VOA标准英语2010年-US Steps Up Security Measures for Air

The United States has increased security screenings for air travelers from 14 countries, in response to the attempted December 25 bombing of a U.S. jetliner flying from Amsterdam to Detroit. The U.S. State Department considers four of those countries: Cuba, Iran, Sudan and Syria - state sponsors of terrorism. The other 10: fghanistan, Algeria, Iraq, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen - are considered countries of interest.

All air travelers arriving in the United States now face some measure of increased scrutiny¹.

Some passengers who were among the first to undergo increased screening said they faced extensive searches in Paris, but shorter delays at Dulles Internatonal Airport outside of Washington.

Manjushree Badlani said her departure from Paris was delayed by about an hour, but said her trip through customs at Dulles only delayed her by about seven minutes.

"They didn't examine our luggage. They sent us to agricultural inspection². She [the inspector] asked if we were carrying any food. We said 'no' and we were on our way," Badlani said.

Several travelers, who spoke³ to VOA, said they support the extra precautions.

Travelers facing even greater scrutiny come from, or have passed through, the 14 nations that the U.S. State Department says sponsor terrorism or are 'nations of interest'.

1 scrutiny   

n.详细检查，仔细观察

参考例句：

• His work looks all right,but it will not bear scrutiny.他的工作似乎很好，但是经不起仔细检查。
• Few wives in their forties can weather such a scrutiny.很少年过四十的妻子经得起这么仔细的观察。

2 inspection   

n.检查，审查，检阅

参考例句：

• On random inspection the meat was found to be bad.经抽查，发现肉变质了。
• The soldiers lined up for their daily inspection by their officers.士兵们列队接受军官的日常检阅。

3 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。