NPR 2009-4-30

The World Health Organization today raised its pandemic flu alert level to five, its second highest threat level. As it says the number of confirmed swine flu cases in the US has now risen to 94 with health officials also reporting the first death in the US related to the disease, a 22-month-old boy from Mexico who died in Texas. In Texas there have been 16 confirmed cases of swine flu. State's governor today moved to issue a disaster declaration for the entire state and also postponed¹ all high school athletic² competition through May 11th. Cases of the new strain of the flu have now been reported in a total of 11 US states. Viruses are suspected in the deaths of at least 159 people in Mexico.

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano says closing US border with Mexico would not stop the spread of swine flu. Napolitano was questioned by members of the Senate Committee on the government's handling of the outbreak. NPR's Brain Naylor has more.

Napolitano's told members of the Senate Homeland Security Committee that the government had shipped stocks of antiviral medicines to states with active flu outbreaks and those on the southwest border. But she said closing the border would not prevent further spread of the disease.

"Making such a closure right now has not been merited by the facts, would have very very little marginal benefit in terms of containing the actual outbreak of virus within our own country."

There was also skepticism about the use of thermal³ imaging devices deployed⁴ at some Asian airports to detect people carrying the flu. A CDC official testified the scanners are not effective because many people carry the disease but do not yet have a fever. Brain Naylor, NPR News, Washington.

President Obama says he is pleased but not satisfied with the progress his administration has made in its first 100 days in office. NPR's Scott Horsley has more.

President Obama marked the mini-milestone with a town hall meeting in Missouri, saying he wanted to give a progress report to people in the middle of the country where he said common sense reigns⁵. Mr. Obama cheered accomplishments⁶ like passage of the economic stimulus⁷ bill and expanded health insurance for children. But he said real progress on the economy, health care and other challenges can't be measured in just 100 days.

"The crisis that we are confronting was many years in the making. It will take us time to overcome. We've come a long way, we can see the light on the horizon but we've got a much longer journey ahead."

The town hall meeting was a warm-up of source. Later tonight, Mr. Obama will answer reporters' questions about his first 100 days during a prime time news conference. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.

On Wall Street today, the Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 168 points, ending the session at 8,185. The NASDAQ gained 38 points to close at 1,711. The Standard & Poor's 500 was up 18 points to close at 873.

This is NPR.

Bank of America shareholders⁸ have decided⁹ that Ken¹⁰ Lewis won't be keeping his job as chairman of the Charlotte-based bank, though Lewis will retain his title of CEO. That decision came from Bank of America shareholders at the firm's annual meeting today. Lewis will also keep his seat on the board. The change in Lewis' job title comes after a proposal to change the company's bylaws was approved. Bank of America has been under intense scrutiny¹¹ in recent months after became one of the biggest recipients¹² of government support after its acquisition of struggling Merrill Lynch.

A fifth individual convicted of plotting to kill US military personnel at Fort Dix, New Jersey¹³ has been handed a 33-year prison sentence. 25-year-old Philadelphia convenience store clerk Serdar Tatar has been less involved than the other four convicted in the plot. All of them were handed life sentences. They were accused of apparently¹⁴ plotting to attack Fort Dix and kill army personnel.

Lebanese authorities released four generals suspected involved in the 2005 assassination¹⁵ of a former Lebanese prime minister. Ben Gilbert reports from Beirut.

Hezbollah has long called for the release of the four generals, arguing that their imprisonment¹⁶ had more to do with politics than with facts in the case against them. Now the court test with trying the suspects in the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri agrees with Hezbollah, at least partially¹⁷. The presiding judge at the special tribunal for Lebanon ordered the four generals' release from prison due to lack of evidence. The pro-Syrian generals have been held for more than three years. Fireworks and automatic gun fire erupted from parts of Beirut as the announcement was made on TV. Lebanon's parliamentary leader and Rafik Hariri's son Saad Hariri said he would respect the court's decision. For NPR News, I'm Ben Gilbert in Beirut.

1 postponed   

vt.& vi.延期，缓办，（使）延迟vt.把…放在次要地位；[语]把…放在后面（或句尾）vi.（疟疾等）延缓发作（或复发）

参考例句：

• The trial was postponed indefinitely. 审讯无限期延迟。
• The game has already been postponed three times. 这场比赛已经三度延期了。

2 athletic   

adj.擅长运动的，强健的；活跃的，体格健壮的

参考例句：

• This area has been marked off for athletic practice.这块地方被划出来供体育训练之用。
• He is an athletic star.他是一个运动明星。

3 thermal   

adj.热的，由热造成的；保暖的

参考例句：

• They will build another thermal power station.他们要另外建一座热能发电站。
• Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

4 deployed   

（尤指军事行动）使展开( deploy的过去式和过去分词 )； 施展； 部署； 有效地利用

参考例句：

• Tanks have been deployed all along the front line. 沿整个前线已部署了坦克。
• The artillery was deployed to bear on the fort. 火炮是对着那个碉堡部署的。

5 reigns   

n.君主的统治( reign的名词复数 )；君主统治时期；任期；当政期

参考例句：

• In these valleys night reigns. 夜色笼罩着那些山谷。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The Queen of Britain reigns, but she does not rule or govern. 英国女王是国家元首，但不治国事。 来自辞典例句

6 accomplishments   

n.造诣；完成( accomplishment的名词复数 )；技能；成绩；成就

参考例句：

• It was one of the President's greatest accomplishments. 那是总统最伟大的成就之一。
• Among her accomplishments were sewing,cooking,playing the piano and dancing. 她的才能包括缝纫、烹调、弹钢琴和跳舞。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

7 stimulus   

n.刺激，刺激物，促进因素，引起兴奋的事物

参考例句：

• Regard each failure as a stimulus to further efforts.把每次失利看成对进一步努力的激励。
• Light is a stimulus to growth in plants.光是促进植物生长的一个因素。

8 shareholders   

n.股东( shareholder的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The meeting was attended by 90% of shareholders. 90%的股东出席了会议。
• the company's fiduciary duty to its shareholders 公司对股东负有的受托责任

9 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

10 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

11 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

12 recipients   

adj.接受的；受领的；容纳的；愿意接受的n.收件人；接受者；受领者；接受器

参考例句：

• The recipients of the prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者的姓名登在报上。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The recipients of prizes had their names printed in the paper. 获奖者名单登在报上。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

13 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。

14 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。

15 assassination   

n.暗杀；暗杀事件

参考例句：

• The assassination of the president brought matters to a head.总统遭暗杀使事态到了严重关头。
• Lincoln's assassination in 1865 shocked the whole nation.1865年，林肯遇刺事件震惊全美国。

16 imprisonment   

n.关押，监禁，坐牢

参考例句：

• His sentence was commuted from death to life imprisonment.他的判决由死刑减为无期徒刑。
• He was sentenced to one year's imprisonment for committing bigamy.他因为犯重婚罪被判入狱一年。

17 partially   

adv.部分地，从某些方面讲

参考例句：

• The door was partially concealed by the drapes.门有一部分被门帘遮住了。
• The police managed to restore calm and the curfew was partially lifted.警方设法恢复了平静，宵禁部分解除。