NPR 2010-05-29

President Obama walks Louisiana's Fourchon Beach where evidence of the country's worst oil spill washed up onshore.

"You can see these little, these little balls. These are the tar¹ balls that they're talking about."

The president confronted with growing anxiety and anger over the spill later announced to reporters on Grand Isle² that he was stepping up efforts to counter imminent³ threats.

"In accordance with input⁴ from folks down here, I've directed Secretary Napolitano and Admiral Allen to triple the manpower in places where oil has hit the shore or is within 24 hours of impact."

Meanwhile, BP is reporting progress in its latest attempt to stop the leak. Chief Executive Tony Hayward says the method of pumping mud into the leaking well are showing signs of working. But officials say it may take another 48 hours to know for sure.

The White House says that former President Bill Clinton was enlisted⁵ to see if Pennsylvania Democrat⁶ Joe Sestak would drop his primary challenge to Senator Arlen Specter in exchange for a non-paying appointment to an administration advisory⁷ board. NPR's Peter Overby reports.

White House counsel Robert Bauer says there was nothing wrong about offering Sestak "additional responsibilities of considerable potential interest to him and value to the Executive Branch". Bauer says Sestak, a sitting congressman⁸, declined the offers when Mr. Clinton presented them. Sestak himself made the allegation last February. He went on to defeat Specter and he's never said what job was offered. Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee want a special counsel to investigate. Peter Overby, NPR News, Washington.

Actor Gary Coleman has died. Family members say the former child star of the hit TV sitcom⁹ "Diff’rent Strokes" passed away today at a Utah hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage. Gary Coleman was 42 years old.

Consumer spending goes flat after six months of gains. The Commerce Department reporting today that even stronger retail¹⁰ sales in April couldn't make people spend enough to make a big difference in those numbers. However, Hugh Johnson of Johnson Illington Advisors¹¹ says the government finds people are at least saving their money.

"They have actually a positive savings¹² rate of 3.6%, or that's cutting into some of the spending that they are doing; in other words, they're doing all of the things we have tried to encourage them to do or the right things to do."

Consumer spending is closely monitored because it accounts for about 70% of total US economic activity.

Taking a look at numbers from Wall Street, Dow Jones Industrial Average still losing ground down 123 points at 10,136, NASDAQ Composite Index down more than 20 points at 2,257, S&P 500 down 14 at 1,089.

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Guatemala's Pacaya volcano, erupting and spitting stones and ash for a second day, it forced hundreds of people to evacuate¹³. Authorities say at least one person was killed when the volcano erupted last night. Local media reported the victim was a television journalist who suffered head wounds when he was hit by falling lava¹⁴ rocks.

Police in the Jamaican capital Kingston are calling on a dozen suspected gang leaders to turn themselves in to authorities. An all-out assault this week on one of the leaders Christopher Coke brought Kingston to a standstill and left at least 71 people dead. NPR's Jason Beaubien reports.

The Jamaica constabulary called for the leaders of gangs across Kingston to hand themselves over to police. The gangs are suspected of coming to the aid of Christopher Coke after the government issued a warrant for his arrest. Coke is wanted in the United States on drugs and weapons trafficking charges. He is also the don of Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston. Hundreds of Jamaican soldiers and police fought several days of street battles with residents before regaining¹⁵ control of the neighborhood. Mr. Coke so far has eluded¹⁶ capture. Despite fire fights that left dozens dead and bullet marks all over Tivoli Gardens, police say they only managed to seize six weapons in this week's massive operation. Jason Beaubien, NPR News, Kingston.

Australia is suing Japan over whaling. Canberra authorities are turning to the International Court to block Japan from Antarctic whaling, saying it violates international obligations. The dispute further complicates¹⁷ relationship between these two important trading partners. Japan's Foreign Ministry¹⁸ called the suit "regrettable".
 

1 tar   

n.柏油，焦油；vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于

参考例句：

• The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
• We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。

2 isle   

n.小岛，岛

参考例句：

• He is from the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea.他来自爱尔兰海的马恩岛。
• The boat left for the paradise isle of Bali.小船驶向天堂一般的巴厘岛。

3 imminent   

adj.即将发生的，临近的，逼近的

参考例句：

• The black clounds show that a storm is imminent.乌云预示暴风雨即将来临。
• The country is in imminent danger.国难当头。

4 input   

n.输入(物)；投入；vt.把(数据等)输入计算机

参考例句：

• I will forever be grateful for his considerable input.我将永远感激他的大量投入。
• All this information had to be input onto the computer.所有这些信息都必须输入计算机。

5 enlisted   

adj.应募入伍的v.（使）入伍， （使）参军( enlist的过去式和过去分词 )；获得（帮助或支持）

参考例句：

• enlisted men and women 男兵和女兵
• He enlisted with the air force to fight against the enemy. 他应募加入空军对敌作战。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 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。

7 advisory   

adj.劝告的，忠告的，顾问的，提供咨询

参考例句：

• I have worked in an advisory capacity with many hospitals.我曾在多家医院做过顾问工作。
• He was appointed to the advisory committee last month.他上个月获任命为顾问委员会委员。

8 Congressman   

n.（美）国会议员

参考例句：

• He related several anecdotes about his first years as a congressman.他讲述自己初任议员那几年的几则轶事。
• The congressman is meditating a reply to his critics.这位国会议员正在考虑给他的批评者一个答复。

9 sitcom   

n.情景喜剧，（广播、电视的）系列幽默剧

参考例句：

• This sitcom is produced in cooperation with Hong Kong TV.这部连续剧是同香港电视台联合制作的。
• I heard that a new sitcom is coming out next season.我听说下一季会推出一个新的情境喜剧。

10 retail   

v./n.零售；adv.以零售价格

参考例句：

• In this shop they retail tobacco and sweets.这家铺子零售香烟和糖果。
• These shoes retail at 10 yuan a pair.这些鞋子零卖10元一双。

11 advisors   

n.顾问，劝告者( advisor的名词复数 )；（指导大学新生学科问题等的）指导教授

参考例句：

• The governors felt that they were being strung along by their advisors. 地方长官感到他们一直在受顾问们的愚弄。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• We will consult together with advisors about her education. 我们将一起和专家商议她的教育事宜。 来自互联网

12 savings   

n.存款，储蓄

参考例句：

• I can't afford the vacation,for it would eat up my savings.我度不起假，那样会把我的积蓄用光的。
• By this time he had used up all his savings.到这时，他的存款已全部用完。

13 evacuate   

v.遣送；搬空；抽出；排泄；大(小)便

参考例句：

• We must evacuate those soldiers at once!我们必须立即撤出这些士兵！
• They were planning to evacuate the seventy American officials still in the country.他们正计划转移仍滞留在该国的70名美国官员。

14 lava   

n.熔岩，火山岩

参考例句：

• The lava flowed down the sides of the volcano.熔岩沿火山坡面涌流而下。
• His anger spilled out like lava.他的愤怒像火山爆发似的迸发出来。

15 regaining   

复得( regain的现在分词 )； 赢回； 重回； 复至某地

参考例句：

• She was regaining consciousness now, but the fear was coming with her. 现在她正在恢发她的知觉，但是恐怖也就伴随着来了。
• She said briefly, regaining her will with a click. 她干脆地答道，又马上重新振作起精神来。

16 eluded   

v.（尤指机敏地）避开( elude的过去式和过去分词 )；逃避；躲避；使达不到

参考例句：

• The sly fox nimbly eluded the dogs. 那只狡猾的狐狸灵活地躲避开那群狗。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The criminal eluded the police. 那个罪犯甩掉了警察的追捕。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》

17 complicates   

使复杂化( complicate的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• What complicates the issue is the burden of history. 历史的重负使问题复杂化了。
• Russia as a great and ambitious power gravely complicates the situation. 俄国作为一个强大而有野心的国家，使得局势异常复杂。

18 ministry   

n.(政府的)部；牧师

参考例句：

• They sent a deputation to the ministry to complain.他们派了一个代表团到部里投诉。
• We probed the Air Ministry statements.我们调查了空军部的记录。