NPR 2010-03-24

From NPR News in Washington, I’m Korva Coleman.

 

President Obama has signed a sweeping¹ overhaul² of the nation’s healthcare system into law today. He said all Americans should have some basic security when it comes to health. NPR’s Scott Horsley reports.

 

The boisterous³ signing ceremony in the White House East Room cast more than a year of debate over the president’s healthcare initiative, while the signing probably won’t end the arguments over the measure. Mr. Obama says it may help to change the tone.

 

“All of the overheated rhetoric⁴ over reform will finally confront the reality of reform.”

 

The administration believes even skeptics will warm to the healthcare overhaul when consumer protection measures start to take effect later this year. Eventually, the overhaul will require nearly everyone to have health insurance and provide subsidies⁵ for those who can’t afford it. A separate bill, containing amendments⁶ to the overhaul, now goes to the Senate where it needs a simple majority to become law. Scott Horsley, NPR News, the White House.

 

Some Republican Senators saying the new law’s too expensive, Arizona Senator Jon Kyl says the cost will mean catastrophe⁷ down the road.

 

“When you promise more and more people the benefits or the subsidies, the cost to the government will increase to the point that eventually, rationing⁸ of healthcare will result. That’s insidious⁹; people won’t see that right away. It could be several years before that begins to happen, although you’re already beginning to see it in Medicaid.”

 

And several state attorneys general are suing to block the law’s implementation¹⁰. Florida Republican Attorney General Bill McCollum is leading one suit including 13 states. Virginia’s attorney general has filed his own suit. All claim the law is unconstitutional.

 

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is leading a team of cabinet secretaries and other top US officials to Mexico in a show of support for Mexico’s war on drugs. Amidst spiraling violence, the US is looking for ways to cooperate more with Mexico. NPR’s Michele Kelemen reports.

 

Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano told reporters that the US wants to keep pushing along what she called a strong agenda of Mexican President Felipe Calderón.

 

“You rarely see this kind of meeting with this kind of array of cabinet officials on both sides, so I think it indicates this is the real deal.”

 

The trip comes less than two weeks after three people associated with the US Consulate¹¹ in Juarez were killed. Napolitano called that an outrageous¹² crime and said there’s a real focus on finding the perpetrators. The US is promising¹³ the Mexican government more intelligence sharing and training in Juarez and other border towns, as well as a focus on the socioeconomic reasons for the spike¹⁴ in violence. Michele Kelemen, NPR News, Mexico City.

 

Britain’s expelling an Israeli diplomat¹⁵. The British government alleges¹⁶ Israeli operatives used fake British passports to kill a Palestinian Hamas leader in Dubai. Israel has not confirmed or denied its role in the January assassination¹⁷.

 

On Wall Street before the close, the Dow was up 101 points.

 

You’re listening to NPR News.

 

An industry group says sales of existing homes dropped last month. The National Association of Realtors says home sales fell 0.6% in February. This is the third monthly drop in a row. Some observers are wondering how well the housing market is improving.

 

As people age, they typically gain weight. A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association examines how much exercise is required to prevent middle-age weight gain among women. NPR’s Alix Spiegel has the story.

 

In 2008, federal guidelines recommended at least 150 minutes of exercise a week. That magic number Americans were told would result in substantial health benefits. But while there may be cardiovascular and other health benefits to 150 minutes, a new study by a group of researchers at Harvard suggests much more exercise is required to keep from gaining weight. The researchers followed more than 34,000 women for 13 years. What they found was that only women who were not overweight, who exercised for 60 minutes a day were able to prevent weight gain as they aged¹⁸. Women who exercised less or who were overweight to begin with were only able to prevent weight gain when they both exercised and reduced the number of calories they consumed. Alix Spiegel, NPR News, Washington.

 

A German court has convicted a former Nazi¹⁹ of murdering three Dutch civilians²⁰ during World War II. Heinrich Boere’s conviction has been sought by Nazi hunters for years. He fled to the Netherlands rather from the Netherlands to Germany to escape prison. Boere admitted committing the murders but claimed he had to follow orders or be shot. Prosecutors²¹ say Boere eagerly joined the Nazis²² in his Dutch hometown and questioned nothing.

 

I’m Korva Coleman, NPR News in Washington.
 

1 sweeping   

adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的

参考例句：

• The citizens voted for sweeping reforms.公民投票支持全面的改革。
• Can you hear the wind sweeping through the branches?你能听到风掠过树枝的声音吗？

2 overhaul   

v./n.大修，仔细检查

参考例句：

• Master Worker Wang is responsible for the overhaul of this grinder.王师傅主修这台磨床。
• It is generally appreciated that the rail network needs a complete overhaul.众所周知，铁路系统需要大检修。

3 boisterous   

adj.喧闹的，欢闹的

参考例句：

• I don't condescend to boisterous displays of it.我并不屈就于它热热闹闹的外表。
• The children tended to gather together quietly for a while before they broke into boisterous play.孩子们经常是先静静地聚集在一起，不一会就开始吵吵嚷嚷戏耍开了。

4 rhetoric   

n.修辞学，浮夸之言语

参考例句：

• Do you know something about rhetoric?你懂点修辞学吗？
• Behind all the rhetoric,his relations with the army are dangerously poised.在冠冕堂皇的言辞背后，他和军队的关系岌岌可危。

5 subsidies   

n.补贴，津贴，补助金( subsidy的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• European agriculture ministers failed to break the deadlock over farm subsidies. 欧洲各国农业部长在农业补贴问题上未能打破僵局。
• Agricultural subsidies absorb about half the EU's income. 农业补贴占去了欧盟收入的大约一半。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

7 catastrophe   

n.大灾难，大祸

参考例句：

• I owe it to you that I survived the catastrophe.亏得你我才大难不死。
• This is a catastrophe beyond human control.这是一场人类无法控制的灾难。

8 rationing   

n.定量供应

参考例句：

• Wartime austerities included food rationing and shortage of fuel. 战时的艰苦包括食物配给和燃料短缺。
• Food rationing was abolished in that country long ago. 那个国家早就取消了粮食配给制。

9 insidious   

adj.阴险的，隐匿的，暗中为害的，（疾病）不知不觉之间加剧

参考例句：

• That insidious man bad-mouthed me to almost everyone else.那个阴险的家伙几乎见人便说我的坏话。
• Organized crime has an insidious influence on all who come into contact with it.所有和集团犯罪有关的人都会不知不觉地受坏影响。

10 implementation   

n.实施，贯彻

参考例句：

• Implementation of the program is now well underway.这一项目的实施现在行情看好。

11 consulate   

n.领事馆

参考例句：

• The Spanish consulate is the large white building opposite the bank.西班牙领事馆是银行对面的那栋高大的白色建筑物。
• The American consulate was a magnificent edifice in the centre of Bordeaux.美国领事馆是位于波尔多市中心的一座宏伟的大厦。

12 outrageous   

adj.无理的，令人不能容忍的

参考例句：

• Her outrageous behaviour at the party offended everyone.她在聚会上的无礼行为触怒了每一个人。
• Charges for local telephone calls are particularly outrageous.本地电话资费贵得出奇。

13 promising   

adj.有希望的，有前途的

参考例句：

• The results of the experiments are very promising.实验的结果充满了希望。
• We're trying to bring along one or two promising young swimmers.我们正设法培养出一两名有前途的年轻游泳选手。

14 spike   

n.长钉，钉鞋；v.以大钉钉牢，使...失效

参考例句：

• The spike pierced the receipts and held them in order.那个钉子穿过那些收据并使之按顺序排列。
• They'll do anything to spike the guns of the opposition.他们会使出各种手段来挫败对手。

15 diplomat   

n.外交官，外交家；能交际的人，圆滑的人

参考例句：

• The diplomat threw in a joke, and the tension was instantly relieved.那位外交官插进一个笑话，紧张的气氛顿时缓和下来。
• He served as a diplomat in Russia before the war.战前他在俄罗斯当外交官。

16 alleges   

断言，宣称，辩解( allege的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The newspaper article alleges that the mayor is corrupt. 报纸上断言该市长腐败。
• Steven was tardy this morning and alleges that his bus was late. 史提芬今天早上迟到的说词是公车误点了。

17 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。

18 aged   

adj.年老的，陈年的

参考例句：

• He had put on weight and aged a little.他胖了，也老点了。
• He is aged,but his memory is still good.他已年老，然而记忆力还好。

19 Nazi   

n.纳粹分子，adj.纳粹党的，纳粹的

参考例句：

• They declare the Nazi regime overthrown and sue for peace.他们宣布纳粹政权已被推翻，并出面求和。
• Nazi closes those war criminals inside their concentration camp.纳粹把那些战犯关在他们的集中营里。

20 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。

21 prosecutors   

检举人( prosecutor的名词复数 )； 告发人； 起诉人； 公诉人

参考例句：

• In some places,public prosecutors are elected rather than appointed. 在有些地方，检察官是经选举而非任命产生的。 来自口语例句
• You've been summoned to the Prosecutors' Office, 2 days later. 你在两天以后被宣到了检察官的办公室。

22 Nazis   

n.（德国的）纳粹党员( Nazi的名词复数 )；纳粹主义

参考例句：

• The Nazis worked them over with gun butts. 纳粹分子用枪托毒打他们。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Nazis were responsible for the mass murder of Jews during World War Ⅱ. 纳粹必须为第二次世界大战中对犹太人的大屠杀负责。 来自《简明英汉词典》