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新闻背景导读
密西西比河（the Mississippi River）是世界第四长河，是北美洲流程最长、流域面积最广、水量最大的河流，也是经济上最重要的河流。密西西比河位于北美洲中南部，注入墨西哥湾。近年来，由于严重缺少降雨使这条河的水位下降。美国陆军工程兵团在测量这条河，努力使这条河在美国历史上最严重的干旱期间，能保持航道通行。
新闻词汇热身
intense adj. 强烈的
shipwreck n. 失事，毁灭
normally adv. 通常，正常地
plainly adv. 平坦地，简单地
destination n. 目的地
barge n. 驳船
disruption n. 分裂
ripple n. 涟漪，波纹
正点新闻播报
The Mississippi River Level Drop Threats the Navigation Industry
It's another day of intense heat in the Midwestern United States, and another day without rain on the Mississippi river. On board of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey ship, the MV Pathfinder, Captain Terry Bequette is watching the river level drop.
"You see probably 15 or 20 foot [five or seven meters] more bank [exposed] than we had at this time last year. The sand bars behind you were not exposed last year at this time," explained Bequette.
Last year, heavy rains flooded the banks along parts of the Mississippi. This year, the level is so low, shipwrecks normally hidden under water are plainly in view.
"It's low and it's bad, but it's not the end-of-the-world bad," added Bequette. "The industry just lightens their load and hopes for the best."
That industry ships corn, soybeans, and wheat from farms in the Midwest to destinations around the globe. Roughly 60 percent of all grain exported from the United States travels on barges along this waterway. Any disruption has a ripple effect.
"There's a lot of money at stake for these farmers, and there are other commodities that are coming down the river as well, so it's not just grain but it's also chemicals are coming down the river, coal is coming down the river, various things like that," noted Jasen Brown, a Hydraulic Engineer with the Army Corps.
新闻播报译文
密西西比河水位下降威胁航运
又是一个酷暑天，又是密西西比河上无雨的一天。在美国陆军工程兵团测量船“MV探路者号”上，船长特里·贝奎特正在观察河流水位下降的情况。
贝奎特船长说：“今年的水位与去年同期相比，下降了5到7米。去年你看不到背后的那片沙洲。”
去年，暴雨淹没了密西西比河部分沿岸地区。而今水位低，可以看到通常隐藏在水下的船骸。
贝奎特说：“很低，很糟，但还不是世界末日那样糟。航运公司减少载量，其他就只能祈祷了。”
航运公司把美国中西部的玉米、大豆和小麦运往世界各地。美国60%的出口粮食都要经密西西比河运输。任何阻断都会引起连锁反应。
部队水利工程师杰森·布朗说：“农场主大量的资金都受到威胁。很多其他货物也需要这条水路。不仅粮食，还有化学品、煤炭，还有其他很多种物资。”
新闻语言点睛
1. on board 在船上
例句 When all the people were on board, the boat bore away.
当所有人都上船后，那艘船离岸了。
2. in view 呈现在眼前
例句 In view of later new deal policies, it was a poor prophecy.
从以后的新政策来看，这真是一场可怜的预言。
3. the end-of-the-world 世界末日
例句 That's unfortunate, but it isn' the end-of-the-world
那是很不幸，但绝不是世界末日
4. at stake 濒临危险
例句 Now my fate is at stake.
现在是我命运的关键时刻。
5. come down 下降
例句 Production costs come down every year.
生产成本逐年下降。
新闻背景导读
水是地球上最丰富的一种化合物。全球约有四分之三的面积覆盖着水，地球上的水总体积约有13亿8600万立方千米，其中96.5%分布在海洋，淡水只有3500万立方千米左右。若扣除无法取用的冰川和高山顶上的冰冠，以及分布在盐碱湖和内海的水量，陆地上淡水湖和河流的水量不到地球总水量的1%。缺水的挑战越来越严峻，缺水有许多显而易见的后果，比如低的农业生产力，还有因有限的供给，依赖低质水而造成上升的疾病发生率。但是它的影响远远超过这些显而易见的结果。由于70%水被用来食品生产，水短缺导致了越来越高的食品价格，环境退化，在严重受影响的地区抑制了经济的发展。
新闻词汇热身
scarcity n. 缺乏，不足
survival n. 幸存，继续生存
impact v. 影响，作用
available adj. 可利用的，可得到的
domestic adj. 国内的
initiative n. 主动性
accelerate v. （使）加快，（使）增速
innovation n. 革新，创新
seasonally adv. 季节性地
resiliency n. 跳回，弹性
drought n. 干旱，旱灾
aquifer n. 含水层，蓄水层
diminish v. 减少，减小，降低
正点新闻播报
Securing Water for Food
In the 21st century, water scarcity is one of the greatest challenges to human development, and in some cases, even survival .
Over 40 percent of the world's population, some 2.8 billion people, live in regions impacted by water scarcity. Close to half of them live in areas where demand for water exceeds the availabl e supply.
And the news gets worse—global water demand is projected to increase by 55 percent in the first half of this century, further increasing competition for resources among domestic , agricultural and other users.
That is why the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, and Sweden's Development Agency, SIDA, launched, in early September: Securing Water for Food: A Grand Challenge for Development. The $25 million initiative will help fund and accelerate scientific and technological innovations that can aid developing and emerging countries to more effectively use and manage the water required to produce food.
The program will focus on three areas critical to reducing water scarcity in the food value chain: improving water efficiency and reusing waste water; improving and building effective rainwater capture and storage systems in areas where water availability is seasonally variable, thus securing water supplies throughout the year and building resiliency to drought; and finally, improving water quality, specifically saline content, in coastal areas, where a combination of over-pumping for irrigation and rising sea-levels are causing salt water to leach into freshwater aquifers , forcing farmers to use poor quality water and diminishing farm productivity.
新闻播报译文
为食物保护水
21世纪，水短缺是人类发展的最大挑战之一，有些地区甚至到了生死攸关的程度。
世界上超过40%的人口，大约28亿人们，生活在水短缺的区域。他们中接近一半的人生活在水需求大于水供给的地区。
并且情况变得越来越糟糕，全球需水量预计在上半个世纪增长55%，进一步增加了国内、农业和其他使用者对资源的竞争。
这就是为什么美国国际开发署（USAID）和瑞典开发署（SIDA）在九月初提出的“为食物保护水：发展的极大挑战”。2500万美金首先用于建立和加速科技创新，帮助发展中国家和新兴国家高效利用和管理生产食物所需的水。
这项计划将重视三个主要领域以减少食物产业链中水短缺现象：提高用水效率与重新利用废水；在可用水随季节变化的地区建立和完善高效的雨水收集和储水系统，因此，保证全年水的供应和建立应对干旱的弹性措施；最后，提高系统水质，尤其是沿海地区盐的含量，在那里由于过度抽水灌溉与不断上升的海平面使得咸水流到淡水蓄水层中，迫使农民用低质水种植而减少了农业产出。
新闻语言点睛
1. demand for 需要
例句 The demand for these goods exceeds the supply.
这些货物供不应求。
2. focus on 注重，集中于
例句 The noise made it hard for me to focus on work.
噪声让我无法集中注意力工作。
新闻背景导读
热浪是指天气持续地保持过度的炎热，也有可能伴随有很高的湿度。这个术语通常与地区相联系，所以对较热气候地区来说是正常的温度，对较冷的地区来说可能是热浪。热浪的直接原因是天气中出现反气旋或高压脊现象，而反气旋导致气候干燥，那意味着所有热浪将会导致气温升高，而不会蒸发湿气。如果存在潮湿的条件，比如地面是湿的，那么在某种程度上，地面就扮演了一个空气调节器的角色。一些地区比较容易受到热浪的袭击，例如夏干冬湿的地中海气候。热浪可以因为高温致人死亡，特别是老年人。
新闻词汇热身
interact v. 相互作用，相互影响
synergistically adv. 协同地，协同作用地
boost v. 提高，推动
temperature n. 温度
downtown adv. 往（或在）商业区
residential adj. 提供住宿的，居住的
carpet n. 地毯
asphalt n. 沥青
concrete n. 混凝土
vegetation n. 植物，草木
evaporation n. 蒸发，脱水
正点新闻播报
Heat Waves Make Cities Swelter Synergistically
No wonder it's gonna be a hot time in the old town tonight. Cities can be anywhere from two to 20 degrees Fahrenheit hotter than nearby countryside, due to what's known as the "urban heat island" effect. But when heat waves roll through, they interacts ynergistically with the urban heat island— boosting temperatures even higher than you might expect.
Researchers used a June 2008 heat wave in Baltimore as a case study. They compared temperatures downtown to those near the Baltimore/Washington International Airport—a residential , halfforested area. Using modeling software, they found that temperatures downtown weren't simply a sum of the urban heat island and the heat wave—they were three and a half degrees hotter than that. The results appear in the Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology.
Urban areas are carpeted in asphalt and concrete , which don't hold water like soil and vegetation do. So while the countryside sweats during a heat wave, cooling itself through evaporation , the city just bakes. But researchers say there's a simple solution to beat the heat: install green roofs, and plant some trees, which would help the concrete jungle live up to the second half of its name.
新闻播报译文
热浪期的协同作用导致城市酷热
今晚的老城将迎来一个炎热的夜晚，这并不奇怪。因为众所周知的“城市热岛效应”，城市的温度会比其临近的乡村高2至20华氏度。但当热浪来袭之时，由于其与热岛效应的协同作用，气温甚至能比你所预想的更高。
研究人员选取2008年6月发生在巴尔的摩的热浪期作为案例来研究。他们比较了市中心地区和巴尔的摩/华盛顿国际机场附近某些地区的气温，其中后者是半数为森林所覆盖的居民区。使用模拟软件研究后，他们发现，市中心的气温并不仅仅是城市热岛效应和热浪期两种效应温度值的简单叠加——而是比这个值高了约3.5华氏度。该项研究结果发表在《应用气象与气候学》杂志上。
城市的地表都覆盖着沥青和混凝土，它们并不像土壤和植被那样，能够保存水分。因此当热浪期来临时，乡村可以通过水分蒸发来降温，而城市只能被活活烘烤。但研究人员说，有个很简单的途径来解决这个高温难题：打造绿色屋顶，同时多种树。这样一来，城市的混凝土丛林也将更能对得起其名字中的“丛林”二字。
新闻语言点睛
1. no wonder 难怪，怪不得
例句 No wonder you can't sleep when you eat so much.
你吃这么多难怪睡不着。
2. due to 因为，由于
例句 His successes were largely due to luck.
他的成功主要靠运气。
3. be known as 被认为是，被称为
例句 This design came to be known as the Oriental style.
这种设计后来被称为东方风格。
4. live up to 不辜负，做到，实践
例句 He finds it hard to live up to his ideals.
他认为很难按自己的理想办事。
新闻背景导读
东帝汶是丰富多样的海洋生物的家园，它坐落在珊瑚三角区，一个在世界上拥有珊瑚和海洋生物多样性最重要的地区之一。珊瑚三角区仅占全球海洋面积的2%，却拥有全世界35%的珊瑚礁和一半的岩礁鱼类物种。美国通过珊瑚三角区伙伴关系计划支持东帝汶，为预测和适应气候变化和自然灾害做出努力，该计划由美国国际开发署（USAID）执行。
新闻词汇热身
prohibit v. 禁止，不准
survive v. 幸存，继续存在
fishery n. 渔场
conserve v. 保护，保藏
marine adj. 海（洋）的
representative n. 代表，代理人
mutual adj. 相互的，彼此的
acknowledge v. 承认
integrate v. （使）成为一体
effectively adv. 有效地
participation n. 参加，参与
crucial adj. 至关重要的，决定性的
正点新闻播报
Conservation in Timor-Leste
The Timorese government is creating protected areas in the waters of the Coral Triangle, called "no-take zones", where fishing is prohibited . The goal is for fish to grow to healthy sizes, improving the chances that species will survive . This is important not only for Timor-Leste's fisheries, but also for global fisheries.
On a bright morning, nearly 200 people gathered in Manatuto, Timor-Leste, to share ideas about how to conserve the region's marine resources. Local fishermen, community leaders, representatives from local government, and a team from USAID discussed the conservation program. By the end of the meeting, there was a mutual understanding that fishing could not happen in protected areas for three years in order to allow the fish to regain their numbers and remain plentiful for future generations, but that in the meantime, people could still catch fish in other areas to support their families.
By acknowledging community concerns and seeking input, the United States Agency for International Development and Timorese government were able to integrate local knowledge and customs more effectively into their work to protect the environment. As Mr. Cristovo Guterres, who serves as the Development Outreach and Communications Specialist at the USAID Timor-Leste Mission, observed "Community participation in and support for this process is crucial , because so many people depend on the marine environment for income."
新闻播报译文
东帝汶的海洋生态保护区
东帝汶政府在珊瑚三角区水域建立名为“禁捕区”的保护区，这里是禁止捕捞的。此举目的是让鱼类繁殖到合适的规模，来提高物种生存的机会。这不仅对东帝汶渔业来说很重要，对全球渔业也是如此。
在一个阳光明媚的早晨，将近200人汇集在东帝汶马纳杜托，共同商讨如何保护该地区的海洋资源。当地渔民，社区领导，当地政府代表，和来自美国国际开发署的一个团队讨论了自然资源保护计划。会议结束前，他们达成了一个共识，那就是保护区三年内不得捕捞，以此让鱼类恢复规模和为后代保留海洋资源，但与此同时，人们仍可以在其他区域捕鱼来养家糊口。
通过肯定当地人关心的问题和收入要求，美国国际开发署和东帝汶政府能够更有效地把当地文化和风俗融入工作中来保护环境。正如在美国国际开发署东帝汶代表团担任发展推广和沟通专家的Mr. Cristovo Guterres所注意到的，“社区的参与和支持对这个计划是至关重要的，因为太多人的收入依赖海洋资源。”
新闻语言点睛
1. not only… but also… 不仅……而且……
例句 He not only studies hard but also works well.
他不仅学习努力，而且认真工作。
2. gather in 聚拢
例句 Birds gather in large numbers beside the river.
鸟儿一群群聚在河边。
3. by the end of 到……为止
例句 All reports must be sent in by the end of this week.
所有的报告必须在本星期结束以前交齐。
4. in the meantime 与此同时，在此期间
例句 You buy the fruits, in the meantime I'll cook breakfast.
你去买水果，同时我来做早餐。
新闻背景导读
经济大国、能源尤其是煤炭生产消费大国、温室气体排放大国……如今，同时拥有如此多“大国”头衔的国家不多，美国和中国无疑是最为主要的两个，两国的温室气体排放占全球总排放量的一半。
为有效应对气候变化，中美合作领域中，气候能源问题逐渐成为一个新的重点。美国国务卿克里访华，期间中美发表气候变化联合声明，宣布在中美战略与经济对话框架下成立气候变化工作组，推进相关合作。此举获得中美两国知名学者、专家的一致称赞。
新闻词汇热身
collaborative adj. 合作的，协作的
transformation n. 转化，转变
editorial n. 社论，社评
inaction n. 无行动，不活跃
emission n. 发出，发光，放射物
accelerate v. （使）加快，（使）增速
bilateral adj. 双边的，双方的
initiative n. 主动性，首创精神
capture v. 捕获
overcome v. 战胜，克服
demonstration n. 证明，论证
incorporate v. 包含，加上，吸收
renewable adj. 可更新的，可再生的，可回收的
正点新闻播报
U.S.-China Climate Partnership
"Nothing less than a complete and collaborative transformation of the way we use and produce energy will be enough to tackle the urgent threat of climate change," U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said in a recent opinion editorial . "The costs of inaction get more and more expensive the longer we wait — and the longer we wait, the less likely we are to avoid the worst. "
Together, the United States and China account for around 40 percent of total greenhouse gas emissions .
"When I visited Beijing in April [2013]… we agreed to launch the Climate Change Working Group," Secretary Kerry said. "We [subsequently] agreed to accelerate our bilateral climate cooperation by approving five new joint initiatives to curb climate change."
Two areas of focus will be on reducing emissions from coal use, and from heavy and light-duty vehicles. With existing technologies, we already can capture , store and use carbon from coal plants.
"We've agreed…to overcome barriers to carbon capture , use, and storage through several integrated demonstration projects," Secretary Kerry said. "We've also agreed to work together on fuel efficiency standards, promote cleaner fuels and vehicle emissions control technologies, and increase efficiency in clean freight."
"We're combining forces to promote energy efficiency in buildings, which account for over 30 percent of energy use," Secretary Kerry continued. "We're assisting China in improving greenhouse gas data collection and management, the foundation for any effective climate policies. And, together, we're promoting the growth of smart grids that are … more efficient … and capable of incorporating more renewable energy and distributed generation."
"By acting to address climate change, we can secure America's place — and China's — in the energy economy of the future," said Secretary Kerry. "Revolutionizing the way we use and produce energy can be a 'win, win, win' — a win for America, a win for China, and win for the world. Let's seize the opportunity."
新闻播报译文
中美气候合作
“在使用和生产能源方式的转变上没有比这次更彻底更具合作性了，这足以让我们应对当前气候变化带来的挑战”，美国国务卿约翰·克里在最近的评论里说，“对气候变化不采取行动的代价会越来越高，我们拖得越久，形势就会越来越糟糕。”
中美两国加在一起的温室气体排放量占全球总排放量的40%左右。
“我2013年4月份访问北京时，双方同意建立气候工作小组，”克里说，“我们接下来达成加速气候合作的协议，并批准了五个先期合作项目以遏制全球气候变化。”
我们关注的领域主要在燃煤气体排放，以及重型和轻型汽车尾气排放这两个方面。我们现有技术，可从煤工厂里提炼出碳，并进行储存和利用。
“我们同意克服障碍，在碳的提炼、储存和使用上进行合作，并建立几个综合性的样板工程。”克里说，“我们同意在建立能源利用率标准上，在提高清洁能源和控制汽车尾气排放技术，增加运输效能等方面共同努力。”
“我们共同致力提高建筑使用效能，房屋建筑占能源消耗的30%，我们帮助中国改善温室气体数据的收集和和管理，这些是建立有效的气候政策的基础。我们也增加智能电网的建设，使它更节能更有效，并可以使更多的可再生能源得以利用和分配。”
“通过采取行动应对气侯变化，我们确信在美国，同时在中国，能源经济有着美好未来，我们采用革命性生产技术和使用方式，带来三赢的局面，美国、中国、世界三方同时获益。让我们抓住这次机遇吧。”
新闻语言点睛
1. account for （在数量方面）占
例句 Students account for 50% of our customers.
在我们的顾客中，学生占了一半。
2. greenhouse gas 温室气体
例句 Carbon dioxide is the main greenhouse gas.
二氧化碳是主要的温室气体。
3. work together 合作
例句 It is the first time when we work together.
那是我们第一次共事的日子。
4. seize the opportunity 抓住机会
例句 He failed to seize the opportunity.
他没有把握住那个机会。
1、普通词汇。尽管新闻报道所使用的词汇量很大，但是语言的基本词汇是稳定的。如VOA广播中的special English（特别节目）的新闻报告中常用词汇约1500个，这些词汇的重复率在报道中是很高的，如Foreign Aid，Terrorism，Nuclear Energy，National Election等政治性词汇，WTO，finance，share-list等经济类词汇，Space Station，robot，Mars，Clinical等科技词汇，Super Bowl，Olympics，World Cup等体育类词汇。而新闻英语中的特有用语就更具稳定性。若能掌握这些词汇，再加上一些听力技巧，基本听懂新闻报道就不是件难事了。
2、专有词汇。新闻报道是有关世界范围的最新消息，因在报道中常涉及许多人名、地名、国名、公司名称等，如Bush，Afghan，Iran，IBM等。除此之外，新闻报道中还常常出现一些河流、山脉及名胜古迹等专有名词，如Alps，Amazon，Pyramid等，熟悉这些专有名词可使听者更快、更准确地了解所听的新闻。