Bernanke Says US Economy Slowly Improving, Challenges Remain

合集下载

商务英语阅读Chapter2-A-Changed-Global-Reality-世界经济格局新变化

Chapter2 A Changed Global Reality 世界经济格局新变化Say this for the young century: we live in interesting times. Not quite 2 1⁄2 years ago, the world economy tipped into the most severe downturn since the Great Depression in the 1930s. World trade slowed sharply. Unemployment lines grew longer, especially in the old industrial economies. Financial institutions that had seemed as solid as granite disappeared as if they were no more substantial than a bunch of flowers in the hands of an old-style magician. 对于新世纪，我们得这样说：我们生活在一个有趣的时代。

差不多两年半之前，世界经济陷入了20世纪30年代经济大萧条时期以来最惨重的低迷状态。

世界贸易进程大幅放缓。

失业队伍也越来越快，这在旧工业经济体系表现尤为突出。

原来坚如磐石的金融机构也消失了，似乎还不如老套的魔术师变的花束看起来真实。

Given that the scale of the downturn was so epochal, it should not be surprising that the nature of the recovery would likewise be the stuff of history. And it has been. As they make their way to Davos for the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) by helicopter, bus, car or train (which is the right way to do it), the members of the global economic and political elite will find themselves coming to terms with something they have never known before. 考虑到经济衰退幅度如此的跨时代，经济复苏进程会很慢也是理所当然的，对此我们不应该感到吃惊。

外刊每日精读 Making trouble

外刊每日精读 | Making trouble文章脉络【1】看重制造业的国家都有工业战略，但是英国没有。

【2】英国对自己的可再生能源产业非常自满。

【3】安迪·霍尔丹称英国很可能在这场再工业化军备竞赛中落后。

【4】与中国相比，西方在绿色技术方面觉醒地太晚了。

【5】英国想要成为一个制造业“超级大国”还有一段路要走。

【6】英国不再是一流的制造业经济体，而且几十年以来都不是。

【7】戴森最近宣布将把电池工厂建在新加坡，这也完美诠释了英国现在正面临的挑战。

【8】戴森没有选择在英国建厂有多重原因。

【9】英国进行高价值的脑力劳动，其他国家负责生产的想法已经不再符合实际。

【10】国家相关战略的缺失让制造商处于竞争劣势。

【11】缺少合适的、有规划的工业战略是英国的致命弱点。

【12】从行动来看，英国似乎并没有参与竞争。

经济学人原文Making trouble：UK needs an industrial strategy to compete in manufacturing【1】Countries that are serious about manufacturing have industrial strategies.The US and China have one. So do Germany and France. Britain does not . Rishi Sunak talks about turning the UK into a “science and technology superpower” but that’s all it is: talk. It is a PR strategy masquerading as an industrial strategy.【2】Faced with the challenge presented by Joe Biden’s inflation reduction act (IRA), the government says it has no need to respond to the package of green subsidies being provided by Washington because Britain has already established a thriving renewables sector and the Americans are playing catch up. The complacency is staggering.【3】Andy Haldane , once the Bank of England’s chief economist and now the chief executive of the Royal Society of Arts, last week said: “The world is facing right now an arms race in re-industrialisation. And I think we’re at risk of falling behind in that arms race unless we give itthe giddy-up.”【4】China, Haldane added, had been focusing on green technology for many, many years and had forged ahead in tech such as solar and batteries. “The west has belatedly woken up,” he said. “The IRA is throwing cash to the wall on that. The cost of that [is] almost certainly north of half a trillion dollars. Possibly north of $1tn. The EU is now playing catch up, [and] the UK currently is not really in the race at any kind of scale.”【5】A quick glance at the latest trade figures shows Britain has some way to go to be a manufacturing“superpower”.manufacturing’s share of the economy shrank from more than 30% to less than 10% of national output in Elizabeth II’s reign. The goods deficit, last in surplus in the early 1980s, stood at £55bn in the first three months of this year, with imports more than 50% higher than exports. A £40bn quarterly surplus in services was not enough to close the trade gap.【6】Those who supported Brexit say the UK now has the freedom to export more to faster growing parts of the world economy . Those who opposed it say exporting to the EU has become more burdensome. Both are right, but both are missing the point. Before Britain can take advantage of export opportunities it has to have stuff to export. The fact is the UK is no longer a firstrank manufacturing economy and hasn’t been for decades.【7】Dyson’s recent announcement that it will build a battery factory in Singapore is a perfect illustration of the challenge facing the UK. There was never the remotest possibility that the plant would be in the UK due to what its founder James Dyson, a prominent Brexit supporter, called in a letter to the Times, t he “scandalous neglect” of science and technology businesses.【8】Only part of the company’s reluctance to manufacture in the UK is due to the recent jump in corporation tax, though that wipes out any benefit from tax breaks for research and development. It is also the planning system, the lack of trained engineers, the disdain shown for science and technology, and government interference in the way businesses are run.【9】The company says the UK will remain a centre for R&D, and it will invest £100m in a new tech centre in Bristol for software and AI research. But the idea that Britain can do all the high-value brain power stuff while other countries do the production is an illusion. Increasingly, Dyson’s R&D happens in Singapore, the site of its global HQ, and in the Philippines.【10】Dyson is by no means alone. A report by the lobby group Make UK found that six in 10manufacturers thought government had never had a longterm vision for manufacturing, while eight in 10 considered the absence of a strategy put their company at a competitive disadvantage compared with other manufacturing nations. It is no surprise that AstraZeneca recently announced it was building its new factory in Ireland .【11】Stephen Phipson, Make UK ’s chief executive , said last week the US was spending 1.5% of national output on its IRA. The equivalent sum in the UK would be £33bn. It was not just the money, though. “A lack of a proper, planned industrial strategy is the UK’s achilles heel ,” Phipson said. “Every other major economy, from Germany, to China, to the US, has a long-term national manufacturing plan, underlying the importance of an industrial base to the success of its wider economy. The UK is the only country to not have one.“If we are to not only tackle our regional inequality, but also compete on a global stage, we need a national industrial strategy as a matter of urgency.”【12】One option is to concentrate instead on sectors where the UK does have global clout: financial and business services, for example. In that case, the pretence has to stop that levelling up will be delivered by new factories turning out world-beating products.The government can either make Britain an attractive place for manufacturing companies to invest or it can decide not to compete. Judged by its actions rather than by its rhetoric, it seems to have chosen the latter option.。

高考英语考前突破阅读理解能力财经新闻巴西央行600亿美元稳定汇率素材

巴西央行600亿美元稳定汇率Brazil's central bank has announced a $60bn plan to prop up the value of the national currency.巴西央行宣布投入600亿美元提升本国货币的价值。

It es as the Brazilian real nears a five-year low against the US dollar.The real and other emerging market currencies have fallen steadily over the last three months on speculation of higher US interest rates.The central bank said it would spend $500m a day on Mondays to Thursdays and $1bn on Fridays buying reais in the currency markets.The Monday-to-Thursday interventions will target currency swap markets - financialderivatives used by panies and investors to hedge their currency exposure - while on Fridays, the central bank will buy the national currency directly in return for US dollars.The interventions will run up until December."This shows the firm determination of monetary authorities to keep the exchange rate from slipping further," said Andre Perfeito, chief economist at Gradual Investments in Sao Paulo.It is the first time the central bank has pre-announced daily interventions in this way since 2002 - a time when markets were speculating over a possible Brazilian debtdefault, following the financial collapse of neighbouring Argentina and with the imminent election of President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.。

经济学人双语版1

Europe's debt crisis欧洲债务危机Spot the pattern看变化模式Jul 5th 2011, 18:55 by R.A. | WASHINGTON2011年7月5日18：55 R.A./华盛顿HERE'S a chart showing the yields on 10-year Greek debt over the past three months. See the pattern?本图显示的是在过去3个月10年期希腊债券的收益率。

变化模式看清楚了吧？There's a spike, followed by a decline, followed by a higher spike, followed by a decline to a higher trough, and so on. European leaders keep taking steps to avert disaster, and each time markets are less assuaged.有个尖峰，接着是下跌，然后又是稍高一些的尖峰，接着跌入一个较高的波谷，如此反复。

欧洲国家的领导人一直在采取措施避免灾难，而每一次市场都没有大的起色。

The latest spike corresponds to the stalemate over the IMF's willingness to continue making bail-out payments without a new, long-term rescue package in place (and the corresponding disagreement over how to rollover Greek debt, plus the drama surrounding the passage of Greece's new austerity plan). The IMF agreed to keep paying, French and German banks seemed willing to sign on to a rollover plan, and Greece got its new austerity programme through parliament. But it wasn't long before trouble kicked up again.最近的尖峰反映了这样一个困境：国际货币基金组织愿意继续救助，但又没有制定出一个长期的一揽子救助计划（同时也反映出如何缓解希腊债务各方存在分歧，以及希腊的新紧缩计划能否通过依然有变数）。

【最新推荐】商务英语BEC阅读题的复习资料-精选word文档 (2页)

【最新推荐】商务英语BEC阅读题的复习资料-精选word文档本文部分内容来自网络整理，本司不为其真实性负责，如有异议或侵权请及时联系，本司将立即删除！== 本文为word格式，下载后可方便编辑和修改！ ==商务英语BEC阅读题的复习资料盖茨称限制移民不利美国经济微软(Microsoft)董事长、世界首富比尔o盖茨(Bill Gates)昨日警告称，限制进入美国的熟练工人数量的规定，已使美国的竞争力面临风险。

Bill Gates, the chairman of Microsoft and the world’s richest man, gave warning yesterday that restrictions on the number ofskilled workers allowed to enter the US put the country’s competitiveness at risk.此番言论是科技行业对美国限制性移民政策的最新抨击。

美国科技行业正面临熟练工人短缺的问题，而目前科技业对这些人技能的需求不断上升。

盖茨在美国参议院卫生、教育、劳工及退休金委员会(Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labour and Pensions)发表演讲时表示，美国移民政策的严格程度有所上升--部分原因是出于对恐怖主义的担忧，这"恰好在我们最有需要时，把全球最优秀、最聪明的人赶走了"。

The comments marked the latest attack on restrictive US immigration policies by the technology industry, which is facing a shortage of skilled workers even as demand for their skills is increasing. Speaking before the Senate committee on health, education, labour and pensions, Mr Gates said that tighter US immigrationpolicies - governed partly by concerns over terrorism - were "driving away the world’s best and brightest precisely when we need them most"."这等于告诉训练有素、高度熟练的工人，美国不欢迎或者不重视他们，这毫无道理，何况他们中许多人还在我们的顶尖学院和大学中受教育，"盖茨表示，"如果美国将恰好最能帮助我们进行竞争的人关在门外，那么它将发现极难维持自己在科技方面的领导地位。

4502452_外刊

实现单一世界货币是很遥远的理想，要使金融市场更为安全，应该朝着储备货币多元化方向发展。

金融危机之后，如何加强双边、多边合作，减少金融市场风险，是中、日、韩三国面临的共同课题。

当大家互相持有各自债券的时候，对各自的经济风险也更加关心，在宏观政策方面可以更好地进行协调与合作。

亚洲地区经贸合作当中，都希望出现区域债券市场，这也是区域经贸合作中的一个重要议题，但可惜多年来相对停滞。

通过相互持有对方国家债券，也是推动区域金融市场、债券市场发展的重要步骤。

经济学家樊纲国家现在已经有一个组合的方案抑制通胀，假定政策管理效应能够到位，今年把通货膨胀的形势控制在5%以内，目前GDP 就是一个可承受的水平。

因为可承受、不可承受是与收入增长相联系。

相比第一季度12.5%的收入增长，GDP 与通胀都是可承受的。

她认为中国经济的平均水平可以承受6%的通胀。

如果没有适当的通胀，经济也没有办法增长。

银河证券首席经济学家左晓蕾世界两大资产泡沫今年要爆发，第一是黄金，第二是中国房地产，因此中国的投资者不要再盲目追涨资产，炒股也不要碰地产股等五类股票。

今年是中国经济最危险的一年。

如果以10年为一个周期，1990年到2000年这段时期里，资产和美元对冲，因为资产是美元定价的，所以美元上涨，资产在下跌。

经济学最重要的规律是卖掉高位资产，去买低位资产，但是我们国家没有及时购置资产。

现在资产价格暴涨，中国面临的困难要比想象中大得多，盲目追涨资产只能是加大困境。

经济学家国世平Frontier Information:赵迪文章称，官方的救灾进度缓慢，一些灾民决心自救，尽早恢复赖以谋生的行当。

战后的釜石逐渐变得繁荣。

家具厂、海鲜加工厂、谷物加工和渔业、成排的餐馆和单间就餐的酒肆，所有这些构成了一个国际性港口城市的要素，它还受到巨大的防浪大堤的保护。

据《吉尼斯世界记录大全》称，全球的海啸专家认为，釜石市拥有世上最好的海港保护设施。

这座深达63米(207英尺)，长约2公里(6430英尺)的防浪大堤是世上最大的人造物。

Bernanke Says Federal Reserve Will Act if US Economy Weakens

Bernanke Says Federal Reserve美联储Will Act if US Economy Weakens走弱The United States central bank is prepared to take further actions to support the economy if conditions get a lot worse. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke本·伯南克gave that message in a speech Friday in which he discussed possible steps措施.These include buying more securities国债in an effort to push down longer-term长期interest rates and increase economic growth.He spoke in Jackson Hole杰克逊霍尔, Wyoming怀俄明, where the Fed美联储holds a yearly conference for central bankers and other international guests.Mr. Bernanke says it is "reasonable" to expect some increase in economic growth starting next year. Stocks ended the day higher after his speech. It followed a number of reports this week that added to concerns about the slow speed of recovery from the recession衰退.On Friday, the Commerce Department商务部lowered its estimate for the gross总额domestic国内产品product. GDP is the widest measure of the economy. It measures goods and services produced in the United States.The latest report said the economy grew at an annual rate of one and six-tenths percent1.6% between April and June. That was less than the early estimate of two and four-tenths percent. Still, it was not as bad as many economists had predicted.The report said the economy grew three and seven-tenths percent from January to March.Many economists say the country needs a growth rate of at least two and a half percent just to keep unemployment from rising. The jobless rate was nine and a half percent in July.The slowing in GDP largely resulted from a sharp increase in imports . Imports of goods and services increased almost three times as fast in the second quarter as in the first three months of the year. Exports slowed放缓.Earlier this week, a report said manufacturing grew less in July than economists had predicted.Not all the reports were bad. The Labor Department劳工部said the number offirst-time claims首次申请for unemployment aid fell for the first time in four weeks.But more Americans are having trouble making monthly payments on their home loans. The Mortgage Bankers Association国抵押贷款银行家协会reported that between April and June, almost ten percent of homeowners were at least one month late.Housing房地产helped lead economic recoveries in the past. But this time the housing market not only helped create the recession经济衰退. Many economists say it is also limiting the recovery.The Commerce Department商务部reported that sales of newly built新建房屋houses dropped twelve percent between June and July. They fell to the lowest level since records began in nineteen sixty-three.The National Association of Realtors美国房地产经纪人协会reported that sales of existing homes fell twenty-seven percent in July. Sales of single-family homes独栋住宅were at their lowest level since records began fifteen years ago.Jed Smith杰德·史密directs主导research for the association. He says the big drop in sales销量大降was largely because of the end of a federal tax credit for first-time homebuyers美联邦针对首次购房者税收抵免政策.JED SMITH: "Unemployment is fairly high非常高and people are scared担忧. And when people are scared, or are recovering from being scared, they don't necessarily run out倾其所有and buy a house right away."And that's IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Steve Ember.。

一篇经济类英文报道的原文阅读,选自彭博社、哈佛商业评论

一篇经济类英文报道的原文阅读,选自彭博社、哈佛商业评论Unfortunately, as an AI language model, I don't have direct access to external sources such as Bloomberg or Harvard Business Review. However, I can help you generate a sample text based on a typical economic news article. Here's an example:Title: Global Economy Faces Uncertainty Amid Trade Tensions and SlowdownThe global economy is experiencing heightened uncertainty due to rising trade tensions and signs of a slowdown in major economies. Investors and policymakers are closely monitoring the impacts of these developments, which could have far-reaching consequences. Trade tensions between major global powers, such as the United States and China, have been escalating in recent months. Tariffs and retaliatory measures have been imposed on various goods, impacting industries and disrupting global supply chains. As uncertainty looms, businesses are delaying investments and trade partners are reevaluating their relationships.In addition to trade tensions, there are signs of a slowdown in major economies. Economic indicators, such as Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth and industrial production, have been weakening in countries like Germany, Japan, and China. This slowdown has raised concerns about the overall health of the global economy and its ability to sustain robust growth.Central banks around the world are closely monitoring these developments and adjusting monetary policies accordingly. Somecentral banks have already cut interest rates to stimulate economic activity. However, the effectiveness of such measures remains uncertain as potential risks and uncertainties persist.The global economic landscape is also influenced by political factors. Ongoing geopolitical tensions, such as Brexit and political unrest in Hong Kong, add to the uncertainty and could further impact economic stability.In conclusion, the global economy is facing a period of heightened uncertainty, driven primarily by trade tensions and signs of a slowdown in major economies. The impact of these factors on global growth and stability is of great concern to investors and policymakers. Close monitoring and coordinated efforts are necessary to navigate these challenging times and foster a resilient and sustainable global economy.。

全球经济增长放缓英语作文

全球经济增长放缓英语作文With the global economic growth slowing down, the world is facing a number of challenges. The reasons for this slowdown are complex, and there are many factors that are contributing to it. Some of the key factors include the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China, the Brexit uncertainty, and the increasing geopolitical risks in many parts of the world.One of the main reasons for the global economic slowdown is the ongoing trade tensions between the US and China. These tensions have led to a significant increase in tariffs, which has made it more difficult for businesses to operate in both countries. This has led to a decrease in global trade, which has had a negative impact on the global economy.Another factor contributing to the global economic slowdown is the Brexit uncertainty. The UK's decision to leave the European Union has created a great deal ofuncertainty, and this uncertainty has had a negative impact on the global economy. Many businesses are unsure about what the future holds, and this has led to a decrease in investment and trade.In addition to these factors, there are also increasing geopolitical risks in many parts of the world. This has led to a decrease in global trade, as businesses are hesitant to invest in areas that are considered to be risky. This has had a negative impact on the global economy, and it is likely to continue to do so in the future.Despite these challenges, there are also opportunities for the global economy to grow. One of these opportunities is the increasing use of technology. Technology is changing the way that businesses operate, and it is making it easier for businesses to operate globally. This is likely to lead to an increase in global trade, which will have a positive impact on the global economy.Another opportunity for the global economy is the increasing focus on sustainability. Many businesses are nowfocusing on sustainability, and this is leading to the development of new technologies and products. This islikely to lead to an increase in investment and trade, which will have a positive impact on the global economy.In conclusion, the global economic growth is slowing down due to a number of complex factors. However, there are also opportunities for the global economy to grow, particularly through the use of technology and the focus on sustainability. It is important for businesses and governments to work together to address the challenges facing the global economy, and to take advantage of the opportunities that are available.。

剑桥商务英语高级BEC阅读材料日常训练

剑桥商务英语高级BEC阅读材料日常训练If you hate me, you’re the loser，not me.以下是为大家搜索的剑桥高级BEC阅读材料日常训练，希望能给大家带来帮助!更多精彩内容请及时关注我们!美国前财长称政府应提供750亿美元刺激经济美国前财政部长拉里?萨默斯(Larry Summers)称，美国政府应当马上向美国经济注入500亿美元到750亿美元的财政刺激，以抵消日益增加的全面风险。

萨默斯曾在比尔?克林顿(Bill Clinton)任总统期间担任财长。

Washington should inject a $50bn-$75bn fiscal stimulus into the US economy in the very near future to offset the mounting risks of a full-blown recession, aording to Larry Summers, Treasury secretary during the presidency of Bill Clinton.萨默斯警告，如果不及时采取反周期的财政措施，“即便只是轻微经济”，美国家庭的收入损失平均也会高达5000美元，美国会增加数十万起因无力偿贷而失去房屋的案例，国家债务水平也会大幅上升。

Mr Summers warned that without timely counter-cyclical fiscal action, the average US family could lose up to $5,000 in ine, the country could suffer hundreds of thousands more home foreclosures and national debt could significantly increase - "even in a mild recession".一些共和党议员认为，扩大布什(George W. Bush)的减税政策是一个有效的财政补救方法，对此，萨默斯予以了驳斥。

2019年12月四级阅读真题：CET4仔细阅读试题(网友版)

2019年12月四级阅读真题：CET4仔细阅读试题（网友版）※2016年12月四级阅读真题：CET4仔细阅读试题（网友版）Section CDirections： There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C) and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.Passage OneQuestions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.As a person who writes about food and drink for a living.I couldn’t tell you the first thing about Bill Perry or whether the beers he sells are that great. But I can tell you that I like this guy. That’s because he plans to ban tipping in favor of paying his servers an actual living wage.I hate tipping.I hate it because it’s an obligation disguised as an option. I hate it for the post-dinner math it requires of me. But mostly, I hate tipping because I believe I would be in a better place if pay decisions regarding employees were simply left up to their employers, as is the custom in virtuallyevery other industry.Most of you probably think that you hate tipping, too. Research suggests otherwise. You actually love tipping! You like to feel that you have a voice in how much money your server makes. No matter how the math works out, you persistently view restaurants with voluntary tipping systems as being a better value, which makes it extremely difficult for restaurants and bars to do away with the tipping system.One argument that you tend to hear a lot from the pro-tipping crowd seems logical enough： the service is better when waiters depend on tips, presumably because they see a benefit to successfully veiling their contempt for you. Well, if this were true, we would all be slipping a few 100-dollar bills to our doctors on the way out their doors, too. But as it turns out, waiters see only a tiny bump in tips when they do an exceptional job compared to a passable one. Waiters, keen observers of humanity that they are, are catching on to this; in one poll, a full 30% said they didn’t believe the job they did had any impact on the tips they received.So come on, folks： get on board with ditching the outdated tip system. Pay a little more upfront for your beer or burger. Support Bill Perry’s pub, and any other bar or restaurant that doesn’t ask you to do drunken mat h.46. What can we learn about Bill Perry from the passage?A) He runs a pub that serves excellent beer.B) He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.C) He gives his staff a considerable sum for tips.D) He lives comfortably without getting any tips.47. What is the main reason why the author hates tipping?A) It sets a bad example for other industries.B) It adds to the burden of ordinary customers.C) It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.D) It poses a great challenge for customers to do math.48. Why do many people love tipping according to the author?A) They help improve the quality of the restaurants they dine in.B) They believe waiters deserve such rewards for good service.C) They want to preserve a wonderful tradition of the industry.D) They can have some say in how much their servers earn.49. What have some waiters come to realize according toa survey?A) Service quality has little effect on tip size.B) It is in human mature to try to save on tips.C) Tips make it more difficult to please customers.D) Tips benefit the boss rather that the employees.50. What does the author argue for in the passage?A) Restaurants should calculate the tips for customers.B) Customers should pay more tips to help improve service.C) Waiters deserve better than just relying on tips fora living.D) Waiters should be paid by employers instead of customers.Passage TwoQuestions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.In the past, falling oil prices have given a boost tothe world economy, but recent forecasts for global growthhave been toned down, even as oil prices sink lower and lower. Does that mean the link between lower oil prices and growth has weakened?Some experts say there are still good reasons to believe cheap oil should heat up the world economy. Consumers have more money in their pockets when they’re paying less at the pump. They spend that money on other things, which stimulates the economy.The biggest gains go to countries that import most oftheir oil like China, Japan, and India, But doesn’t theextra money in the pockets of those countries’ consumers mean an equal loss in oil producing countries, cancelling out the gains? Not necessarily, says economic researcher Sara Johnson. “Many oil producers built up huge reserve fundswhen prices were high, so when prices fall they will draw on their reserves to support government spending andsubsidies(补贴) for their consum ers.”But not all oil producers have big reserves, In Venezuela, collapsing oil prices have sent its economy into free-fall.Economist Carl Weinberg believes the negative effects of plunging oil prices are overwhelming the positive effects of cheaper oil. The implication is a sharp decline in global trade, which has plunged partly because oil-producing nations can’t afford to import as much as they used to.Sara Johnson acknowledges that the global economic benefit from a fall in oil prices today is likely lower than it was in the past. One reason is that more countries are big oil producers now, so the nations suffering from the price drop account for a larger share of the global economy.Consumers, in the U.S. at least, are acting cautiously with the savings they’re getting at the gas pump, as the memory of the recent great recession is still fresh in their mind. And a number of oil-producing countries are trimming their gasoline subsidies and raising taxes, so the net savings for global consumers is not as big as the oil price plunge might suggest.51. What does the author mainly discuss in the passage?A) The reasons behind the plunge of oil prices.B) Possible ways to stimulate the global economy.C) The impact of cheap oil on global economic growth.D) The effect of falling oil prices on consumer spending.52. Why do some experts believe cheap oil will stimulate the global economy?A) Manufacturers can produce consumer goods at a much lower cost.B) Lower oil prices have always given a big boost to the global economy.C) Oil prices may rise or fall but economic laws are not subject to change.D) Consumers will spend their saving from cheap oil on other commodities.53. What happens in many oil-exporting countries whenoil prices go down?A) They suspend import of necessities from overseas.B) They reduce production drastically to boost oil prices.C) They use their money reserves to back up consumption.D) They try to stop their economy from going into free-fall.54. How does Carl Weinberg view the current oil price plunge?A) It is one that has seen no parallel in economic history.B) Its negative effects more than cancel out itspositive effects.C) It still has a chance to give rise to a boom in the global economy.D) Its effects on the global economy go against existing economic laws.55. Why haven’t falling oil prices boosted the global economy as they did before?A) People are not spending all the money they save on gas.B) The global economy is likely to undergo another recession.C) Oil importers account for a larger portion of the global economy.D) People the world over are afraid of a further plunge in oil prices.46. [B] He intends to get rid of the tipping practice.47. [C] It forces the customer to compensate the waiter.48. [D] They can have some say in how much their servers earn.※2016年12月英语四级成绩查询时间：根据历年英语四级成绩查询时间，预测2016年12月英语四级成绩查询于2017年2月中下旬开始，请广大考生密切注重###。

FromVOALearningE...

From VOA Learning English, this is the Economics Report in Special English.The American economy is improving, but the rate of growth remains low. America's jobless rate fell in 2012 to its lowest level in four years. Average home prices are no longer falling. And money has been flowing into financial markets.But as the year ends, most observers say the economic recovery has not been as strong as they had hoped. One reason for the recovery is federal spending. Like many other countries, the United States is spending more money than it is receiving in taxes.Some countries are spending money they do not have in an effort to get their economies growing again. Richard Rahn is an economist with the Cato Institute."If countries had only been spending within their means in keeping spending growing no faster than the rate of economic growth, we wouldn't have the global economic mess."But other economists say the mathematics is not that simple. Desmond Lachman is with the American Enterprise Institute. He notes that deep budget cuts in Greece have produced a deep recession."Because what we're doing is, we're really applying very stringent austerity measures. The IMF concedes that the austerity hasn't been working, yet the Europeans are persisting in the same kind of austerity that got them into trouble in 2012, so something's got to give."Financial reform activist Robert Bixby says the biggest problem for the American economy is the country's political system."Political dysfunction in this country is a bigger threat than economic dysfunction."Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke says the country does not have to be this way. He has urged lawmakers to provide leadership."Such uncertainties will only be increased by discord and delay. In contrast, cooperation and creativity to deliver fiscal clarity, in particular, a plan for resolving the nation's longer-term budgetary issues without harming the recovery could help make the New Year a very good one for the American economy."Bruce Stokes is an economist at the Pew Research Center. He says if the economy does not improve, many nations will be affected."There's an old saying that if we get the sniffles, the rest of the world gets a cold and so if we end up going to a recession as well, I think everybody is going to suffer."As one year ends and a new one begins, the world is watching President Obama and congressional leaders. Many people want to know how America's political leaders will move to cut the budget deficit while protecting the economy.。

石春祯英语阅读理解220篇(原文加答案20篇)

It never rains but it pours.Text 1-1Not all of the potential solutions to climate change are futuristic, expensive or exotic. In fact, most Americans can find one of the most significant carbon-reducing innovations of the last 30 years standing in their kitchens, keeping the butter hard.Refrigerators sold in the United States have grown 5% more energy efficient every year since 1975. Today they save 200 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity a year compared to what they’d use if they were still built to 30-year-old standards, or about a third of the annual output of all the nation’s nuclear plants. Upgraded fridges have lowered electricity bills for consumers and avoided millions of tons of carbon that would otherwise have been emitted by power plants. Heating and air-conditioning systems also have grown more efficient, and fluorescent light bulbs are a big step ahead of power-hungry incandescents.Critics of government efforts to fend off global warming often complain that the economic costs aren’t worth the gains-better to adapt later to a warmer planet than suffer now by turning down the thermostat. This argument relies on a lot of dubious assumptions, starting with the notion that quality of life won’t be significantly reduced in a world plagued by drought, wildfires, increased disease and famine, more powerful storms, mass species extinction and higher sea levels. It also assumes that the cost of cleaning up after all that will be less than the cost of preventing it from happening.Nicholas Stern, former chief economist with the World Bank, estimates that failing to invest in cutting carbon would eventually cost up to 20% in lost income worldwide. The final report from the U.N.’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change pointed out adapting to global warming is a necessity because it’s too late to stop the process, but that doesn’t reduce the need to head off the worst effects.Global-warming deniers are right about one thing: Phasing out fossil fuels will be expensive. But the most effective way of doing so not only doesn’t add costs, it saves money and boosts economies. Energy efficiency is the fastest, safest and cheapest method currently available for cutting carbon emission. It’s also one of the least understood, because it involves a lot more than adding insulation to buildings or installing power-sipping air conditioners. To make really hefty efficiency gains, the U.S. must follow California’s lead in restructuring incentives of utilities, and regulatory agencies should do much more to encourage important innovations such as cogeneration plants.1. By citing the example of fluorescent light bulls, the author intends to show that_______.A. they are more energy efficient than incandescent.B. they are one of the best innovations we ever knowC. solutions to climate change are not necessarily unusualD. many measures have been taken to fight global warming2. The author points out that refrigerators ______.A. have become more and more advancedB. consume less power than ever beforeC. are responsible for global warmingD. initiate carbon-reducing campaign3. some people criticize government for the efforts to diminish global warming, for they believethat ________.A. it’s better for people to live in a warmer worldB. it’s more cost-efficient to clean up the world laterC. the quality of life will become higher in the futureD. people can adapt to whatever change they may face4. The author argues that _______.A. it’s too late to stop the process of global warmingB. the investment in cutting carbon boosts economiesC. it’s obviously a necessity to adapt to global warmingD. the worst effects of global warming can be alleviated5. The author suggests that currently we should ______ to cut carbon emissions.A. improve energy efficiencyB. develop cogeneration plantsC. reduce the use of fossil fuelsD. invest in new forms of energyText 1-2Our understanding of the Emotional System today is still in the Dark Ages. This has its analogy to the time when people’s understanding of our Solar System was based upon the belief that the Sun revolved around the Earth, as it certainly appeared that way----however, just the reverse was true. The problem was, as long as we believed the Sun went around the Earth, we were limited as to how far we could go in the Solar System.We find the same condition existing today in regard to the Emotional System. Society believes that our emotional feelings are a result of our experiences in our environment. In essence: something happened and it made me feel the way I do. This belief, though it is certainly the way it appears, is just the reverse of it really works.What happens to us as we embrace an emotional feeling is that it is first received by our brain, which converts it into electrical energy that flows through our body by means of the central nervous system. We can often “feel the charge”in our body associated with the experience of emotions. When this occurs an electromagnetic field is generated around our body which attracts to us another person who has an identical electromagnetic field around their body and the same emotional feeling in their heart.We have not been able to make much progress in the emotional area. Let’s face it, although this age reflects great advancements in technology, the feelings in the hearts of men and women are still plagued by darkness.Believing that something or someone made us feel the way we do gives rise to the concept of victimization. To see self as a victim places the responsibility for our feelings on someone or something other than self. The real problem with this view is that if we are not responsible for having created our feelings, we are also unable to change those feelings and create new and different ones.This dilemma we face creates quite a struggle in life. Although we may externally struggle with different circumstances and situations, the emotional feelings associated with them are always the same-frustration, resentment, anger, etc. It is as if we have fallen into quicksand, gotten stuck, and the only way we know to extricate ourselves is to struggle. What we find is thatthe more we struggle to get out, the deeper in we sink.To state a simple rule: there is an inverse relationship between struggling with a problem and understanding the problem. Understanding how the emotional system really works allows the resolution of problems without struggle. This understanding is the key to unlocking the emotional doorway to enter into the Kingdom of Heavenly Feelings within us.1. By referring to the solar system, the author intends to show _____.A. The evolution of the Emotional SystemB. the mechanism of the Emotional SystemC. the analogy between Solar System and Emotional SystemD. the analogy between Solar System and Emotional System2. It is widely believed that our emotional feelings _____.A. result from our experiences in the environmentB. justify our struggle with the adverse environmentC. plague us more than anything else in the environmentD. are shared by people with an identical electromagnetic field3. The author argues that _____.A. the environment generates our feelingsB. everyone is responsible for his own feelingsC. one shouldn’t be blamed for his resentment or angerD. one’s feelings are created by something or someone else4. In the author’s opinion, the concept of victimization in the emotional area _____.A. should be justifiedB. should be embracedC. should be recognizedD. should be gotten rid of5. It can be inferred from the text that the effective way to get rid of unhealthy feelings is to understand ________.A. how to get out of the quicksand with easeB. how our emotional feelings are brought aboutC. the relationship between feelings and adversityD. the essence of the Kingdom of Heavenly FeelingsText 1-3Two years ago, a Danish environmentalist called Bjorn Lomborg had an idea. We all want to make the world a better place but, given finite resources, we should look for the most cost-effective ways of doing so. He persuaded a bunch of economists, including three Nobel laureates, to draw up a list of priorities. They found that efforts to fight malnutrition and disease would save many lives at modest expense, whereas fighting global warming would cost a colossal amount and yield distant and uncertain rewards.That conclusion upset a lot of environmentalists. This week, another man who upsets a lot of people embraced it. John Bolton, America’s ambassador to the United Nations, said that Mr. Lomborg’s “Copenhagen consensus” provided a useful way for the world body to get its priorities straight. Too often at the UN, said Mr. Bolton, “everything is a priority.” The secretary-general ischarged with carrying out 9,000 mandates, he said, and when you have 9,000 priorities you have none.So, over the weekend, Mr. Bolton sat down with UN diplomats from seven other countries to rank 40 ways of tackling ten global crises. The problems addressed were climate change, communicable diseases, war, education, financial instability, governance, malnutrition, migration, clean water and trade barriers.Given a notional $50 billion, how would the ambassadors spend it to make the world a better place? Their conclusions were strikingly similar to the Copenhagen Consensus. After hearing presentations from experts on each problem, they drew up a list of priorities. The top four were basic health care, better water and sanitation, more schools and better nutrition fro children. Averting climate change came last.The ambassadors thought it wiser to spend money on things they knew would work. Promoting breast-feeding, for example, costs very little and is proven to save lives. It also helps infants grow up stronger and more intelligent, which means they will earn more as adults. Vitamin A supplements cost as little as $1, save lives and stop people from going blind. And so on.For climate change, the trouble is that though few dispute that it is occurring, no one knows how severe it will be or what damage it will cause. And the proposed solutions are staggeringly expensive. Mr. Lomborg reckons that the benefits of implementing the Kyoto protocol would probably outweigh the costs, but not until 2100. This calculation will not please Al Gore. Nipped at the post by George Bush is the most urgent moral challenge facing mankind.1. According to some economists, fighting global warming ______.A. is of little help to make the world a better placeB. is as favorable as fighting malnutrition and diseaseC. is not the first priority for us to make the world betterD. is one of the priorities for us to make the world better2. By saying “everything is a priority”, John Bolton means that ______.A. it is reasonable to think of fighting global warming as a priorityB. if you thought that way, there would be no priority at allC. it is a useful way for the UN to get its priorities straightD. every mandate to be carried out is actually a priority3. According to some UN diplomats, _______.A. fighting global warming is worth spending a huge amount of money onB. promoting breast-feeding is more urgent than fighting global warmingC. averting climate change should be excluded from the list of prioritesD. there are at least 40 effective ways to tackle the top ten global crises4. According to the text, Mr. Lomborg ______.A. doubts whether climate change is occurringB. proposes an ideal solution for climate changeC. knows clearly how severe the future climate change will beD. questions the immediate benefits of averting climate change5. It seems that the UN ______.A. still takes averting climate change as a priorityB. fails to realize many inconvenient truths in the worldC. has its crucial policies challenged by many member countriesD. is trying to tackle all the global crises to make the world betterText 1-4When IBM announced an overhaul of its pension plan for employees in America last week, it joined a parade of employers that are shifting more responsibility for saving for retirement on to workers. For many Americans, of course, this is nothing new: millions of them have been managing their retirement assets in individual accounts for years. Nevertheless, in both America and Britain the closure of paternalistic corporate “defined benefit”programmes, in which pensions depend on earnings and years of service, is accelerating—even at healthy companies such as IBM.To the extent that this creates and encourages individual choice and responsibility, it is something to welcome rather than to fear. Many other countries, facing huge state-pension obligations, would also like to see their citizens assume a bigger role in providing for their own retirement. Even so, the trend raises an important question: how much do people due to take on these new responsibilities know about basic financial concepts?The answer seems to be: not much, and less than they think they do. Studies show that many people overestimate their knowledge of everything from inflation to risk diversification and compound interest. One survey in Australia found that 37%of people who owned investments did not know that they could fluctuate in value. In America 31% did not know that the finance charge on a credit-card statement is what they pay to use credit. Britain’s Financial Services Authority will release the results of its own survey on financial literacy l in the next month or two.Even educated professionals may know the basics but see no need to keep up to date—having no idea of the interest rates on their credit cards, the fees on their mutual funds or how their investments are doing. But in both America and Britain low personal saving rates (negative in America, indeed) and record numbers of personal bankruptcies do not bode well. If people are to take charge of their pensions, shouldn’t they know a little more?In the end, ignorance cold rebound on governments: if people save too little for old age, the state may have to provide for them willy-nilly. |”Governments are taking this very seriously,” says Barbara Smith of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, which recently produced a report on global financial literacy. Just this week the British government launched an online debt calculator for overstretched consumers and a money-management course for teenagers that will be offered in schools across the country later this year. New Zealand is another country trying to catch its people young: one official financial-information website there (www.sorted. ) includes an online game on “Money Island”.1. It is informed in the test that ______.A. IBM cannot help but overhaul its pension planB. IBM takes much responsibility for saving for retirementC. workers will assume more financial responsibility for their old ageD. most Americans have taken on responsibility for saving for retirement2. Corporate “defined benefit” programmes will come to an end primarily because ______.A. most companies are not so healthy as IBMB. it can help companies relieve their pension obligationsC. millions of Americans have opened their individual accounts for years3. If one is to assume more financial responsibility, he should have more knowledge about _____.A. risk diversificationB. basic financial conceptsC. how much he pas to use creditD. the fluctuation in value of his investment4. It can be inferred from the text that ______.A. even professionals are short of financial informationB. personal saving rates will no doubt increase remarkablyC. professionals are usually better prepared for their retirementD. there will be less personal bankruptcies in both America and Britain5. The main idea of this text is that ______.A. most people are very ignorant about investmentB. individuals should have more choices and responsibilityC. individuals should be better prepared for their retirementD. government should provide official financial-informationText 1-5【英泽汉】When one uses the scientific method to study or investigate nature or the universe, one is practicing scientific thinking. All scientists practice scientific thinking, of course, since they are actively studying nature and investigating the universe by using scientific method. But scientific thinking is not reserved solely for scientists. (1)Anyone can “think like a scientist” who learns the scientific method and, most importantly, applies its precepts, whether he or she is investigating nature or not. (2)When one uses the investigating societies or governments, seeking solutions to problems of economics or philosophy, or just trying to answer personal questions about oneself or the meaning of existence-one is said to be practicing critical thinking. Critical thinking is thinking correctly for oneself that successfully leads to the most reliable answers to questions and solutions to problems. In other words, critical thinking gives you reliable knowledge about all aspects of your life and society, and is not restricted to the formal study of nature.Some professionals in the humanities, social sciences, jurisprudence, business, and journalism practice critical thinking as well as any scientist, but many, alas, do not. (3)Scientists must practice critical thinking to be successful, but the qualifications for success in other professions do not necessarily require the use of critical thinking, a fact that is the source of much confusion, discord, and unhappiness in our society.The scientific method has proven to be the most reliable and successful method of thinking in human history, and it is quite possible to use scientific thinking in other human endeavors. For this reason, critical thinking is being taught in schools throughout the United States, and its teaching is being encouraged as a universal ideal. (4) The important point is this: critical thinking is perhaps the most important skill a student can learn in school and college, since if you master its skills, you know how to think successfully and reach reliable conclusions, and such ability willprove valuable in any human endeavor, including the humanities, social sciences, commerce, law, journalism, and government, as I claim, the same thing, only applied for different purposes, it is therefore reasonable to believe that if one learns scientific thinking in a science class, one learns, at the same time, the most important skill a student can possess—critical thinking. This, to my mind, is perhaps the foremost reason for college students to study science, no matter what one’s eventual major, interest, or profession.Text 1-1 1.C 2.B 3.B. 4.D 5.AText 1-2 1.C 2.A 3.B 4.D 5.BText 1-3 1.C 2.B 3.B 4.D 5.AText 1-4 1.C 2.B 3.B 4.A 5.CText 1-5(1)任何人，无论是否研究自然界，只要学习科学方法，更重要的是，应用其规则，都能“像科学家一样思维”。

英语演讲原文：布什关于美国经济前景的演讲

布什关于美国经济前景的演讲US President's speech on American economic future (August 6,2005)THE PRESIDENT:To grow the economy and help American families, we acted by passing the largest tax relief in a generation. And today, thanks to the tax relief and the efforts of America's workers and entrepreneurs, our economy is strong and growing stronger. This past week, we learned that America added over 200,000 new jobs in July. Since May of 2003, we've added nearly 4 million new jobs. The unemployment rate is down to 5 percent, below the average of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. And more Americans are working today than ever before in our nation's history.Recent economic reports show that our economy is growing faster than any other major industrialized nation. Small businesses are flourishing. Workers are taking home more of what they earn. Real disposable personal income has grown by over 12 percent since the end of 2000. Inflation is low andmortgage rates are low. And over the past year, the home ownership rate in America has reached record levels.The tax relief stimulated 1 economic vitality 2 and growth and it has helped increase revenues to the Treasury 3 . The increased revenues and our spending restraint have led to good progress in reducing the federal deficit 4 . Last month we learned that the deficit is now projected to be $94 billion less than previously 5 expected. I set a goal of cutting the deficit in half by 2009, and we are ahead of pace to meet that goal.To continue creating jobs and to ensure that our prosperity reaches every corner of America, we're opening markets abroad for our goods and services. This past week, I was proud to sign the Central American-Dominican Republic Free Trade Agreement. This historic agreement will level the playing field for America's workers and farmers, and open up a market of 44 million customers for products made in the United States.To keep our economy growing we also need affordable 6 , reliable supplies of energy. Next week in New Mexico, I'll sign a bipartisan energy bill that encourages conservation, expands domestic production in environmentally sensitiveways, diversifies 7 our energy supply, modernizes 8 our electricity grid 9 and makes America less dependent on foreign sources of energy. And next Wednesday in Illinois, I'll sign a highway bill that will improve the safety of our roads, strengthen our transportation infrastructure 10 and create good jobs.Our economy is strong, yet I will not be satisfied until every American who wants to work can find a job. So this coming Tuesday I will meet with my economic team in Texas to discuss our agenda to keep the economy moving forward. As Congress considers appropriations 11 bills this fall, we will work with the House and the Senate to ensure that taxpayer 12 dollars are spent wisely, or not at all.We need to make the tax relief permanent, end the death tax forever, and make our tax code simpler, fairer and more pro-growth. We'll continue working on Social Security reform. Social Security is sound for today's seniors, but there's a hole in the safety net for our younger workers, so I'll work with the Congress to strengthen Social Security for our children and grandchildren. I'll continue to press for legal reform to protect small businesses, doctors and hospitals from junk lawsuits 13 . And we will work to make health care more affordable and accessible for all Americans.The American economy is the envy of the world and we will keep it that way. We will continue to unleash 14 the entrepreneurial spirit of America, so more of our citizens can realize the American Dream.Thank you for listening.Good morning. As families across the country enjoy the summer, Americans can be optimistic about our economic future. In the past four years, our economy has been througha lot: we faced a stock market decline, a recession, corporate15 scandals, an attack on our homeland, and the demands of an ongoing 16 war on terror.■文章重点单词注释：1stimulateda.刺激的参考例句：The exhibition has stimulated interest in her work. 展览增进了人们对她作品的兴趣。