NPR 2012-07-04

 More people are returning to their homes in Colorado, Springs; however, some are finding that their homes have been reduced to ashes. The Waldo Canyon¹ fire destroyed hundreds of homes. The blaze is said to be about 70% contained. 

 

Two members of the president's cabinet are visiting western states to get a closer look at firefighting operations across that region. Scott Graf of Boise State Public Radio reports Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack are visiting Colorado and Idaho.

 

The two began their trip in Colorado. That state has seen a historically damaging start to the 2012 wildfire season. Once done there, Vilsack and Napolitano will fly to the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise. That's essentially² the nerve center for the government's firefighting operations. The two were using the trip to thank firefighters for their efforts and to reiterate³ the government's support for communities that have suffered damage in recent weeks. Vilsack, who oversees⁴ the US Forest Service, is also likely to discuss the ongoing⁵ air tanker⁶ shortage. That situation was made worse yesterday when the military parked all of its firefighting air tankers⁷ following Sunday's crash of a C-130 in South Dakota. For NPR News, I'm Scott Graf in Boise, Idaho.

 

By the way, authorities are saying that that C-130 crash led to the deaths of four crew members, two others were injured. And Air Force tankers are back in operation after they had been grounded for some time. 

 

An investigation⁸ is underway into a crash involving two British Royal Air Force jets on Scotland's coast today. Two airmen are missing; two others were pulled from the sea. 

 

The International Monetary⁹ Fund is urging lawmakers in the US to work quickly to head off four trillion dollars worth of automatic spending cuts and expiring tax cuts set to take effect at end of the year. NPR's Craig Windham reports the IMF is warning that those changes could push the US into a recession next year and cause more damage to the global economy.

 

The IMF's Managing Director Christine Lagarde says even the possibility of a delay and dealing¹⁰ with what's being called the “fiscal cliff” could weaken economic growth in the US.

 

“The US economic recovery remains¹¹ tepid¹², and downside risks have intensified¹³.”

 

Lagarde is also calling on Congress to raise the government's borrowing limit before the current debt limit is reached early next year. And she says lawmakers and the administration should take steps to lower the federal deficit¹⁴. But she says those reductions should be phased in overtime¹⁵. Craig Windham, NPR News, Washington.

 

On its half-day session on Wall Street, the Dow closed up 72 points at 12,944; NASDAQ was up 25 points. 

 

You’re listening to NPR News.

 

The Food and Drug Administration has approved the first over-the-counter home test for HIV, the virus that causes AIDS. NPR's Richard Knox says it will be available this fall.

 

To take the test, consumers will swab their gums and put the sample into a vial. They’ll get an answer within 40 minutes. If it's positive, that doesn't necessarily mean they got HIV. They’ll have to go to a professional for a confirming test.  Doug Michels, president of the company that will make the home test, says it will help prevent HIV.

 

“For every million people that take the test, we'll identify an additional 5,000 new HIV infections. And through that identification, we will be avoiding more than 700 future transmissions of HIV infection.” 

 

The test will go on sale around October at pharmacies¹⁶, other retailers¹⁷ and online for an undisclosed price in excess of 18 dollars. Richard Knox, NPR News.

 

Andy Griffith, who attracted audiences with his Southern charm on TV stage and in folk music, has died. According to a family statement, Griffith passed away this morning at his North Carolina home. He may be best remembered for his fictional¹⁸ TV role as Mayberry's Sheriff Andy Taylor, who was surrounded by an eccentric group of comedy characters, including the bumbling, well-intentioned deputy Barney Fife played by Don Knotts.

 

“People didn't think that we were doing anything. They thought we were just some kind of country show and we just showed up. Me and Don did the stuff. They didn't realize how hard we worked in our scripts and everything. “The Darling of the Airwaves” at that time was the Dick Van Dyke¹⁹ Show, and I was very jealous of Dick.”

 

That's Griffith in a 1996 interview. He was 86 years old.

 

This is NPR.

1 canyon   

n.峡谷，溪谷

参考例句：

• The Grand Canyon in the USA is 1900 metres deep.美国的大峡谷1900米深。
• The canyon is famous for producing echoes.这个峡谷以回声而闻名。

2 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

3 reiterate   

v.重申，反复地说

参考例句：

• Let me reiterate that we have absolutely no plans to increase taxation.让我再一次重申我们绝对没有增税的计划。
• I must reiterate that our position on this issue is very clear.我必须重申我们对这一项议题的立场很清楚。

4 oversees   

v.监督，监视( oversee的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• She oversees both the research and the manufacturing departments. 她既监督研究部门又监督生产部门。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The Department of Education oversees the federal programs dealing with education. 教育部监管处理教育的联邦程序。 来自互联网

5 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。

6 tanker   

n.油轮

参考例句：

• The tanker took on 200,000 barrels of crude oil.油轮装载了二十万桶原油。
• Heavy seas had pounded the tanker into three parts.汹涌的巨浪把油轮撞成三载。

7 tankers   

运送大量液体或气体的轮船[卡车]( tanker的名词复数 )； 油轮； 罐车； 油槽车

参考例句：

• They should stop offloading waste from oil tankers into the sea. 他们应当停止从油轮上往海里倾倒废弃物。
• The harbour admits large tankers and freighters. 这个港口容得下巨型油船和货轮。

8 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。

9 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

10 dealing   

n.经商方法，待人态度

参考例句：

• This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。
• His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

11 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。

12 tepid   

adj.微温的，温热的，不太热心的

参考例句：

• She bent her mouth to the tap and drank the tepid water.她把嘴伸到水龙头底下去喝那微温的水。
• Her feet firmly planted on the tepid rough brick of the floor.她一双脚稳固地立在微温而粗糙的砖地上。

13 intensified   

v.（使）增强， （使）加剧( intensify的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• Violence intensified during the night. 在夜间暴力活动加剧了。
• The drought has intensified. 旱情加剧了。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

15 overtime   

adj.超时的，加班的；adv.加班地

参考例句：

• They are working overtime to finish the work.为了完成任务他们正在加班加点地工作。
• He was paid for the overtime he worked.他领到了加班费。

16 pharmacies   

药店

参考例句：

• Still, 32 percent of the pharmacies filled the prescriptions. 但仍然有32%的药剂师配发了这两张药方。 来自互联网
• Chinese herbal pharmacies, and traditional massage therapists in the Vancouver telephone book. 中药店，和传统的按摩师在温哥华的电话簿里。 来自互联网

17 retailers   

零售商，零售店( retailer的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• High street retailers reported a marked increase in sales before Christmas. 商业街的零售商报告说圣诞节前销售量显著提高。
• Retailers have a statutory duty to provide goods suitable for their purpose. 零售商有为他们提供符合要求的货品的法定义务。

18 fictional   

adj.小说的，虚构的

参考例句：

• The names of the shops are entirely fictional.那些商店的名字完全是虚构的。
• The two authors represent the opposite poles of fictional genius.这两位作者代表了天才小说家两个极端。

19 dyke   

n.堤，水坝，排水沟

参考例句：

• If one sheep leap over the dyke,all the rest will follow.一只羊跳过沟，其余的羊也跟着跳。
• One ant-hole may cause the collapse of a thousand-li dyke.千里长堤，溃于蚁穴。