英语听力：澳洲新闻 (ABC新闻快递) 2014-04-30

 The share market closed down almost 1% with all sectors¹ lower. The ASX 200 gave up 49 points.  Doing most of the damage on the market today were mining stocks after the fall in the iron ore price overnight and shares in Cabcharge, the Australian's biggest taxi payments company, slid after its chairman and a big shareholder² Reg Kermode announced his stepping down as a chairman as he undergos his cancer treatment. 

 

Taking a look at the currencies. The AU dollar has been under pressure today and lost around half cents since this time yesterday. 

 

The inability of borrowers to payback loans is becoming a concern for Australian lenders. A comprehensive global study of banks by Price Whitehouse Cooper(PWC) shows local lenders are increasingly concerned about the abilities of borrowers to meet repayments³ when interest rates inevitably⁴ rise. Interest rates ranked as the sixth major risk in Australia compared with twelfth in the world. The number one concern was regulatory changes. 

 

Optus is slashing⁵ jobs as part of an ongoing⁶ restructure but says none of the positions will be sent offshore⁷. Australian's 2nd largest company won't reveal how many jobs will go nor which divisions will be affected⁸ until it's finished talking to works in the next few days. There are reports around 200 workers will lose their jobs. The telco says its priority is to communicate any changes to its employees who will be affected. The cuts form parts of a strategic review announced 1.5 years ago.

1 sectors   

n.部门( sector的名词复数 )；领域；防御地区；扇形

参考例句：

• Berlin was divided into four sectors after the war. 战后柏林分成了4 个区。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Industry and agriculture are the two important sectors of the national economy. 工业和农业是国民经济的两个重要部门。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

2 shareholder   

n.股东，股票持有人

参考例句：

• The account department have prepare a financial statement for the shareholder.财务部为股东准备了一份财务报表。
• A shareholder may transfer his shares in accordance with the law.股东持有的股份可以依法转让。

3 repayments   

偿还，报答，偿付的钱物( repayment的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The repayments of the loan are spread over 10 years. 贷款可在十年内分期偿还。
• The repayments of the loan are spread over 25 years. 这笔贷款分摊二十五年偿还。

4 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

5 slashing   

adj.尖锐的；苛刻的；鲜明的；乱砍的v.挥砍( slash的现在分词 )；鞭打；割破；削减

参考例句：

• Slashing is the first process in which liquid treatment is involved. 浆纱是液处理的第一过程。 来自辞典例句
• He stopped slashing his horse. 他住了手，不去鞭打他的马了。 来自辞典例句

6 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

7 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。