U.S. existing home sales down 2.2 percent in May

    WASHINGTON, June 22 (Xinhua) -- Existing home sales in the United States declined by 2.2 percent in May to a seasonally（季节性的） adjusted annual rate of 5.66 million units, the National Association of Realtors (NAR) reported on Tuesday.
    The sales in May, which are completed（完整的） transactions that include single-family, townhomes, condominiums and co-ops, increased by 19. 2 percent from the 4.75-million-unit pace in May 2009.
    April sales were revised to show an 8.0-percent monthly gain.
    Lawrence Yun, NAR chief economist¹, said he expects one more month of elevated home sales.
    "We are witnessing the ongoing² effects of the home buyer tax credit, which we'll also see in June real estate closings," Yun said in a statement（声明）.
    "However, approximately 180,000 home buyers who signed a contract in good faith to receive the tax credit may not be able to finalize³ by the end of June due to delays in the mortgage process, particularly for short sales," he added.
    The Obama administration had boosted home sales by offering buyers tax credits of up to 8,000 dollars.
    As the leading advocate for homeownership issues, NAR is supporting Senate amendments⁴ to extend the home buyer tax credit closing deadline through Sept. 30 for contracts written by April 30, and to renew the flood insurance program.
    "Sales and related local economic activity would have been higher without delays in the closing process or flood insurance issues," Yun noted⁵.
    According to Freddie Mac, the national average commitment rate for a 30-year, conventional, fixed-rate mortgage fell to 4.89 percent in May from 5.10 percent in April. The rate was 4.86 percent in May 2009.
    The national median existing-home price for all housing types was 179,600 dollars in May, up 2.7 percent from May 2009.
    Distressed⁶ homes slipped to 31 percent of sales last month, compared with 33 percent in April. It was also 33 percent in May 2009.
    Total housing inventory⁷（存货） at the end of May fell 3.4 percent to 3. 89 million existing homes available for sale, which represents an 8.3-month supply at the current sales pace, compared with an 8.4- month supply in April.
    Raw unsold inventory is 1.1 percent above a year ago, but is still 14.9 percent below the record of 4.58 million in July 2008.
    According to a report released earlier this month by the Commerce Department, U.S. housing construction in May declined 10 percent, while new building permits also fell sharply.
    The burst of the housing bubble triggered the global financial crisis that plunged⁸ the U.S. economy into recession in December 2007.
    Many economists⁹ believe that the U.S. housing market remains¹⁰ in the woods.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

2 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

3 finalize   

v.落实，定下来

参考例句：

• Let us finalize tonight.让我们今天晚上干完
• 。At the same time,industrial designers work with engineers to finalize components and assembly.同时，工业设计师和工程师一道来完成部件和组装部分的工作。

4 amendments   

（法律、文件的）改动( amendment的名词复数 )； 修正案； 修改； （美国宪法的）修正案

参考例句：

• The committee does not adequately consult others when drafting amendments. 委员会在起草修正案时没有充分征求他人的意见。
• Please propose amendments and addenda to the first draft of the document. 请对这个文件的初稿提出修改和补充意见。

5 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

6 distressed   

痛苦的

参考例句：

• He was too distressed and confused to answer their questions. 他非常苦恼而困惑，无法回答他们的问题。
• The news of his death distressed us greatly. 他逝世的消息使我们极为悲痛。

7 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

8 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

9 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。