NPR 2010-05-01

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

BP is coming under mounting pressure to step up its response to the country's worst ever oil spills in the Gulf¹ of Mexico. It's coming down from top Obama administration officials who've been dispatched to Louisiana including Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano.

"It's clear that after several unsuccessful attempts to secure the source of the leak, it's time for BP to supplement their current mobilization as this slick of oil moves toward shore."

The spill has already reached the Louisiana coastline and also poses a threat to three other states. Meanwhile, the Obama administration says it will not authorize² new oil drilling until it finds out what caused the rig explosion off the Louisiana coast last week that led to the devastating³ oil spill.

An investigation⁴ into a deadly explosion at a West Virginia mine this month is turning into a criminal probe by the FBI. NPR's Howard Berkes has learned that authorities are looking at the Mine Safety and Health Administration as well as Massey Energy which owns the West Virginia site.

This is an indication that there are much more serious allegations than we've been aware of surrounding the explosion at the Upper Big Branch mine where 29 people died. Experts in mine safety enforcement tell me that the FBI is rarely involved in the investigation of mine accidents, and that this is an indication that there are serious allegations out there that the FBI must look into.

NPR's Howard Berkes covering developments from Beckley, West Virginia. Another law enforcement official denies that the Mine Safety and Health Administration is being investigated.

With Greece on the verge⁵ of bankruptcy⁶, Prime Minister George Papandreou says drastic cuts and tax hikes are necessary for the country's survival. From Athens, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports on the austerity measures expected by European leaders negotiating a multi-billion euro bailout for Greece.

Papandreou is expected to review the austerity package Sunday. That will follow talks with the European Union and the IMF on the steps Greece must take as a condition for rescue loans of $60 billion this year and up to perhaps 160 billion over three years. Papandreou said the measures are necessary for the protection of our country, for our survival, for our future. They're expected to include a further slash⁷ in public sector⁸ wages as well as state and private pensions and a new hike in value-added taxes. Greece's debt is equal to 115% of its GDP. Germany which has criticized Greece's handling of the crisis will review the measures before it passes legislation to free its 11-billion-dollar share of the loans. Sylvia Poggioli, NPR News, Athens.

With the debt crisis in Greece, ongoing⁹ investors¹⁰ still wary¹¹. At last check, the Dow was down nearly 160 points.

This is NPR.

Across the US, home buyers are rushing to sign on the dotted line before a federal tax credit expires today. From member station WBUR in Boston, Curt¹² Nickisch reports.

Homes have to be under contract today and the sale needs to close within two months before buyers can get up to $8,000 back on their taxes.

"It is lot of money. You got to work a lot of hours for that. It nearly could buy you a new kitchen. It could, uh, buy you a lot of furniture."

Brian Ashley bought a house in Boston this week. He was going to buy it anyway so he figured why not now. That's where criticism of the stimulus¹³ program is coming from. Housing economist¹⁴ Gibb K. says it didn't create enough new home sales to stabilize¹⁵ the market.

"It did have an effect, but it doesn't seem yet to be a long-run effect."

Other economists¹⁶ disagree, saying the tax incentive¹⁷ was expensive for the country but worth it. For NPR News, I'm Curt Nickisch in Boston.

A jury has convicted a 22-year-old former college student from Tennessee of hacking¹⁸ into Sarah Palin's email. David Kernell is charged with two counts of unauthorized access to computer and obstruction¹⁹ of justice. Prosecutors²⁰ say Kernell broke into Palin's email account while she was the Republican vice²¹ presidential candidate in 2008.

Researchers on the Texas Gulf Coast who are closely monitoring the oil spill off Louisiana worry that if it keeps spreading, it could add to the troubles surrounding endangered sea turtles on beaches south of Houston. Marine²² biologist Lyndsey Howell says that since the start of April, more than 30 Kemp's ridley turtles have been found dead. That is double what normally occurs during nesting season. Howell says the turtles were so decomposed²³ that there were few clues left to determine what killed them.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.
 

1 gulf   

n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂

参考例句：

• The gulf between the two leaders cannot be bridged.两位领导人之间的鸿沟难以跨越。
• There is a gulf between the two cities.这两座城市间有个海湾。

2 authorize   

v.授权，委任；批准，认可

参考例句：

• He said that he needed to get his supervisor to authorize my refund.他说必须让主管人员批准我的退款。
• Only the President could authorize the use of the atomic bomb.只有总统才能授权使用原子弹。

3 devastating   

adj.毁灭性的，令人震惊的，强有力的

参考例句：

• It is the most devastating storm in 20 years.这是20年来破坏性最大的风暴。
• Affairs do have a devastating effect on marriages.婚外情确实会对婚姻造成毁灭性的影响。

4 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

5 verge   

n.边，边缘；v.接近，濒临

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• She was on the verge of bursting into tears.她快要哭出来了。

6 bankruptcy   

n.破产；无偿付能力

参考例句：

• You will have to pull in if you want to escape bankruptcy.如果你想避免破产，就必须节省开支。
• His firm is just on thin ice of bankruptcy.他的商号正面临破产的危险。

7 slash   

vi.大幅度削减；vt.猛砍，尖锐抨击，大幅减少；n.猛砍，斜线，长切口，衣衩

参考例句：

• The shop plans to slash fur prices after Spring Festival.该店计划在春节之后把皮货降价。
• Don't slash your horse in that cruel way.不要那样残忍地鞭打你的马。

8 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。

9 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

10 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

11 wary   

adj.谨慎的，机警的，小心的

参考例句：

• He is wary of telling secrets to others.他谨防向他人泄露秘密。
• Paula frowned,suddenly wary.宝拉皱了皱眉头，突然警惕起来。

12 curt   

adj.简短的，草率的

参考例句：

• He gave me an extremely curt answer.他对我作了极为草率的答复。
• He rapped out a series of curt commands.他大声发出了一连串简短的命令。

13 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。

14 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。

15 stabilize   

vt.（使）稳定，使稳固，使稳定平衡；vi.稳定

参考例句：

• They are eager to stabilize currencies.他们急于稳定货币。
• His blood pressure tended to stabilize.他的血压趋向稳定。

16 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》

17 incentive   

n.刺激；动力；鼓励；诱因；动机

参考例句：

• Money is still a major incentive in most occupations.在许多职业中，钱仍是主要的鼓励因素。
• He hasn't much incentive to work hard.他没有努力工作的动机。

18 hacking   

n.非法访问计算机系统和数据库的活动

参考例句：

• The patient with emphysema is hacking all day. 这个肺气肿病人整天不断地干咳。
• We undertook the task of hacking our way through the jungle. 我们负责在丛林中开路。

19 obstruction   

n.阻塞，堵塞；障碍物

参考例句：

• She was charged with obstruction of a police officer in the execution of his duty.她被指控妨碍警察执行任务。
• The road was cleared from obstruction.那条路已被清除了障碍。

20 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。

21 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

22 marine   

adj.海的；海生的；航海的；海事的；n.水兵

参考例句：

• Marine creatures are those which live in the sea. 海洋生物是生存在海里的生物。
• When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。

23 decomposed   

已分解的，已腐烂的

参考例句：

• A liquid is decomposed when an electric current passes through it. 当电流通过时，液体就分解。
• Water can be resolved [decomposed] into hydrogen and oxygen. 水可分解为氢和氧。