NPR 2011-11-19

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

        A majority of lawmakers in the GOP-led house supports of balanced budget amendment² to the Constitution but not by enough to pass the proposal. The measure aimed at forcing Congress to balance its budget every year did not get the require two-thirds of majority today needed to amend¹ the Constitution. Opponents say the amendment’s the only way for the government to get control of its spending. But critics said an amendment would force deep cuts that would threaten big social progress. 

        The Los Angeles County Sheriff officers said even though it has reopened the case into actress Natalie Wood’s mysterious death 30 years ago. It said her husband the time Robert Wagner is not a suspect. The attorney John Corina says what’s the death still considered an accidental drowning but he says the latest inquiry³ was prompted by unspecified new information about the case. 

        “There was already turned up as being vessel⁴ did drowning but the information we’ve been received made us want to take another look at the case.”

        Wood’s an Oscar nominated actress died in the waters off South California. It had spending several hours drinking on Catalina Island and on the yacht was Splendour. Actor Christopher Walken and the ship’s captain Dennis Davern. Davern told NBC’s Today Show that he made mistakes by not telling the truth about the events around with Thanksgiving weekend death. 

        Oklahoma State University is mourning loss of 2 basketball coaches in a plane crash last night. Ben Allen from member station KOSU reports its single-engine plane went down Thursday in a remote area. 

        The plan went down yesterday afternoon, taking the lives of OS women’s basketball head coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna. Oklahoma State University President Burns Hargis says they were role models for their players.

        “They were just both beautiful people and I’d love to be the man that Kurt Budke is and the person that Miranda was.”

        Former state senator Olin Branstetter said the pilot of the single-engine plane and his wife also died in a crash 45 miles west of the Little Rock. This is the second airplane crashed in the last 10 years in an Oklahoma State basketball. A 2001 crash in Colorado killed 10 including players and staff. For NPR News, I’m Ben Allen in Stillwater.

        Former Libyan rebels who helped overthrow⁵ Colonel Muammar Gaddafi are now demanding a voice in forming Libya’s new government. Militiamen have held a march in capital Tripoli. Next week, the country’s ruling National Transitional Council is expected to announce a new government that will hold new elections. 

        At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average up 47 points at 11,817; NASDAQ is down 14 points or more than 0.5% at 2,574; S&P 500 also down slightly at 1,216. You’re listening to NPR News.

        The UN’s nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency is backing a resolution on Iran expressing deepening increasing concern over its nuclear program. As Kerry Skyring reports from Vienna Iran remains⁶ to fight in the face of allegations that it’s trying to require nuclear weapons.        

        The resolution was backed by a clear majority of IAEA member states. It increases the diplomatic pressure on Iran that fall short of tracking consequences. Moves for new rabid sanctions of the UN Security Council which would if given the documents some teeth were rejected by Russia and China. The Untied⁷ States ambassador to IAEA, Glyn Davies told delegates, at the very least Iran wants to position itself for nuclear weapons capability⁸. And in response, Iran launched an attack on IAEA chief Yukiya Amano saying his recent report is unprofessional, unfair, illegal and politicized. Tehran is also triggering illegal action against the agency where continuing to assist its nuclear program is entirely⁹ for peaceful purposes. For NPR News, I’m Kerry Skyring in Vienna. 

        Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti’s new government has the confidence of Parliament after winning today’s vote in the lower chamber¹⁰ deputies. Monti’s government won the Senate’s support 2 days ago. Monti, an economist¹¹ will oversee¹² Italy’s sweeping¹³ reforms just to save the country from financial ruin in and by sanction protect the euro currency. 

        Here’s the latest from the Wall Street. Dow up 28 points at 11,799 in trading of about 2 billion in shares; NASDAQ down 13 points, more than 0.5% at 2,575.

        I’m Lakshmi Singh, NPR News in Washington.

1 amend   

vt.修改，修订，改进；n.[pl.]赔罪，赔偿

参考例句：

• The teacher advised him to amend his way of living.老师劝他改变生活方式。
• You must amend your pronunciation.你必须改正你的发音。

2 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

3 inquiry   

n.打听，询问，调查，查问

参考例句：

• Many parents have been pressing for an inquiry into the problem.许多家长迫切要求调查这个问题。
• The field of inquiry has narrowed down to five persons.调查的范围已经缩小到只剩5个人了。

4 vessel   

n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管

参考例句：

• The vessel is fully loaded with cargo for Shanghai.这艘船满载货物驶往上海。
• You should put the water into a vessel.你应该把水装入容器中。

5 overthrow   

v.推翻，打倒，颠覆；n.推翻，瓦解，颠覆

参考例句：

• After the overthrow of the government,the country was in chaos.政府被推翻后，这个国家处于混乱中。
• The overthrow of his plans left him much discouraged.他的计划的失败使得他很气馁。

6 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。

7 untied   

松开，解开( untie的过去式和过去分词 )； 解除，使自由； 解决

参考例句：

• Once untied, we common people are able to conquer nature, too. 只要团结起来，我们老百姓也能移山倒海。
• He untied the ropes. 他解开了绳子。

8 capability   

n.能力；才能；(pl)可发展的能力或特性等

参考例句：

• She has the capability to become a very fine actress.她有潜力成为杰出演员。
• Organizing a whole department is beyond his capability.组织整个部门是他能力以外的事。

9 entirely   

ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地

参考例句：

• The fire was entirely caused by their neglect of duty. 那场火灾完全是由于他们失职而引起的。
• His life was entirely given up to the educational work. 他的一生统统献给了教育工作。

10 chamber   

n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所

参考例句：

• For many,the dentist's surgery remains a torture chamber.对许多人来说，牙医的治疗室一直是间受刑室。
• The chamber was ablaze with light.会议厅里灯火辉煌。

11 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。

12 oversee   

vt.监督，管理

参考例句：

• Soldiers oversee the food handouts.士兵们看管着救济食品。
• Use a surveyor or architect to oversee and inspect the different stages of the work.请一位房产检视员或建筑师来监督并检查不同阶段的工作。

13 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？