VOA标准英语2009年-Asia Stocks Extend Gains

Stocks in Asia extended their rally Friday, with investors¹ encouraged by positive economic and company news. Some stock markets have risen more than 70 percent since the start of the year.
　
Display showing Hang Seng Index in Hong Kong, 20 Jul 2009

Hong Kong's Hang Seng index Friday broke through the 20,000 level for the first time since September last year, when the collapse² of U.S. investment bank Lehman Brothers sent investors retreating. The index has jumped about 75 percent since March.

Ben Kwong, chief operating officer of the financial group KGI, expects a continued rally in the short term. He says the weak dollar and lower interest rates make stock investments favorable.

"And we have also seen continuing inflow of funds," noted³ Kwong. "So on the back of strong liquidity⁴, the market still has the upward momentum⁵ to surge even higher …. The point is, the market is still not been able to find a good excuse for a significant correction."

In Shanghai, shares of Chinese energy companies such as China Shenhua Energy and PetroChina were in high demand Friday, and the composite index reached a 13-month high. It has gained 85 percent this year.

The Nikkei 225 index in Japan soared for the eighth straight trading day to close at 9,944. An encouraging outlook for electronics maker⁶ Panasonic lifted market sentiment.

A slew⁷ of economic and company earnings⁸ news in South Korea boosted the KOSPI half a percent Friday. The economy grew in the second quarter at its fastest pace more than five years. And the country's biggest company, Samsung Electronics, reported better-than-expected earnings. The index closed at 1,502, up nine percent this week.

The regional MSCI Asia Pacific index that tracks large Asian companies outside Japan has soared 70 percent since March.

1 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

2 collapse   

vi.累倒；昏倒；倒塌；塌陷

参考例句：

• The country's economy is on the verge of collapse.国家的经济已到了崩溃的边缘。
• The engineer made a complete diagnosis of the bridge's collapse.工程师对桥的倒塌做了一次彻底的调查分析。

3 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

4 liquidity   

n.流动性，偿债能力，流动资产

参考例句：

• The bank has progressively increased its liquidity.银行逐渐地增加其流动资产。
• The demand for and the supply of credit is closely linked to changes in liquidity.信用的供求和流动资金的变化有密切关系。

5 momentum   

n.动力，冲力，势头；动量

参考例句：

• We exploit the energy and momentum conservation laws in this way.我们就是这样利用能量和动量守恒定律的。
• The law of momentum conservation could supplant Newton's third law.动量守恒定律可以取代牛顿第三定律。

6 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

7 slew   

v.（使）旋转；n.大量，许多

参考例句：

• He slewed the car against the side of the building.他的车滑到了大楼的一侧，抵住了。
• They dealt with a slew of other issues.他们处理了大量的其他问题。

8 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。