VOA慢速英语:US Mining Companies Show New Interest in Rare Earths

1.But Japan says exports meant for that country have remained at Chinese ports as a result of a recent dispute.

mean for前往，运往，意味着

例句：What does this mean for us in a concrete manner?
      具体而言，我们应该怎样做？

as a result of由于…的结果

例句：He was injured as a result of boiler explosion.
      他因锅炉爆炸而受伤。

2.Mr. Cowle later found that the land also held a lot of rare earth metals -- lately a subject of intense interest.

later，lately

later adj. & adv. 为late比较级，意指较迟，较晚一些。如：

two hours later, the ship sank. 两小时后，轮船沉没了。

要记住以下几个固定搭配：

sooner or later 迟早（early or late）

no later than不迟于

later on以后，后来。如：

The problem will be solved sooner or later. 这个问题迟早会得到解决。

另外，later 还可用作状语，表示“后来”之意。如：

Later he became a general. 后来他当上了将军。

lately adv. (=recently) 最近，近来，通常用于现在完成时态，如：

The old palace has lately been rebuilt. 古老的宫殿最近得以重建。

3. The big cost is in chemically separating the rare earths from the minerals that carry them.

separate from分离, 分开

例句：She couldn't bear to be separated from her child.
      她不忍与她的孩子分离。

4. The company aims to increase production to twenty thousand tons by two thousand twelve.

aim to目的在于,旨在,志在

例句：They aim to raise ten thousand signatures.
      他们以征集1万人签名为目标。