VOA慢速英语:Japan's Nuclear Disaster Could Hurt Nuclear Energy Plans

1.Nuclear Regulatory Commission Chairman Gregory Jaczko also said America has a strong program in place to deal with earthquake threats.

in place在对的位置, 在适当的位置

例句：They put in place the tools of my new business.
      他们把我干这一新行当所需要的用具安放得井井有条。

适当的, 适合的

例句：The proposal is not quite in place.
      那个提议并不十分适当。

2.That was when America's worst nuclear accident happened at the Three Mile Island center in Pennsylvania.

when引导表语从句

表语从句可以由连接副词引导

The problem is how we can find him. 问题是我们如何找到他。

That was when I was fifteen. 这是我15岁时发生的事。

That’s where I first met her. 那就是我第一次遇见她的地方。

That’s why he didn’t come. 这就是他没有来的缘故。

That’s why I object to the plan. 这就是我反对这个计划的原因。

That’s where you are wrong. 这就是你不对的地方。

3.But critics say nuclear power is too costly and dangerous to be worth further expansion.

too太，过于。经常用到的用法:too...to,

much too太

much too为习语，其中的much修饰副词too；much too可视为too的加强说法，其语气比单独用too更强。如：

He spoke much too fast. 他说话说得太快了。

This is much too heavy for you to lift. 这东西太重，你拿不起来。

注意：much too与too much词序不同，用法也不同。从句法功能上看，much too的用法与too相同，但比too的语气更强；而too much在用法上则与much相同，但比much 语气更强。