NPR 2011-04-26

The US is considering sanctions against Syria, where the government's crackdown on the resistance appears to be getting bloodier¹. According to newswires, witnesses in Daraa report seeing tanks rolling into their town, the heart of Syria's pro-democracy movement. They say troops used heavy artillery² in parts of Daraa and killed at least 11 people. Residents say they lost electricity and most phone lines were down. With most foreign media prevented from entering Syria, these reports could not be independently verified.

Libyan officials are calling a NATO air strike early today, an attempt on the life of Colonel Muammar Gaddafi. NPR's Peter Kenyon reports from Benghazi that Gaddafi appeared to be unharmed by the strike, which damaged buildings in his military compound in Tripoli.

Officials told reporters in Tripoli that the strike destroyed a library and damaged a meeting hall in the compound. There were conflicting accounts of the number of wounded. Pro-government forces continued their attacks on the western city of Misrata, where rebel fighters claimed to control much of the city. Rocket attacks and artillery pounded the city, where doctors said at least 50 people were killed in the past three days. The attacks continued despite government claims that it was pausing to facilitate a mediation⁴ effort. Peter Kenyon, NPR News, Benghazi.

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour says he cannot run for president next year, unable to offer what he calls "absolute fire in the belly⁵" and "total certainty." The Republican issued a statement today, confirming he will not run in 2012, which is when President Obama will seek re-election. Instead, Barbour says he wants to keep doing his job in Mississippi and helping⁶ elect governors across the nation.

The Supreme⁷ Court's not backing the Virginia attorney general's call to fast-track a review of last year's health care law. NPR's Julie Rovner reports the court's decision was not a surprise.

The high court almost never grants petitions that skip the appeals process as Virginia Attorney General Ken³ Cuccinelli wanted, and in this case, it would have been an even bigger slap in the face to the appeal circuit that includes Virginia. That's because there are already two competing decisions there. The Richmond-based judge in Cuccinelli's case found a requirement in the health law that most Americans have health insurance starting in 2014 unconstitutional, but in a separate case, a federal judge in Lynchburg found the requirement well within Congress's constitutional authority. The appeals court hearing is already scheduled for later this spring. Several other cases around the country are also headed for appeals courts. Julie Rovner, NPR News, Washington.

At last check on Wall Street, the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 26 points at 12,480 in trading of just over two billion shares. NASDAQ had gained six points; it's at 2,826. S&P 500 down two at 1,335.

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About 1,000 people have been evacuated⁸ from their homes in Poplar Bluff⁹, Missouri, where the rising Black River's threatening to breach¹⁰ a levee. Deputy Police Chief Jeff Rolland says parts of southern Missouri saturated¹¹ by days of heavy rain are expecting more of the same today.

"We're expecting anywhere from three to five additional inches of rain today. Another three inches of rain forecasted on Tuesday, but then, we're hoping by the end of this week, we'll have, eh, they should be able to be back into their homes."

Some Kentucky residents are moving to higher ground as the Ohio River continues to rise. Heavy rain is forecast for at least two more days. Authorities throughout the Ohio and Mississippi River Valleys are bracing¹² for severe flooding.

Millions of people in India are mourning the death of an important Hindu guru. NPR's Corey Flintoff reports from New Delhi that the spiritual leader also had followers¹³ in the United States and in Europe.

For more than 60 years, Sathya Sai Baba was a spiritual leader and teacher who promoted education and public health among his millions of followers. He was 85. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay his respects at Sai Baba's headquarters in South India. In a written statement, Singh said the guru inspired millions of people to lead moral and meaningful lives. Sai Baba and his organization amassed¹⁴ a fortune in donations from devotees, which was placed in the Central Trust. It's not clear at this point who will replace him or take control of the fortune. Corey Flintoff, NPR News, New Delhi.

A dispute over two ancient Hindu temples is at the center of the latest fighting between Thailand and Cambodia. Authorities say at least 12 people have been killed in the last four days of fighting.

1 bloodier   

adj.血污的( bloody的比较级 )；流血的；屠杀的；残忍的

参考例句：

2 artillery   

n.(军)火炮，大炮；炮兵(部队)

参考例句：

• This is a heavy artillery piece.这是一门重炮。
• The artillery has more firepower than the infantry.炮兵火力比步兵大。

3 ken   

n.视野，知识领域

参考例句：

• Such things are beyond my ken.我可不懂这些事。
• Abstract words are beyond the ken of children.抽象的言辞超出小孩所理解的范围.

4 mediation   

n.调解

参考例句：

• The dispute was settled by mediation of the third country. 这场争端通过第三国的斡旋而得以解决。
• The dispute was settled by mediation. 经调解使争端得以解决。

5 belly   

n.肚子，腹部；(像肚子一样)鼓起的部分，膛

参考例句：

• The boss has a large belly.老板大腹便便。
• His eyes are bigger than his belly.他眼馋肚饱。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 supreme   

adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的

参考例句：

• It was the supreme moment in his life.那是他一生中最重要的时刻。
• He handed up the indictment to the supreme court.他把起诉书送交最高法院。

8 evacuated   

撤退者的

参考例句：

• Police evacuated nearby buildings. 警方已将附近大楼的居民疏散。
• The fireman evacuated the guests from the burning hotel. 消防队员把客人们从燃烧着的旅馆中撤出来。

9 bluff   

v.虚张声势，用假象骗人；n.虚张声势，欺骗

参考例句：

• His threats are merely bluff.他的威胁仅仅是虚张声势。
• John is a deep card.No one can bluff him easily.约翰是个机灵鬼。谁也不容易欺骗他。

10 breach   

n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破

参考例句：

• We won't have any breach of discipline.我们不允许任何破坏纪律的现象。
• He was sued for breach of contract.他因不履行合同而被起诉。

11 saturated   

a.饱和的，充满的

参考例句：

• The continuous rain had saturated the soil. 连绵不断的雨把土地淋了个透。
• a saturated solution of sodium chloride 氯化钠饱和溶液

12 bracing   

adj.令人振奋的

参考例句：

• The country is bracing itself for the threatened enemy invasion. 这个国家正准备奋起抵抗敌人的入侵威胁。
• The atmosphere in the new government was bracing. 新政府的气氛是令人振奋的。

13 followers   

追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件

参考例句：

• the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
• The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。

14 amassed   

v.积累，积聚( amass的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• He amassed a fortune from silver mining. 他靠开采银矿积累了一笔财富。
• They have amassed a fortune in just a few years. 他们在几年的时间里就聚集了一笔财富。 来自《简明英汉词典》