人大附中2021届新高考高考英语外刊素材积累(阅读写作提升40)

人大附中2021新高考高考英语外刊素材积累（阅读写作提升40）为什么后疫情时代的房价依旧在上涨？

导读

疫情对美国房屋成交量造成打击，但房屋销售人员却对市场依旧看好，认为房价依旧会保持往日上涨势头。

双语阅读

House prices picked up in most middle- and high-income countries in the second quarter. In the rich world they rose at an annual rate of 5%. Share prices of developers and property-traders fell by a quarter in the early phase of the pandemic, but have recovered much of the fall.

大多数中高收入国家的房价在第二季度有所回升。在发达国家，房价以每年5%的速度上涨。在疫情初期，开发商和房地产交易商的股价下跌了四分之一，但现在大部分已经得到恢复。

In America growth in the median price per square foot accelerated more quickly in the second quarter of 2020 than in any three-month period in the lead-up to the financial crisis of 2007-09. Three factors explain this strength: monetary policy, fiscal policy and buyers’ changing preferences.

在美国，每平方英尺平均价格在2020年第二季度的增长速度比2007-09年金融危机前的任何三个月都要快。有三个因素可以解释这种增长势头：货币政策、财政政策和买家不断变化的偏好。

Consider monetary policy first. Central bankers around the world have cut policy rates by two percentage points on average this year, reducing the cost of mortgage borrowing. Americans can take out a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage at an annual interest rate of just 2.9%, down from 3.7% at the beginning of the year.

首先考虑货币政策。今年，世界各国央行将政策利率平均降低了两个百分点，这就降低了抵押贷款的成本。美国人现在可以以每年2.9%的利率获得30年期固定利率抵押贷款，而年初时这一利率为3.7%。

Fiscal policy, the second factor, may therefore be more important in explaining buoyant prices. In a normal recession, as people lose jobs and their incomes fall, foreclosures drag house prices down—not only by adding to the supply of houses on the market, but also by leaving ex-homeowners with a blemish on their credit history, making it harder for them to borrow again. But this time governments in rich countries have preserved households’ incomes.

因此，财政政策作为第二个因素，可能在解释价格上涨的原因方面更为重要。在正常的经济衰退中，当人们失去工作、收入下降时，取消抵押品赎回权会拖低房价——这不仅让市场上的房屋供应增加，还会让前房主的信用记录上留下污点，使他们难以再次借贷。但这一次，富裕国家的政府保护了家庭收入。

The third factor behind the unlikely global housing boom relates to changing consumer preferences. With a fifth of office workers continuing to work from home, many potential buyers may want to spend more on a nicer place to live. Already there is evidence that people are upgrading their household appliances.

在全球房地产市场不可思议的繁荣背后，第三个因素与消费者偏好的变化有关。随着五分之一的办公人员继续在家工作，许多潜在的买家可能希望花更多的钱买一个更好的住房。已经有证据表明，人们正在升级他们的家用电器。

本文节选自：The Economist（经济学人）

作者：Finance and economics

原文标题：Why, despite the coronavirus pandemic, house prices continue to rise

词汇积累

1.mortgage

•英/ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/ 美/ˈmɔːɡɪdʒ/

•n. 抵押贷款、按揭

v.抵押；以某人的前途作代价

2.buoyant

•英/ˈbɔɪənt/ 美/ˈbɔɪənt/

•adj. 愉快而自信的、〔价格等〕趋于上升的，上涨的、易浮起的

3.foreclosure

•英/fɔːˈkləʊʒə(r)/ 美/fɔːˈkləʊʒə(r)/

•vi. 〔因抵押人无法偿还贷款〕止赎，取消抵押品赎回权n.丧失抵押品赎回权

4.drag

•英/dræɡ/ 美/dræɡ/

•n.拖累；阻碍；讨厌的事；吸入一口烟；（喜剧演员）男扮女装；（作用于行进中的飞行器或车辆的）空气阻力；（横穿城镇的）主干道