Egypt's Inflation Tops 12 Percent

     Soaring food prices, one of the triggers that toppled former Egyptian(埃及的) President Hosni Mubarak, helped push the country's annual inflation rate past 12 percent in April.

    Egypt's statistical¹ agency reported Tuesday that food and beverage² costs, which account for nearly half of the country's consumer spending, increased by 21 percent last month compared to a year ago. That helped boost consumer prices to their highest point in a year.

    Surging food prices were among a list of grievances³ Egyptians complained about in the past couple of years, leading to the widespread anti-government protests in January. Mubarak resigned in early February and is now being investigated on charges of illegally amassing⁴ wealth during his 30-year rule.

    Egypt's economy has been buffeted⁵ by political uncertainty⁶. Tourism has sharply dropped and the country's international reserves have diminished.(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 beverage   

n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料

参考例句：

• The beverage is often colored with caramel.这种饮料常用焦糖染色。
• Beer is a beverage of the remotest time.啤酒是一种最古老的饮料。

3 grievances   

n.委屈( grievance的名词复数 )；苦衷；不满；牢骚

参考例句：

• The trade union leader spoke about the grievances of the workers. 工会领袖述说工人们的苦情。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• He gave air to his grievances. 他申诉了他的冤情。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 amassing   

v.积累，积聚( amass的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The study of taxonomy must necessarily involve the amassing of an encyclopaedic knowledge of plants. 分类学研究一定要积累广博的植物知识。 来自辞典例句
• Build your trophy room while amassing awards and accolades. 建立您的奖杯积累奖项和荣誉。 来自互联网

5 buffeted   

反复敲打( buffet的过去式和过去分词 )； 连续猛击； 打来打去； 推来搡去

参考例句：

• to be buffeted by the wind 被风吹得左右摇摆
• We were buffeted by the wind and the rain. 我们遭到风雨的袭击。

6 uncertainty   

n.易变，靠不住，不确知，不确定的事物

参考例句：

• Her comments will add to the uncertainty of the situation.她的批评将会使局势更加不稳定。
• After six weeks of uncertainty,the strain was beginning to take its toll.6个星期的忐忑不安后，压力开始产生影响了。