VOA常速讲解2010-6-25第387期

VOA常速讲解附字幕:外交官批评日本核事故后反应查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照After a magnitude9.0earthquake and historic tsunami battered northeastern Japan on March 11a veteran U.S.diplomat,who had just been removed from the top post on the island of Okinawa,was among those put in charge of a crisis task force in Washington.Kevin Maher says American decision-makers quickly realized there was little reliable data coming from their Japanese counterparts about the Fukushima-1nuclear power plant."There was a point where we told the Japanese government,'Look you guys got to take this seriously.This is a real serious situation.The government needs to respond to this.'And,I think the[Japanese]government eventually came to that conclusion,itself,"he said.Maher says that was based on flights over the crippled nuclear plant by a U.S.Air Force (RQ-4)Global Hawk remotely piloted plane. The unmanned aircraft took photographs and could roughly gauge temperatures inside the damaged reactor and spent fuel buildings."And when you looked at the information we did have,it was very clear to me early on that there had probably been at least one,probably two meltdowns,"Maher stated.Maher recalls that prompted the U.S. government to explore scenarios for evacuations,including transporting100,000 American citizens from the Tokyo metropolitan area.3月11日，9.0级大地震和历史性的海啸袭击日本东北部之后，刚刚退下冲绳岛最高职位的美国退休外交官负责华盛顿的一个危机调查任务小组。

VOA常速讲解附字幕:美国邮政濒临破产边缘查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照The mail service Americans have known for generations is losing billions of dollars a year, as handwritten communication has all but disappeared-replaced by emails,text messages,and social-media-and billing and other commercial transactions are increasingly conducted over the Internet.The changing technological landscape has left the regular mail service,what many Americans now refer to as"snail mail,"in dire financial straits.U.S.Postmaster General Patrick Donahoe testified before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee."The Postal Service is at the brink of default,"said Donahoe."Without the enactment of comprehensive legislation by September30,the Postal Service will default on a mandate d$5.5billion payment to the Treasury to pre-fund retirement retiree health benefits.Our situation is urgent."The Postal Service is seeking congressional authorization to cut costs and curtail services, including eliminat ing hundreds of thousands of postal jobs,changing health care and retirement programs for postal workers, consolidating post offices,and ending Saturday mail delivery across the country."The Postal Service requires radical changes to its business model if it to remain viable into the future,"added Donahoe.由于书信这种通信方式几乎已经消失，被电子邮件，短信和社交媒体等取代，收费和其他商业交易越来越多的通过互联网进行，美国几代人都非常熟悉的邮政服务每年损失数十亿美元。

This used to be a nearly open border, especially for Pashtuns, many of whom had relatives on both sides. Afghans seeking medical treatment in Pakistan, laborers who went daily to the other side to work, businessmen, and people going for family functions made up the thousands who crossed this border daily. Traveling back and forth was a breeze. That will now end. Pakistan has announced that, for security reasons, only Afghans with proper documents will be allowed in. Up to 25,000 people used to cross this border every day. Local officials say with the new restrictions the number is expected to drop significantly. On day one of the new policy, thousands crossed over from Pakistan to Afghanistan, while the traffic from the other side was down to a trickle. Those coming over from Afghanistan described long lines in the blistering heat. Pashtuns with families across the border were worried about the implications. "It'll make it really difficult for the old people, the sick, the relatives who live on both sides of the border who travel frequently back and forth. We're all Pashtuns living on both sides of the border. The situation is so bad on the other side that I cannot even describe it," Others favored the move. "All kinds of people cross over. No one knows who they are, where they are coming from, where they are going. Now, at least we'll have that information," Pakistan says strict border management is the only way to stop militants who cross over from Afghanistan to carry out attacks inside Pakistan. But some analysts think the move could backfire. While terrorists could use unofficial routes in the mountains to cross over, the suffering of ordinary Afghans might add to the already high anti-Pakistan sentiment in Afghanistan.这里过去是个近乎开放边界，尤其是对于在边界两边都有亲属的普什图族来说。

VOA常速讲解附字幕:金价上涨引发淘金热查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照Todd Bonshire is the manager of Monroe Park, a restored18th century gold mining camp in Goldvein,Virginia.A historian by training,he teaches visitors about the rich history of gold mining in the area and how to pan for gold."It is amazing how many have started coming here to buy prospecting equipment and to find places in the area to go prospecting,"said Bonshire."Especially now that gold is near $1,800an ounce,the interest has just skyrocketed."In1782,Thomas Jefferson wrote in his notes on Virginia that a man found a piece of quartz with gold in it near Fredericksburg,and gold fever spread across the state.In the early19th century,there were19gold mines in the immediate area.But during World War II, gold mines were deemed not essential and were shut down."Well this is some quartz from the area,and this is where you find the gold,"added Bonshire.Gold is found inside quartz rock that runs in a belt along the eastern United States.Miners would have to dig out thousands of kilograms of rock to find a few ounces of gold trapped in the crevices."Right here there is a little crevice and you can you see that there is some pyritein there,somebody popped this open,and there is a nice little pocket,"added Bonshire. "The gold would also be found similar to this inside a big piece of quartz."Todd Bonshire是门罗公园的经理，这里是位于佛吉尼亚州Goldvein经过恢复的18世纪的黄金开采地点。

VOA慢速讲解附字幕:保护新生儿免于HIV感染的新药物查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照This is the VOA Special English Development Report.Researchers say they have found a way to extend the storage life of a drug used to treat H.I.V.Their work could give infected mothers in the developing world a new way to prevent the spread of the AIDS virus to their newborn babies.The drug is nevirapine.If it is given within seventy-two hours after birth,it can often protect babies from H.I.V.Researchers at Duke University in North Carolina have developed a small pouch made of foil and plastic.They say current tests show that the pouch can safely store the drug for as long as four months.But they expect that final results in October will show it can keep the liquid stable for up to twelve months.That way,H.I.V.-infected women could have plenty of time to get the pouch from a health care provider early in their pregnancy.Caroline Gamache is a biomedical engineer at Duke who worked on the project.CAROLINE GAMACHE:"Many mothers deliver at home in sub-Saharan Africa and it's very difficult for them to get to a hospital or clinic which may be miles away in that time period.And so we are proposing to give this pouch to mothers in their first or second trimester,这里是VOA特别英语发展报道。

2010年6月大学英语六级考试阅读真题答案与详解PartⅡReading Comprehension (Skimming and Scanning)1.【答案】C)。

【定位】由题干中的Erin White和Barack Obama’s victory in the election定位到原文第一段第一句：As Erin White watched the election results head towards victory for Barack Obama, she felt a burden lifting from her shoulders.【精析】C）Relieved“如释重负”与句中提及的怀特的感受felt a burden lifting from her shoulders是同义转述，故C)为正确答案。

2.【答案】D)。

【定位】由题干中的Erin White和haunted by the question of whether定位到原文第二段第二句：But there had always been these things in the back of my mind questioning whether I really can be who I want.【精析】该句中been these things in the back of my mind questioning whether 与题干中been haunted by the question of whether对应，由此可推知一直困扰她的问题是whether I really can be who I want。

D)she could go as far as she wanted in life含义与之相符，故为正确答案。

3.【答案】B)。

【定位】由题干中的the focus of Ashby Plant’s study定位到原文第一个小标题下第一句：Ashby Plant is one of a number of psychologists who seized on Obama’s candidacy to test hypotheses about the power of role models.【精析】题干中的the focus是定位句中seized on...to的同义转述。

VOA慢速讲解附字幕:加强沟通,减少医疗事故查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照This is the VOA Special English Health Report.No one wants a pilot to make a mistake.This is why flight crews are trained in teamwork and communication.Now a study finds hospitals that trained their operating room teams had a lower rate of surgical deaths than other hospitals.SURGEON:"We'll need a patch in the room, is there a patch available?"This team has been trained to communicate about the operation and the patient before, during and after the surgery.SURGEON:"Are there any concerns or questions from the team?Anybody?No?"The study involved more than one hundred American veterans hospitals.Some had taken part in a program of medical team training.Researcher Julia Neily,a Veterans Administration nurse,says the training seeks to empower each team member,including technicians.JULIA NEILY:"One of the key elements here was flattening the hierarchy in the operating room so that everybody,这里是VOA特别英语健康报道。

VOA常速讲解:非洲寻求数百亿气候变化赔偿听力练习Africa to Seek Billions in Climate Change Compensationenvironmental damages from developed countries at the Copenhagen Climate summit in Africa is seeking a common position to increase its bargain ing power in Copenhagen.Representatives of several African heads of state met at AU headquarters Monday to determine how much the continent should ask in compensation at the UN climate summit in December.A concept paper obtained by VOA says the flow of money to support'adaptation to changes in climate'must be at least$67billion a year by the year2020.In all,the paper recommend s that developed countries commit to paying one-half percent of Gross Domestic Product,or GDP for'climate action'in poorer countries.Diplomats attending a closed-door session say several countries argued that the demand should be much higher in view of the severe environmental damage facing the continent.At the opening ceremony,AU Rural Economy and Agriculture Commissioner Rhoda Peace Tumusiime said Africa is one of the main victims of global warming."The global carbon trading mechanism that are expected to emerge from internationalcompensation for the damage to its economy caused by global warming,bearing in mind the fact that,despite contributing virtually nothing to global warming,Africa has been one of theprimary victims of its consequence s,"she said.The proposal being considered by African representatives says polluting countries must reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by at least40percent below1990levels within10years,and by up to95percent below1990levels by2050.The lead expert representing Ethiopia at the meetings,Desalegn Mesfin,spoke of catastrophic consequences,unless the world takes urgent action."Addressing the climate agenda very soon is a matter of ensuring the continuation of life on earth. Otherwise,the unexpected end of the world will take place,"said Mesfin.Desalegn warned that,unless the African group agrees on a common position within the next few weeks,it may be too late to make an effective negotiating stance at the Copenhagen climate summit.The Addis Ababa meeting is in preparation for high level negotiations to be held next week on the sidelines of a special African summit in Tripoli.The summit on peace and security issues was called by the current AU Chairman,Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi.参考翻译非洲联盟正考虑12月份在哥本哈根举行的气候峰会上提议，要求发达国家每年向其支付670亿美元，以赔偿对环境造成的危害。

菅直人“大破”小泽一郎(1/2)An official of the Democratic Party of Japan announces that Prime Minister Naoto Kan has won the party leadership post.Mr. Kan won 721 votes in Tuesday's election, compared with Ichiro Ozawa's 491 ballots.Since the DPJ controls the lower house of Japan's parliament, as leader of the party, Mr. Kan will stay on as prime minister.Speaking immediately following his re-election, Mr. Kan appealed for unity and pledged to revitalize Japan.The prime minister says he will keep his promise to help the people. He expresses heartfelt appreciation for the support that was shown to him, especially by the DPJ's rank and file.Ordinary party members overwhelmingly backed him. His opponent Ozawa, a veteran power broker, captured the votes of nearly half of the DPJ's members of parliament.Ozawa resigned from the DPJ's second-highest post 3 months ago in a political funding scandal. He faces possible indictment on criminal charges.日本民主党的一位官员宣布，首相菅直人在党首选举中获胜。

VOA常速讲解附字幕:美国就业市场对年轻人不利查看原文第一部分：原文中英对照The labor market in the United States is starting to show signs of recovery,but for many young workers the recovery is not happening fast enough.Although the national unemployment rate is now the lowest it has been in two years,one study suggests the job prospect s for16to24-year-olds remains grim.America's youth faces an increasingly uncertain future.Despite a slowly improving job market,economist Heidi Shierholz at the Economic Policy Institute says young workers have yet to see similar gains."Young people across the board have never seen anything like this in70years,"said Heidi Shierholz."Since the Great Depression we have not seen unemployment rates this high."With unemployment rates more than twice the national average,Shierholz says the graduating Class of2011faces fierce competition for fewer jobs."New college grads are in direct competition with the cohort from last year and the cohort from the year before that,when the unemployment rate was also incredibly high, so there's just extremely stiff competition for new jobs for young people,"she said.George Washington University law student Elliot Reaven feels good about his career choices but he admits it is an intimidating economy for many students.美国就业市场已经开始出现复苏迹象，但是对许多年轻的劳动者来说，复苏的速度还不够快。