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(单词翻译:双击或拖选)
Russian President Vladimir Putin telephoned President Obama today to discuss the situation in Ukraine. NPR’s Scott Horsley reports the two leaders still seem to be talking past one another.
The hourlong phone call came near the end of Obama’s weeklong foreign trip. Much of that trip was devoted1 to building an international rebuke2 to Russia’s takeover of Crimea. Obama told Putin the US supports a diplomatic resolution to crisis, adding that’s only possible if Russia pulls back its troops and makes no further provocative3 moves. For his part, Putin complained that extremists inside Ukraine are intimidating4 peaceful residents. Russia used similar claims about the situation in Crimea as a pretext5 to justify6 its takeover of the peninsula. The two leaders did agree on one thing: Secretary John Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will meet in the near future to continue the diplomatic dialog. Scott Horsley, NPR News, Washington.
One of the survivors7 of last weekend’s massive mudslide in Washington state says the roar of the hillside giving way and sweeping8 over houses, people and everything else in its path were so loud; she thought a plane had crashed. Robin9 Youngblood, who survived the landslide10 near the town of Oso, Washington, says she saw a wall of mud racing11 towards or across a river valley. She says she wound up covered in freezing mud clinging to an unattached roof. Others not so fortunate. The official death toll12 there is still 17. Authorities say other victims’ remains13 have been found. Ninety other people are still missing and unaccounted for.
US Coast Guard has lifted traffic restrictions14 on key Texas commercial shipping15 waterways shut down by an oil spill. But NPR’s Debbit Elliot reports the cleanup is still underway.
The Coast Guard is warning mariners16 to keep away from any oil sheen as they navigate17 the Houston Ship Channel and surrounding waterways. Lieutenant18 Junior Grade Mike Hart says vessels19 should be on the lookout20 for protective boom and cleanup activity.
“We just asked the public, you know, be cognitive21 of a safety zone, be aware that there are still operations ongoing22 to skim off any remaining oil.”
An estimated 170,000 gallons of oil leaked from a wrecked23 barge24. The slick spread into the Gulf25 of Mexico and has oiled several beaches. Dozens of birds were killed. Volunteers are now combing sensitive areas to help target the cleanup. Debbit Elliot, NPR News.
Unemployment rates fell in most days in February as two thirds of states reported job gains. According to the Labor26 Department, unemployment rates fell in 29 states, rose in ten and held relatively27 stable in 11 others. In terms of actual hiring, the government says hiring rose in 33 states. Employers added around 175,000 jobs nationwide in February.
On Wall Street, an up end for the week. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 58 points to close at 16,323; the NASDAQ finished up four points; the S&P 500 rose eight points today. You’re listening to NPR News in Washington.
General Motors has suddenly and for an as-yet-unannounced reason put the brakes on in terms of sales its most popular model the Chevy Cruze. GM notifying dealers28 to stop selling the cars without explanation. Generally such stop-sales orders are a result of a safety issue, though so far it’s not clear what the issue is. It comes as GM has already embroiled29 in a major recall involving millions of vehicles to fix problems with an ignition switch that has been linked to a dozen deaths and more 30 crashes. GM, which had already recalled 1.6 million vehicles, expanded the recall today by another 824,000 cars in the US.
The Republican chair of the House Intelligence Committee announced today he’s retiring at the end of the year to become a talk show host on a conservative radio network. As NPR’s David Welna explains, Michigan Congressman30 Mike Rogers’ decision to leave Capitol Hill was unexpected.
Intelligence Committee Chairman Rogers announced he would not seek reelection this year on a Michigan affiliate31 of the Cumulus radio network. Next year he’s to become one of the many conservative talk show hosts carried by that network. Rogers, who’s 50, has been a member of Congress for more than 13 years. Four years ago his close friend and the Speaker of the House John Boehner made Rogers chairman of the intelligence panel. A former FBI special agent, Rogers has been a staunch defender32 of the government’s surveillance programs and a frequent critic of President Obama. Earlier this week Rogers announced a plan to end the National Security Agency’s bulk storage of phone records. Americans, he said, did not have a comfort level with the recently reviewed program. David Welna, NPR News, the Capitol.
Crude oil futures33 prices moved higher today. The price of oil up 39 cents a barrel, ending the session at 101.67 a barrel in New York.
点击收听单词发音
1 devoted | |
adj.忠诚的,忠实的,热心的,献身于...的 | |
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2 rebuke | |
v.指责,非难,斥责 [反]praise | |
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3 provocative | |
adj.挑衅的,煽动的,刺激的,挑逗的 | |
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4 intimidating | |
vt.恐吓,威胁( intimidate的现在分词) | |
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5 pretext | |
n.借口,托词 | |
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6 justify | |
vt.证明…正当(或有理),为…辩护 | |
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7 survivors | |
幸存者,残存者,生还者( survivor的名词复数 ) | |
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8 sweeping | |
adj.范围广大的,一扫无遗的 | |
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9 robin | |
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟 | |
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10 landslide | |
n.(竞选中)压倒多数的选票;一面倒的胜利 | |
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11 racing | |
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的 | |
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12 toll | |
n.过路(桥)费;损失,伤亡人数;v.敲(钟) | |
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13 remains | |
n.剩余物,残留物;遗体,遗迹 | |
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14 restrictions | |
约束( restriction的名词复数 ); 管制; 制约因素; 带限制性的条件(或规则) | |
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15 shipping | |
n.船运(发货,运输,乘船) | |
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16 mariners | |
海员,水手(mariner的复数形式) | |
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17 navigate | |
v.航行,飞行;导航,领航 | |
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18 lieutenant | |
n.陆军中尉,海军上尉;代理官员,副职官员 | |
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19 vessels | |
n.血管( vessel的名词复数 );船;容器;(具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的)人 | |
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20 lookout | |
n.注意,前途,瞭望台 | |
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21 cognitive | |
adj.认知的,认识的,有感知的 | |
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22 ongoing | |
adj.进行中的,前进的 | |
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23 wrecked | |
adj.失事的,遇难的 | |
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24 barge | |
n.平底载货船,驳船 | |
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25 gulf | |
n.海湾;深渊,鸿沟;分歧,隔阂 | |
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26 labor | |
n.劳动,努力,工作,劳工;分娩;vi.劳动,努力,苦干;vt.详细分析;麻烦 | |
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27 relatively | |
adv.比较...地,相对地 | |
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28 dealers | |
n.商人( dealer的名词复数 );贩毒者;毒品贩子;发牌者 | |
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29 embroiled | |
adj.卷入的;纠缠不清的 | |
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30 Congressman | |
n.(美)国会议员 | |
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31 affiliate | |
vt.使隶(附)属于;n.附属机构,分公司 | |
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32 defender | |
n.保卫者,拥护者,辩护人 | |
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33 futures | |
n.期货,期货交易 | |
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34 jack | |
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克 | |
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