NPR 2010-01-30

From NPR News in Washington, I'm Lakshmi Singh.

 

There is no sign that the political gridlock between the White House and Congressional Republicans were clear after today's meeting in Baltimore. That's where President Obama addressed a conference of GOP House members on a number of politically divisive issues including health care.

 

"If anyone here truly believes our health insurance system is working well for people, I respect your right to say so, but I just don't agree."

 

He also fielded questions on increased federal spending in job growth  - the No.1 domestic issue for the Obama administration.

 

The president says the economy is growing and points to the latest report on the Gross Domestic Product as proof. According to the Commerce Department today, the US economy grew at the fastest pace in six years late last year at an annual rate of 5.7%. Daniel Carson has details.

 

About 2/3 of the growth came from businesses restocking their inventories¹. Foreign exports which jumped 28% also gave a big push to the GDP. Consumer spending grew a modest 2%. Stuart Hoffman, Chief Economist² with PNC Financial Services Group, says for a change, government initiatives like the 'Cash for Clunkers' program to boost car sales didn't power this growth.

 

"This wasn't a story of just government spending. This was a story of initial government spending, finally what are called handing off to the private sector³ which is absolutely necessary if we're gonna sustain this economic re-growth in 2010."

 

But economists⁴ don't expect the pace of this cycle to last. They predict the GDP will level off around 3% in 2010. For NPR News, I'm Daniel Carson in Washington.

 

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair is testifying before a panel in London investigating Britain's involvement in the Iraq War. Blair has insisted that he was right to take the United Kingdom into the conflict and that he is convinced it was worth the price. Larry Miller⁵ has more on this from London.

 

A self-assured Tony Blair delivered a robust⁶ defense⁷ of his decision to go to war with Iraq. He said he believed without a doubt Saddam had weapons of mass destruction. Blair said Saddam was game-playing and never had any intention of cooperating. He pointed⁸ out that chief UN weapons inspector⁹ Hans Blix understood Saddam would kill any Iraqi who spoke¹⁰ to his inspectors¹¹.

 

"My own view, I always, I have seen no doubt about this, is that if you backed away, when he is, was playing around with the inspectors in precisely¹² the way he'd done before, then you were gonna send a very, very bad signal out to the world."

 

The former prime minister denied that to boost the case for war, his Downing Street office deliberately¹³ relied on unverifiable claims that Saddam could deliver WMDs within 45 minutes. For NPR News, I'm Larry Miller in London.

 

Dow Industrials have turned lower. At last check it's down 30 points. This is NPR News.

 

Pakistani forces fighting militants¹⁴ along the Afghan border are reporting losses on both sides. Officials say at least two dozen militants have been killed in the Bajaur region and several insurgent¹⁵ hideouts reportedly have been destroyed. The military also says that several of its own soldiers have been injured in the conflict. Pakistan is under heavier ally pressure to crack down on the Taliban and al-Qaeda along the border where the insurgents¹⁶' influence has been growing.

 

A Kansas jury has found Scott Roeder guilty of the murder of abortion¹⁷ provider doctor George Tiller. Jurors deliberated for 37 minutes today. Tiller was killed eight months ago at a church in Wichita. Yesterday, Roeder testified that he believed abortion amounted to murder and that it was God's decision, not man's, to take life.

 

A new study finds laws that ban drivers from using hand-held cell phones apparently¹⁸ aren't doing as much to reduce accidents as some states had hoped. NPR's Brian Naylor has more details.

 

The Highway Loss Data Institute and insurance industry group looked at accident records in three states and the District of Columbia where hand-held cell phone use is banned. It found accident rates unchanged by the prohibition¹⁹. Adrian Lund is president of the institute.

 

"This study shouldn't be seen as saying that talking on your cell phone is not distracting or that it doesn't increase your crash risk, it does."

 

But Lund says in-car warning systems may be a better solution than legislation for the problem. Brian Naylor, NPR News.

 

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial was down 23 points at 10,098 after earlier gains. NASDAQ was down 29 at 2,150.
 

1 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 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。

4 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

5 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

6 robust   

adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的

参考例句：

• She is too tall and robust.她个子太高，身体太壮。
• China wants to keep growth robust to reduce poverty and avoid job losses,AP commented.美联社评论道，中国希望保持经济强势增长，以减少贫困和失业状况。

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 pointed   

adj.尖的，直截了当的

参考例句：

• He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
• She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。

9 inspector   

n.检查员，监察员，视察员

参考例句：

• The inspector was interested in everything pertaining to the school.视察员对有关学校的一切都感兴趣。
• The inspector was shining a flashlight onto the tickets.查票员打着手电筒查看车票。

10 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。

11 inspectors   

n.检查员( inspector的名词复数 )；（英国公共汽车或火车上的）查票员；（警察）巡官；检阅官

参考例句：

• They got into the school in the guise of inspectors. 他们假装成视察员进了学校。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Inspectors checked that there was adequate ventilation. 检查员已检查过，通风良好。 来自《简明英汉词典》

12 precisely   

adv.恰好，正好，精确地，细致地

参考例句：

• It's precisely that sort of slick sales-talk that I mistrust.我不相信的正是那种油腔滑调的推销宣传。
• The man adjusted very precisely.那个人调得很准。

13 deliberately   

adv.审慎地；蓄意地；故意地

参考例句：

• The girl gave the show away deliberately.女孩故意泄露秘密。
• They deliberately shifted off the argument.他们故意回避这个论点。

14 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。

15 insurgent   

adj.叛乱的，起事的；n.叛乱分子

参考例句：

• Faruk says they are threatened both by insurgent and government forces.法鲁克说，他们受到暴乱分子和政府军队的双重威胁。
• The insurgent mob assembled at the gate of the city park.叛变的暴徒聚在市立公园的门口。

16 insurgents   

n.起义，暴动，造反( insurgent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The regular troops of Baden joined the insurgents. 巴登的正规军参加到起义军方面来了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Against the Taliban and Iraqi insurgents, these problems are manageable. 要对付塔利班与伊拉克叛乱分子，这些问题还是可以把握住的。 来自互联网

17 abortion   

n.流产，堕胎

参考例句：

• She had an abortion at the women's health clinic.她在妇女保健医院做了流产手术。
• A number of considerations have led her to have a wilful abortion.多种考虑使她执意堕胎。

18 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。

19 prohibition   

n.禁止；禁令，禁律

参考例句：

• The prohibition against drunken driving will save many lives.禁止酒后开车将会减少许多死亡事故。
• They voted in favour of the prohibition of smoking in public areas.他们投票赞成禁止在公共场所吸烟。