NPR 2009-10-13

There are fresh signs the Senate could move forward with climate legislation in the next month or two. That would help the Obama administration negotiate an international climate deal in December. NPR’s Richard Harris reports.

Democrat¹ Barbara Boxer² heads a key Senate committee where climate legislation will get its first hearing, and she says she is hoping her committee will pass legislation in the coming weeks. The Obama administration can’t really negotiate an international treaty without knowing how far the Senate is willing to go on climate change, so getting a domestic climate deal is key. And there is another sign the Senate could be ready to move. In Sunday’s New York Times, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Democrat John Kerry of Massachusetts outlined a plan that could garner³ at least modest bipartisan support. That would include more nuclear power, more domestic drilling for oil and gas and ambitious long term targets to cut carbon dioxide emissions⁴. Richard Harris, NPR News, Washington.

On the eve of a crucial Senate vote on efforts to rework healthcare, there is a new insurance industry report warning of large cost associated with the proposed plan. According to the study, the comprehensive Senate bill could add 1,700 dollars a year to the cost of a family’s healthcare coverage⁵ in 2013 while a single person could see the cost of their coverage rise by 600 dollars. The study was commissioned by the group America’s Health Insurance Plans. Senator Max Baucus, the Montana Democrat responsible for the ten-year 829-billion-dollar plan, through his office is calling the report “an insurance industry hatchet⁶ job.”

Data out today shows the world’s central banks are increasingly snubbing dollars in favors of Euros and Yen⁷, forcing the dollar to new record lows. Eleanor Beardsley sends this report.

Barkley’s bank figures show that nations reporting currency breakdowns⁸ have put nearly two thirds of their new cash investment in the last two quarters into Euros and Yen. Until recently they’ve been putting the same amount into the dollar. Foreign companies and officials said the weak dollar is hurting them. Analysts¹⁰ say world leaders are dumping the dollar while the Obama administration shows a willingness to tolerate a weaker currency in an effort to boost American exports. One analyst⁹ said people are buying the Euro not because they want that currency but because they want to get rid of the dollar. He added that he thinks the US will not remain the powerful country that it has been. Still another banker predicted that central banks’ moves away from the dollar are a temporary trend that will reverse once the US Federal Reserve starts raising interest rate from near zero. For NPR News, I’m Eleanor Beardsley in Paris.

Survey released by the National Association for Business Economics finds more than 80% of those polled believe the recession that began in December of 2007 is now over. They say they look for the US economy to expand at a rate of nearly 3% in the second half of this year.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 20 points to end the session at 9,885. The S&P closed up four points. The NASDAQ closed down a fraction today.

This is NPR.

The Taliban is claiming responsibility for a 22-hour attack on Pakistan’s army headquarters over the weekend. Today a suspected suicide car bombing killed at least 41 people as the Taliban has vowed¹¹ to carry out more attacks in the region. Militants¹³ say they’re making good on threats to avenge¹⁴ the killing¹⁵ of Pakistani Taliban Chief Baitullah Mehsud. The pace of militant¹² attack has picked up as the Pakistani army prepares to launch a ground defensive¹⁶ on al-Qaeda fighters in the south Waziristan region of the country.

There are new tensions between Israel and Turkey after Turkey called off an international military drill that was supposed to include Israel. The Turkish foreign minister told CNN the decision was taken to protest Israel’s war last winter in Gaza that killed hundreds of Palestinian civilians¹⁷. Linda Gradstein reports.

The aerial drill was supposed to include the US and NATO as well as Israel. Turkish officials said all international participation¹⁸ was cancelled as a way to protest Israel’s actions in Gaza last winter. A recent report by the United Nations accuses both Israel and Hamas of war crimes during the fighting. Turkey has been Israel’s closest ally in the Muslim world with extensive military trade and tourist exchanges. Israeli analysts said this is believed to be the first time that Turkey’s criticism of Israel has resulted in concrete action. Israeli officials today held an emergency meeting to discuss the crisis between Israel and Turkey. For NPR News, I’m Linda Gradstein in Jerusalem.

It’s not a baseball first, but you can now add the Chicago Cubs¹⁹ to a fairly shortlist. The storied franchise²⁰ has filed for Chapter 11 today as part of the move that will allow the team’s parent company sell the ball club in an anticipated 845-million-dollar deal.

1 democrat   

n.民主主义者，民主人士；民主党党员

参考例句：

• The Democrat and the Public criticized each other.民主党人和共和党人互相攻击。
• About two years later,he was defeated by Democrat Jimmy Carter.大约两年后，他被民主党人杰米卡特击败。

2 boxer   

n.制箱者，拳击手

参考例句：

• The boxer gave his opponent a punch on the nose.这个拳击手朝他对手的鼻子上猛击一拳。
• He moved lightly on his toes like a boxer.他像拳击手一样踮着脚轻盈移动。

3 garner   

v.收藏；取得

参考例句：

• He has garnered extensive support for his proposals.他的提议得到了广泛的支持。
• Squirrels garner nuts for the winter.松鼠为过冬储存松果。

4 emissions   

排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）

参考例句：

• Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
• Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。

5 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。

6 hatchet   

n.短柄小斧；v.扼杀

参考例句：

• I shall have to take a hatchet to that stump.我得用一把短柄斧来劈这树桩。
• Do not remove a fly from your friend's forehead with a hatchet.别用斧头拍打朋友额头上的苍蝇。

7 yen   

n. 日元；热望

参考例句：

• He wanted to convert his dollars into Japanese yen.他想将美元换成日币。
• He has a yen to be alone in a boat.他渴望独自呆在一条船上。

8 breakdowns   

n.分解( breakdown的名词复数 )；衰竭；（车辆或机器的）损坏；统计分析

参考例句：

• Her old car was unreliable, so the trip was plagued by breakdowns. 她的旧车老不听使唤，一路上总是出故障。 来自辞典例句
• How do we prevent these continual breakdowns? 我们如何防止这些一再出现的故障？ 来自辞典例句

9 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

10 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

11 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。

12 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

13 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。

14 avenge   

v.为...复仇，为...报仇

参考例句：

• He swore to avenge himself on the mafia.他发誓说要向黑手党报仇。
• He will avenge the people on their oppressor.他将为人民向压迫者报仇。

15 killing   

n.巨额利润；突然赚大钱，发大财

参考例句：

• Investors are set to make a killing from the sell-off.投资者准备清仓以便大赚一笔。
• Last week my brother made a killing on Wall Street.上个周我兄弟在华尔街赚了一大笔。

16 defensive   

adj.防御的；防卫的；防守的

参考例句：

• Their questions about the money put her on the defensive.他们问到钱的问题，使她警觉起来。
• The Government hastily organized defensive measures against the raids.政府急忙布置了防卫措施抵御空袭。

17 civilians   

平民，百姓( civilian的名词复数 )； 老百姓

参考例句：

• the bloody massacre of innocent civilians 对无辜平民的血腥屠杀
• At least 300 civilians are unaccounted for after the bombing raids. 遭轰炸袭击之后，至少有300名平民下落不明。

18 participation   

n.参与，参加，分享

参考例句：

• Some of the magic tricks called for audience participation.有些魔术要求有观众的参与。
• The scheme aims to encourage increased participation in sporting activities.这个方案旨在鼓励大众更多地参与体育活动。

19 cubs   

n.幼小的兽，不懂规矩的年轻人( cub的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a lioness guarding her cubs 守护幼崽的母狮
• Lion cubs depend on their mother to feed them. 狮子的幼仔依靠母狮喂养。 来自《简明英汉词典》

20 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。