NPR 2011-06-11

The Dow is hovering¹ just beneath the 12,000 mark, with US stocks turning sharply lower earlier today. NPR's Jim Zarroli says there are a number of factors rattling² investors³.

There's been a lot of pessimism⁴ in the markets. We had a series of disappointing economic reports really over the past six weeks. The housing market is weaker than people expected. Job growth has been weak. Industrial output. All of these things point to an economy that is just weaker than it was supposed to be at this time.

NPR's Jim Zarroli reporting.

Alaska officials are releasing thousands of pages of Sarah Palin's emails from her first 21 months as governor. The emails were first requested by citizens and media during the 2008 presidential race.

Newt Gingrich is trying to reassure⁵ supporters that his presidential campaign will not be affected⁶ by the loss of his senior aides, who all walked out yesterday. He says he's forging ahead.

"What we've been trying to do is carry messages to the American people and listen to the American people, and you'll see us over the next few weeks doing it in new and dynamic and much more open ways than the traditional consultants⁷ are comfortable with."

But political observers say there's mounting concern that Gingrich will not remain a viable⁸ candidate.

A devastating⁹ wildfire that's destroyed more than 30 homes and forced thousands to evacuate¹⁰ in eastern Arizona is 5% contained. It's already burned over 600 square miles, and as Arizona Public Radio's Daniel Kraker reports, weather conditions are expected to get worse.

Winds are forecast to gust¹¹ 30 miles per hour this weekend. Fire information officer Jim Wilkins says that places extra urgency on firefighters to get a firmer handle on the so-called Wallow Fire.

"Today, we are gonna really try to improve the lines we have because that front move is true. It's gonna test our lines. It's gonna push the fire actively¹² into it."

Wilkins says strong winds will also bring back to life embers that are smoldering¹³ beneath trees. For NPR News, I'm Daniel Kraker.

Syrian state media report the military is advancing on the northern town of Jisr al-Shughour, where the government says 120 security personnel were killed earlier this week. Following events from Beirut, NPR's Deborah Amos says Jisr al-Shughour is said to be nearly deserted¹⁴.

Some 3,000 Syrians have already crossed into Turkey. There are thousands more who have found refuge in Syrian villages on the border. So they are fighting against a ghost town. However, there are other towns in that province, and there are reports of shelling in some of those towns. Most of the people who died today were in the northern province.

NPR's Deborah Amos reporting.

Before the close, the Dow was down 172 points at 11,952.

This is NPR News.

Witnesses in the Syrian town of Maarat al-Numaan are accusing Syrian forces of using air power to disperse¹⁵ a large gathering¹⁶ of pro-democracy activists¹⁷. They report seeing a crowd of tens of thousands being fired upon by helicopter crews.

Supplies are being ferried to hundreds of people in southeastern Montana who are stranded¹⁸ by weeks of flooding from rain and heavy snowmelt. Among the hardest-hit is the town of Roundup, where washed-out roads have blocked people from leaving. More rain is forecast this week, which could trigger more floods.

Hockey Stanley Cup finals return to Vancouver tonight for a pivotal Game 5. The series between the Canucks and Bruins is tied at two games apiece. NPR's Giles Snyder reports the Canucks will be back on home ice after two crushing losses in Boston.

The Canucks hope the return home will help them regain¹⁹ the advantage. Vancouver took a two-game lead into Boston, but the celebrations were put on hold after the Bruins leveled the series, putting the Stanley Cup up for grabs. Goalie Roberto Luongo is getting much of the blame for the Canucks' troubles in Boston. He'll be looking to redeem²⁰ himself after allowing a dozen goals during the past two games. The Canucks need to win Game 5 to check Boston's momentum²¹. They'll have to find a way to get around Bruins goalie Tim Thomas, who posted his third shut-out of the playoffs in Boston's 4-0 victory in Game 4. Giles Snyder, NPR News.

Here's the latest from Wall Street. The Dow was down 172 points before the close, or nearly 1.5%, at 11,952 in trading of three billion shares; NASDAQ down 41, or 1.5%, at 2,644.

I'm Lakshmi Singh, NPR News.

1 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

2 rattling   

adj. 格格作响的, 活泼的, 很好的 adv. 极其, 很, 非常 动词rattle的现在分词

参考例句：

• This book is a rattling good read. 这是一本非常好的读物。
• At that same instant,a deafening explosion set the windows rattling. 正在这时，一声震耳欲聋的爆炸突然袭来，把窗玻璃震得当当地响。

3 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

4 pessimism   

n.悲观者，悲观主义者，厌世者

参考例句：

• He displayed his usual pessimism.他流露出惯有的悲观。
• There is the note of pessimism in his writings.他的著作带有悲观色彩。

5 reassure   

v.使放心，使消除疑虑

参考例句：

• This seemed to reassure him and he continued more confidently.这似乎使他放心一点，于是他更有信心地继续说了下去。
• The airline tried to reassure the customers that the planes were safe.航空公司尽力让乘客相信飞机是安全的。

6 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

7 consultants   

顾问( consultant的名词复数 )； 高级顾问医生，会诊医生

参考例句：

• a firm of management consultants 管理咨询公司
• There're many consultants in hospital. 医院里有很多会诊医生。

8 viable   

adj.可行的，切实可行的，能活下去的

参考例句：

• The scheme is economically viable.这个计划从经济效益来看是可行的。
• The economy of the country is not viable.这个国家经济是难以维持的。

9 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。

10 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。

11 gust   

n.阵风，突然一阵（雨、烟等），（感情的）迸发

参考例句：

• A gust of wind blew the front door shut.一阵大风吹来，把前门关上了。
• A gust of happiness swept through her.一股幸福的暖流流遍她的全身。

12 actively   

adv.积极地，勤奋地

参考例句：

• During this period all the students were actively participating.在这节课中所有的学生都积极参加。
• We are actively intervening to settle a quarrel.我们正在积极调解争执。

13 smoldering   

v.用文火焖烧，熏烧，慢燃( smolder的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The mat was smoldering where the burning log had fallen. 燃烧的木棒落下的地方垫子慢慢燃烧起来。 来自辞典例句
• The wood was smoldering in the fireplace. 木柴在壁炉中闷烧。 来自辞典例句

14 deserted   

adj.荒芜的，荒废的，无人的，被遗弃的

参考例句：

• The deserted village was filled with a deathly silence.这个荒废的村庄死一般的寂静。
• The enemy chieftain was opposed and deserted by his followers.敌人头目众叛亲离。

15 disperse   

vi.使分散；使消失；vt.分散；驱散

参考例句：

• The cattle were swinging their tails to disperse the flies.那些牛甩动着尾巴驱赶苍蝇。
• The children disperse for the holidays.孩子们放假了。

16 gathering   

n.集会，聚会，聚集

参考例句：

• He called on Mr. White to speak at the gathering.他请怀特先生在集会上讲话。
• He is on the wing gathering material for his novels.他正忙于为他的小说收集资料。

17 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

18 stranded   

a.搁浅的，进退两难的

参考例句：

• He was stranded in a strange city without money. 他流落在一个陌生的城市里， 身无分文，一筹莫展。
• I was stranded in the strange town without money or friends. 我困在那陌生的城市，既没有钱，又没有朋友。

19 regain   

vt.重新获得，收复，恢复

参考例句：

• He is making a bid to regain his World No.1 ranking.他正为重登世界排名第一位而努力。
• The government is desperate to regain credibility with the public.政府急于重新获取公众的信任。

20 redeem   

v.买回，赎回，挽回，恢复，履行（诺言等）

参考例句：

• He had no way to redeem his furniture out of pawn.他无法赎回典当的家具。
• The eyes redeem the face from ugliness.这双眼睛弥补了他其貌不扬之缺陷。

21 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。