2006年VOA标准英语-Capitol Security Breach Prompts New Review of P

By Dan Robinson
Capitol Hill
19 September 2006

U.S. Capitol Police say an incident early Monday in which a man possessing a gun drove his car through the capitol security perimeter¹ and ran inside before being caught, has prompted a new review of protection measures.

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US Capitol, Washington DC  
  

The incident occurred early Monday morning before most members of Congress had returned to resume work in the capitol building where the House of Representatives and Senate are located.

The man drove a sports utility vehicle through a security barrier on the East side of the Capitol, where construction workers have been building a massive underground visitors' center.

After crashing his vehicle into a structure outside, the man jumped out and ran through a construction entrance into the Capitol building itself before police apprehended² him in a third floor construction area.

Police identified the man as 20-year-old Carlos Green from Silver Spring, Maryland, and said he carried a small handgun and tested positive for crack cocaine³.

No shots were fired, but the incident forced the closure of the Capitol building for one hour, as police stopped visitors from entering.

It wasn't until late Monday that Capitol Police held a news conference to discuss the incident.
 

Acting⁴ Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin  
  
Here is acting U.S. Capitol Police Chief Christopher McGaffin:

"We are now conducting the criminal investigation⁵ that is ongoing⁶ as well as a review of our security measures in the perimeters⁷ and access points that we have into the Capitol Visitors' Center as well as the [Capitol] building itself," said Christopher McGaffin.

In the five years since the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Capitol has been surrounded by increasingly tight security, including street barriers, police checkpoints, and a ban on large trucks.

Monday's penetration⁸ of the security perimeter and the ability of the individual to drive a vehicle almost to the steps of the Capitol prompted questions about how the man was able to get as far as he did.

Acting Capitol Police Chief McGaffin says a review of security procedures will attempt to answer these questions:

"There is a risk when you move a blocked vehicle back, or when you lower a barricade⁹, for another vehicle to intercept," he said. "That is why we have concentric rings of security. Some involve people, police officers who are in posts, some are technology, some are alarm systems, some [are] surveillance, but there are a myriad¹⁰ of security rings that are in place, and in this instance the inner ring of our security initiative was effective in subduing¹¹ this individual."

The incident at the Capitol on Monday is sure to prompt additional questions from lawmakers at a hearing scheduled later this week to examine progress on the new Capitol Visitors' Center.

At a cost of more than half a billion dollars, the center was designed to help improve security while accommodating the thousands of visitors who come to see the Capitol building each year.

1 perimeter   

n.周边，周长，周界

参考例句：

• The river marks the eastern perimeter of our land.这条河标示我们的土地东面的边界。
• Drinks in hands,they wandered around the perimeter of the ball field.他们手里拿着饮料在球场周围漫不经心地遛跶。

2 apprehended   

逮捕，拘押( apprehend的过去式和过去分词 )； 理解

参考例句：

• She apprehended the complicated law very quickly. 她很快理解了复杂的法律。
• The police apprehended the criminal. 警察逮捕了罪犯。

3 cocaine   

n.可卡因，古柯碱（用作局部麻醉剂）

参考例句：

• That young man is a cocaine addict.那个年轻人吸食可卡因成瘾。
• Don't have cocaine abusively.不可滥服古柯碱。

4 acting   

n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的

参考例句：

• Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她，她只是假装的。
• During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代，她的表演生涯黯然失色。

5 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。

6 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。

7 perimeters   

周边( perimeter的名词复数 )； 周围； 边缘； 周长

参考例句：

• Examples include outdoor perimeters, traffic monitoring, tunnels, and car parks. 例子像户外围墙；交通监视；隧道和停车场。

8 penetration   

n.穿透，穿人，渗透

参考例句：

• He is a man of penetration.他是一个富有洞察力的人。
• Our aim is to achieve greater market penetration.我们的目标是进一步打入市场。

9 barricade   

n.路障，栅栏，障碍；vt.设路障挡住

参考例句：

• The soldiers make a barricade across the road.士兵在路上设路障。
• It is difficult to break through a steel barricade.冲破钢铁障碍很难。

10 myriad   

adj.无数的；n.无数，极大数量

参考例句：

• They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
• I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。

11 subduing   

征服( subdue的现在分词 )； 克制； 制服； 色变暗

参考例句：

• They are the probation subduing the heart to human joys. 它们不过是抑制情欲的一种考验。
• Some believe that: is spiritual, mysterious and a very subduing colour. 有的认为：是精神，神秘色彩十分慑。