VOA慢速英語(yǔ):美國(guó)希望改善與印度的關(guān)系

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Hello, again and welcome. I’m Jim Tedder inWashington with the program that helps you learn andimprove your American English. You can also learnabout our world …As It Is. Today we hear about therelationship between India and the United States. Arebetter days ahead now that an ambassador hasresigned?

Then some exciting news from NASA, the U.S. spaceagency. If you like airplanes, you will want to hear whatthey are working on.

You are listening to the Voice of America, and we arecoming to you from Washington.

The resignation of the United States’ ambassador to India could lead toimproved ties between the two countries. The resignation of AmbassadorNancy Powell came as no surprise to observers in the Indian capital, NewDelhi. Ties between the countries have been tense since the arrest of anIndian diplomat in New York. Jonathan Evans tells us more.

Marie Harf is a spokesman for the US State Department. On Monday, shedenied that there is a connection between the diplomatic dispute and theresignation. She told reporters in Washington that Ambassador Powell wasretiring after a celebrated career.

“It is in no way related to any tension, any recent situations. There’s no bigbehind-the-scenes story here.”

But observers in New Delhi disagree. They say the US hopes to resetrelations with India over the arrest of the Indian diplomat in New York. Lawenforcement officials required the diplomat to remove her clothing while theyperformed a body search. The Indian woman was arrested on charges ofunderpaying her housekeeper. The diplomat has since returned to India.

Observers say the ambassador’s resignation increases the possibility forbusiness contacts with a new Indian government. However, the bigger barrierto better relations is the US position on Narendra Modi. He is the primeministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Studies have shown hisparty could win enough votes to form a new government after the Indianelections end next month.

Narendra Modi has been banned from traveling to the US and several otherWestern countries. They claim he did not do enough to stop religious riots in 2002. More than 1,000 people died in the unrest. Many were Muslims inGujarat, his home state.

But several European countries opened diplomatic contacts with Mr. Modi lastyear. Ambassador Powell held her first meeting with him only six weeks ago. Indian observers say the meeting took place too late to be effective.

Prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi (R) presents a bouquet of flowers to US Ambassador to India Nancy Powell Feb. 13, 2014.

Chintamani Mahapatra is the chairman of the Center for U.S and LatinAmerican studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. He says theUnited States has been slow in reaching out to the BJP leader. And he thinkssome issues could have been dealt with in a better way. For example, Mr.Modi was denied a visa in 2005. Since then, no serious steps have beentaken against him.

Ambassador Powell will leave her position by the end of May. Observers inNew Delhi hope that the new ambassador will be a strong political force, and not a career diplomat like Ms. Powell.

Chintamani Mahapatra is one of those observers.

“This gives an opportunity for the U.S. administration to start a process byappointing an important person as an ambassador who can restore thestrategic partnership between the two countries and interactions will be morecordial and friendly rather than exchange of bitter words.”

I’m Jonathan Evans.

NASA Works on New Airplanes

America’s National Aeronautics and Space Administration, NASA, is known for its work in space exploration. But aeronautics – a science that deals withairplanes and flying - is still a big part of the agency’s research.

NASA engineers are testing ideas that someday may produce lighter andquieter aircraft that produce less pollution. For more on the story, we turn toBob Doughty.

NASA officials would like to see better airplanes by 2030. They want planesthat burn 60 to 70 percent less fuel, pollute less and are quieter than 2005models. Scientists say such goals are possible if manufacturers makechanges to the design of aircraft and use lightweight materials. They also saynew kinds of fuel need to be considered.

NASA engineers have been testing a new design of airplane wing. The wing ismade of a composite material that is lighter than the aluminum alloy nowbeing used. Composite materials are made from two or more substances.

In the future, plane wings will likely be made out of materials like this. RobertC. Scott is an aerospace engineer.

“With advances in materials, advances in design and analysis capability and the need for higher efficiency, you end up with – you are driving yourselftoward very lightweight designs.”

Project scientist Richard Wahls says one of those designs is the long, truss-supported wing.

“That allows you to stiffen the wing, keep the wing thin, grow the span toreduce, to reduce drag.”

If someone decides to build such an aircraft, he or she will be able to use theresults of NASA tests.

Researchers are also testing a new way of manufacturing compositematerials. Instead of placing the fibers in straight lines, the material is insteadplaced around the points of heavy load, explains materials research engineerKaren Taminger. She also says new structural designs will helpmanufacturers to reduce the weight of airplanes and make them more energyefficient.

Fay Collier supervises NASA’s Environmentally Responsible Aviation project. He says researchers also want to reduce the pollution that comes out ofairplane engines.

“We want to take advantage of alternative fuels and the emergence ofalternative fuels, and we want to design advanced combustors to minimizethe output of what I call oxides of nitrogen.”

American scientists wanted to learn about the smoke of an airplane thatburned a mixture of petroleum, an oil-based product, and an alternative-basedfuel. To do this, they flew a second plane right behind the first one. Equipment on the second plane measured the percentage of pollutantscontained in different fuel mixtures.

Project scientist Richard Wahls says the space agency is always looking forways to improve aviation.

“We hope to find technologies that we can accelerate forward through theresearch, but other technologies, you know, they may not be possible for 20 or 30 years. They are just an idea.”

Until then, he says, there are small changes moving airplane manufacturerstowards better, safer and more efficient aircraft. I’m Bob Doughty.

And I’m Jim Tedder in Washington. Are your ready for today’s history lesson? On this date in 1783, American writer Washington Irving was born. Two of hisbest known short stories are “Rip van Winkle” and “The Legend of SleepyHollow.”

And entertainer Wayne Newton celebrates his 72nd birthday today. Here iswhat he sounded like in 1963 when this song made him famous.