英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2014-01-08

 The US trade deficit¹ has fallen to a four-year low. Official figures show the trade gap dropped by almost 13% to just over 34 billion dollars in November. That's the smallest monthly deficits² since October, 2009.

 

Imports fell almost 1.5% as a fall in demand for foreign oil offset³ a record-level of imported cars. The figures are the latest sign of a stronger American economy. 

 

America's biggest bank JPMorgan Chase has agreed to pay almost two billion dollars to the victims of the massive Ponzi Scheme in the United States. The banking⁴ giant has agreed to pay the biggest penalty in history to settle charges that it failed to report suspicious activity relating to Bernie Madoff's Ponzi Scheme. 

 

Modoff's serving a 150-year jail sentence after being convicted in 2009 of defrauding⁵ thousands of investors⁶ of more than 60 billion dollars. 

 

Let's have a quick look at the market.

 

Wall Street is trading high at the close. The Dow's gaining 123 points. The Nasdaq grows over one percent. And the S&Q 500 climded more than half a percent. In London, the FTSE was up a third of a percent. 

 

To commodity prices.

 

West Texas Crude is trading at 93 US dollars a barrel. Tapis Crude is trading at 113 US dollars a barrel. And gold is worth 1232 US dollars an ounce.

 

Let's look at the Australian dollar: 89.2 US cents, 66 Euro cents and 54 pence sterling⁷.

1 deficit   

n.亏空，亏损；赤字，逆差

参考例句：

• The directors have reported a deficit of 2.5 million dollars.董事们报告赤字为250万美元。
• We have a great deficit this year.我们今年有很大亏损。

2 deficits   

n.不足额( deficit的名词复数 )；赤字；亏空；亏损

参考例句：

• The Ministry of Finance consistently overestimated its budget deficits. 财政部一贯高估预算赤字。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Many of the world's farmers are also incurring economic deficits. 世界上许多农民还在遭受经济上的亏损。 来自辞典例句

3 offset   

n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿

参考例句：

• Their wage increases would be offset by higher prices.他们增加的工资会被物价上涨所抵消。
• He put up his prices to offset the increased cost of materials.他提高了售价以补偿材料成本的增加。

4 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。

5 defrauding   

v.诈取，骗取( defraud的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• Second is the actor regards defrauding of the wealth as object. 第二，行为人以骗取钱财为目的。 来自互联网
• Therefore, DELL has the motive and economic purpose of intentionally defrauding the Chinese consumers. 因此，戴尔公司存在故意欺诈中国消费者的动机和经济目的。 来自互联网

6 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

7 sterling   

adj.英币的(纯粹的，货真价实的)；n.英国货币(英镑)

参考例句：

• Could you tell me the current rate for sterling, please?能否请您告诉我现行英国货币的兑换率？
• Sterling has recently been strong,which will help to abate inflationary pressures.英国货币最近非常坚挺，这有助于减轻通胀压力。