IMF, World Bank Warn Against Complacency

     The International Monetary¹ Fund and the World Bank stressed the need for continued cooperation（合作协作） among world economies, saying the global financial system remains² vulnerable to further shocks.  The warning comes as the world lending institutions prepare for its annual Spring Meeting in Washington.

    The world economy has weathered the worst of the economic downturn, but the IMF says the global financial system is not out of the woods just yet.

    On Thursday, IMF managing director Dominique Strauss-Kahn warned member countries to guard against complacency. "Certainly the recovery is getting stronger, but everybody can understand that it's not the recovery we want," Strauss-Kahn said.

    "The main challenges for emerging market economies have certainly to do with the risk of over-heating, and in low income countries, the question of food and fuel prices is coming back with the risk of having something as important and strong and difficult as we had in 2008," Strauss-Kahn said.

    Despite projections³ of four-and-a-half percent growth in the global economy, the IMF says it's been a jobless recovery. Strauss-Kahn cites Tunisia and Egypt - where economic indicators（指示器,指示灯） showed growth but failed to create opportunities for its citizens.

    World Bank president Robert Zoellick says the disconnect helped fuel popular revolts, resulting in greater instability.

    "One of the lessons in the Middle East, North Africa, of some of these events, is that while some of the growth rates were reasonably good, macro-economic stability wasn't enough," he said.

    The World Bank issued a new report Thursday showing the impact of the unrest on food prices. Zoellick says a 36 percent increase in food prices since last year helped push 44 million into poverty. He warns another 10 percent increase in food prices will drive 10 million more into extreme poverty.

    "The numbers tell a grim story of persistent⁴ grinding pressure on the world's poor.  We are all aware of the ingredients: high food costs, mix in price gyrations and then stir higher fuel costs, and you get a real toxic⁵ brew⁶ of real pain contributing to social unrest," Zoellick said.

    The comments come as finance ministers from around the world gather in Washington for the annual Spring Meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund.

    The meetings will focus on the global economic recovery and the steps needed to bolster⁷ financial conditions around the world.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 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。

3 projections   

预测( projection的名词复数 )； 投影； 投掷； 突起物

参考例句：

• Their sales projections are a total thumbsuck. 他们的销售量预测纯属估计。
• The council has revised its projections of funding requirements upwards. 地方议会调高了对资金需求的预测。

4 persistent   

adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的

参考例句：

• Albert had a persistent headache that lasted for three days.艾伯特连续头痛了三天。
• She felt embarrassed by his persistent attentions.他不时地向她大献殷勤，使她很难为情。

5 toxic   

adj.有毒的，因中毒引起的

参考例句：

• The factory had accidentally released a quantity of toxic waste into the sea.这家工厂意外泄漏大量有毒废物到海中。
• There is a risk that toxic chemicals might be blasted into the atmosphere.爆炸后有毒化学物质可能会进入大气层。

6 brew   

v.酿造，调制

参考例句：

• Let's brew up some more tea.咱们沏些茶吧。
• The policeman dispelled the crowd lest they should brew trouble.警察驱散人群，因恐他们酿祸。

7 bolster   

n.枕垫；v.支持，鼓励

参考例句：

• The high interest rates helped to bolster up the economy.高利率使经济更稳健。
• He tried to bolster up their morale.他尽力鼓舞他们的士气。