Germany enjoys record growth in 2nd quarter

    BERLIN, Aug. 13 (Xinhua) -- German economy （经济）has seen a rapid recovery in the second quarter, as the gross domestic product (GDP) （国内生成总值）registered a growth of 2.2 percent compared with the first quarter, a record in the reunified nation, the Federal Statistical¹ Office (Destatis) said on Friday.
    "Such a quarter-on-quarter growth has never been recorded before in reunified Germany. At the same time, the result for the first quarter of 2010 was revised substantially upwards², now showing a 0.5 percent increase," said Wiesbaden-based Destatis.
    "Hence the recovery of the German economy, which lost momentum³ at the turn of 2009/2010, is really back on track," said Destatis.
    Compared with the same period last year, the real GDP in the second quarter enjoyed a 4.1-percent increase.
    "Capital formation and foreign trade contributed most strongly to the positive development," said Destatis, while expenditure⁴ of household and government also contributed to the GDP growth.
    During the second quarter, more people were employed than the same period last year. Destatis said the total number of the employed reached 40.3 million, 72,000 more, or 0.2 percent higher, than a year earlier.
    The sound performance（表现） of the German economy in the second quarter has been widely expected, as many good economic data on foreign trade, investment, employment have been published earlier.
    Rolf J. Langhammer, vice⁵ president of Kiel Institute for the World Economy, predicted several weeks ago that "Germany will reach its recovery peak in the second quarter, and then its recovery will gradually slows down in the next half year."(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 statistical   

adj.统计的，统计学的

参考例句：

• He showed the price fluctuations in a statistical table.他用统计表显示价格的波动。
• They're making detailed statistical analysis.他们正在做具体的统计分析。

2 upwards   

adv.向上，在更高处...以上

参考例句：

• The trend of prices is still upwards.物价的趋向是仍在上涨。
• The smoke rose straight upwards.烟一直向上升。

3 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

4 expenditure   

n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗

参考例句：

• The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。
• The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

5 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。