹ in Saudi Arabia for an energy summit aimed at easing high oil costs. Saudi officials say there is no shortage of supplies, so speculators must be behind the run-up in prices. But Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman, who is representing the US, has reportedly said insufficient² production, not speculators, is the problem. That  thought was echoed today by President Bush. "The fundamental problem behind high gas prices is that the supply of oil has not kept up with the rising demand across the world. One obvious solution is, for America, to increase our domestic oil production." Mr. Bush, speaking in his weekly radio address today, blamed Congressional Democrats³ for failing to approve legislation to boost domestic oil production. But the Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee Nick Rahall of West Virginia said Mr. Bush's proposal for off-shore drilling is not the answer. "This proposal will not bring the type of relief Americans deserve at the pump. " In the Democrats’ radio address, Rahall said a substantial amount of federal land is already available for drilling, but sits unused by the oil industry.

Chevron⁴ says the company is shutting down its on-shore oil production in Nigeria. The move comes after an attack on a Chevron pipeline⁵ there, the second such attack this week. NPR's Ofeibea Quist-Arcton reports.

The latest attack in a matter of days in Nigeria's restive⁶ oil-producing region has caused major disruption to crude oil output. The Chevron pipeline, which normally handles about 100, 000 barrels a day, was blown up near Escravos in the Niger Delta⁷. This is the region where armed militants⁸ launched a campaign two years ago, vowing⁹ to sabotage¹⁰ the oil industry and demanding more local control of Nigeria's considerable petroleum¹¹ revenues. The government has tightened¹² security at oil installations after an audacious attack on Shell's main off-shore oil field Thursday. A wave of sabotage raids in Nigeria, the world's eighth largest exporter, has cut production by a fifth since early 2006. This has helped to push world crude prices to record highs. Ofeibea Quist-Arcton, NPR News, Johannesburg.

A deal has been reached to reopen the import of American beef to South Korea. NPR's Anthony Kuhn reports from Beijing.

Trade Minister Kim Jong-hoon returned to Seoul today and told reporters that he'd reached a deal with US chief trade negotiator, Susan Schwab. Kim said that the US also gave his government the right to inspect US slaughterhouses. The US Meat Export Federation¹³ agreed that its members would not export beef from older cattle. South Korea will also not import beef brains, eyes, spinal¹⁴ cords or other beef parts considered at risk of carrying mad cow disease. The political impact of the deal is not yet clear. The main coalition¹⁵ of civic¹⁶ groups behind massive recent street protests is apparently¹⁷ not satisfied with the deal. Anthony Kuhn, NPR News, Beijing.

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The weather is cooperating for a change in the Midwest where work crews have been fortifying¹⁸ levees and sandbag walls until the flood crest¹⁹ on the rain-swollen Mississippi River dissipates. The flooding and severe weather in the region are being blamed for at least two dozen deaths and billions of dollars in damage to farmland. The flooding is already pushing corn and other food commodity prices to record highs. Barge²⁰ traffic remains²¹ halted on a 200-mile stretch of the Mississippi.

Five western soldiers have been killed in Afghanistan today and a half dozen others were wounded. NPR's Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson reports from Kabul.

NATO says four US coalition-led soldiers were killed by a roadside bomb this morning in Zhari district outside Kandahar City in southern Afghanistan. The site is near Arghandab district, from which Afghan and Canadian troops drove out Taliban fighters earlier in the week. The militants had taken over several villages after freeing hundreds of their comrades in a jail break in nearby Kandahar City. The fifth NATO soldier who was killed today was Polish. He was killed in a roadside bombing in Paktika province in eastern Afghanistan. It's been a particularly bloody²² week for coalition troops. Bombs, rockets and gunfire over the past few days killed at least four Americans, as well as four British soldiers. Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson, NPR News, Kabul.

The heat wave gripping much of the California coastline is showing no sign of relenting. Triple-digit temperatures are being reported in several areas of the state today. The hot weather is creating peak demand for electricity. A spokesman for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power says the system there is under, what he said was, “tremendous strain”.

1 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

2 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。

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 chevron   

n.V形臂章；V形图案

参考例句：

• He wore shoulderstrap rank slides with sergeant's chevrons.他佩戴标示级别的肩章，上面有中士的V形标志。
• The chevron or arrow road sign indicates a sharp bend to the left or right.V形或箭头路标表示有向左或向右的急转弯。

5 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。

6 restive   

adj.不安宁的，不安静的

参考例句：

• The government has done nothing to ease restrictions and manufacturers are growing restive.政府未采取任何措施放松出口限制,因此国内制造商变得焦虑不安。
• The audience grew restive.观众变得不耐烦了。

7 delta   

n.（流的）角洲

参考例句：

• He has been to the delta of the Nile.他曾去过尼罗河三角洲。
• The Nile divides at its mouth and forms a delta.尼罗河在河口分岔，形成了一个三角洲。

8 militants   

激进分子，好斗分子( militant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The militants have been sporadically fighting the government for years. 几年来，反叛分子一直对政府实施零星的战斗。
• Despite the onslaught, Palestinian militants managed to fire off rockets. 尽管如此，巴勒斯坦的激进分子仍然发射导弹。

9 vowing   

起誓，发誓（vow的现在分词形式）

参考例句：

• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild its collapsed bridge. 布什总统承诺将帮助明尼阿波利斯重建坍塌的大桥。
• President Bush is vowing to help Minneapolis rebuild this collapse bridge. 布什总统发誓要帮助明尼阿波利斯重建起这座坍塌的桥梁。

10 sabotage   

n.怠工，破坏活动，破坏；v.从事破坏活动，妨害，破坏

参考例句：

• They tried to sabotage my birthday party.他们企图破坏我的生日晚会。
• The fire at the factory was caused by sabotage.那家工厂的火灾是有人蓄意破坏引起的。

11 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

12 tightened   

收紧( tighten的过去式和过去分词 )； （使）变紧； （使）绷紧； 加紧

参考例句：

• The rope holding the boat suddenly tightened and broke. 系船的绳子突然绷断了。
• His index finger tightened on the trigger but then relaxed again. 他的食指扣住扳机，然后又松开了。

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 spinal   

adj.针的，尖刺的，尖刺状突起的；adj.脊骨的，脊髓的

参考例句：

• After three days in Japan,the spinal column becomes extraordinarily flexible.在日本三天，就已经使脊椎骨变得富有弹性了。
• Your spinal column is made up of 24 movable vertebrae.你的脊柱由24个活动的脊椎骨构成。

15 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。

16 civic   

adj.城市的，都市的，市民的，公民的

参考例句：

• I feel it is my civic duty to vote.我认为投票选举是我作为公民的义务。
• The civic leaders helped to forward the project.市政府领导者协助促进工程的进展。

17 apparently   

adv.显然地；表面上，似乎

参考例句：

• An apparently blind alley leads suddenly into an open space.山穷水尽，豁然开朗。
• He was apparently much surprised at the news.他对那个消息显然感到十分惊异。

18 fortifying   

筑防御工事于( fortify的现在分词 )； 筑堡于； 增强； 强化（食品）

参考例句：

• Fortifying executive function and restraining impulsivity are possible with active interventions. 积极干预可能有助加强执行功能和抑制冲动性。
• Vingo stopped looking, tightening his face, fortifying himself against still another disappointment. 文戈不再张望，他绷紧脸，仿佛正在鼓足勇气准备迎接另一次失望似的。

19 crest   

n.顶点；饰章；羽冠；vt.达到顶点；vi.形成浪尖

参考例句：

• The rooster bristled his crest.公鸡竖起了鸡冠。
• He reached the crest of the hill before dawn.他于黎明前到达山顶。

20 barge   

n.平底载货船，驳船

参考例句：

• The barge was loaded up with coal.那艘驳船装上了煤。
• Carrying goods by train costs nearly three times more than carrying them by barge.通过铁路运货的成本比驳船运货成本高出近3倍。

21 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。

22 bloody   

adj.非常的的；流血的；残忍的；adv.很；vt.血染

参考例句：

• He got a bloody nose in the fight.他在打斗中被打得鼻子流血。
• He is a bloody fool.他是一个十足的笨蛋。