S Korea freezes key rate at 2.25%

    SEOUL, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- South Korea's central bank on Thursday decided¹ to leave the key interest rate at the current level of 2.25 percent for the third straight month.
    In its monthly monetary（货币的） committee meeting, the Bank of Korea reached a decision to keep the rate at the status quo（现状） despite wide forecasts it would conduct a rate hike amid growing inflationary pressure.
    After the BOK abruptly² revised up the key rate to 2.25 percent from a record low of 2 percent, ending the long-kept rate freeze for sixteen straight months, the BOK was expected to further hike the rate at least by 0.25 percentage point before the yearend.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 decided   

adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的

参考例句：

• This gave them a decided advantage over their opponents.这使他们比对手具有明显的优势。
• There is a decided difference between British and Chinese way of greeting.英国人和中国人打招呼的方式有很明显的区别。

2 abruptly   

adv.突然地，出其不意地

参考例句：

• He gestured abruptly for Virginia to get in the car.他粗鲁地示意弗吉尼亚上车。
• I was abruptly notified that a half-hour speech was expected of me.我突然被通知要讲半个小时的话。