VOA标准英语2011--Investors Seek New Way to Predict Market

Investors¹ Seek New Way to Predict Markets

Wild and unpredictable swings on financial markets are making investors seek better ways to gauge² the future direction of the economy. Market participants have traditionally - and successfully - watched the changing price of copper³ for insight. But, that's changing.
Molten copper, at more than 1100 degrees Celsius⁴, is the start of a manufacturing process that turns out an astounding⁵ variety of products from jewelry⁶ to massive electrical systems.
David Malpass is the president of the economic research firm Encima Global.
"Over the years, copper has tended to go up when growth is strong and down when global growth is weaker," said Malpass. "It is used for a lot of things that people need when they are building."
Copper is so important to the economy that miners go deep into the earth in search of the ore.
Experts watch copper prices to predict growth or recession in the economy. They joke that "Doctor Copper" has been so good at tracking economic issues, it must have a Ph. D.
But stock market turmoil⁷ recently clouded copper's insights as investors fled falling stocks and bought commodities, pushing up the price. Demand from China also boosted prices, at least until worries about slowing Chinese growth sparked a sharp price drop.
In a Skype interview, Veteran trader, turned Adelphi University Professor Michael Driscoll says the commodity markets can be brutal⁸ for anyone who is unlucky or unprepared.
"Commodities are extraordinarily⁹ volatile¹⁰, not for the faint of heart, not for the uninitiated," said Driscoll.
Copper is often mined from massive, incredibly deep pits, where huge machines devour¹¹ the earth and giant trucks haul many tons of ore away to be processed.
Driscoll and other experts say traders are also going to have to dig deep to find new and better ways to guess the future direction of the economy as markets grow more complex.

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 gauge   

v.精确计量；估计；n.标准度量；计量器

参考例句：

• Can you gauge what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗？
• It's difficult to gauge one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。

3 copper   

n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的

参考例句：

• The students are asked to prove the purity of copper.要求学生们检验铜的纯度。
• Copper is a good medium for the conduction of heat and electricity.铜是热和电的良导体。

4 Celsius   

adj.摄氏温度计的，摄氏的

参考例句：

• The temperature tonight will fall to seven degrees Celsius.今晚气温将下降到七摄氏度。
• The maximum temperature in July may be 36 degrees Celsius.七月份最高温度可能达到36摄氏度。

5 astounding   

adj.使人震惊的vt.使震惊，使大吃一惊astound的现在分词)

参考例句：

• There was an astounding 20% increase in sales. 销售量惊人地增加了20%。
• The Chairman's remarks were so astounding that the audience listened to him with bated breath. 主席说的话令人吃惊，所以听众都屏息听他说。 来自《简明英汉词典》

6 jewelry   

n.（jewllery）（总称）珠宝

参考例句：

• The burglars walked off with all my jewelry.夜盗偷走了我的全部珠宝。
• Jewelry and lace are mostly feminine belongings.珠宝和花边多数是女性用品。

7 turmoil   

n.骚乱，混乱，动乱

参考例句：

• His mind was in such a turmoil that he couldn't get to sleep.内心的纷扰使他无法入睡。
• The robbery put the village in a turmoil.抢劫使全村陷入混乱。

8 brutal   

adj.残忍的，野蛮的，不讲理的

参考例句：

• She has to face the brutal reality.她不得不去面对冷酷的现实。
• They're brutal people behind their civilised veneer.他们表面上温文有礼，骨子里却是野蛮残忍。

9 extraordinarily   

adv.格外地；极端地

参考例句：

• She is an extraordinarily beautiful girl.她是个美丽非凡的姑娘。
• The sea was extraordinarily calm that morning.那天清晨，大海出奇地宁静。

10 volatile   

adj.反复无常的，挥发性的，稍纵即逝的，脾气火爆的；n.挥发性物质

参考例句：

• With the markets being so volatile,investments are at great risk.由于市场那么变化不定，投资冒着很大的风险。
• His character was weak and volatile.他这个人意志薄弱，喜怒无常。

11 devour   

v.吞没；贪婪地注视或谛听，贪读；使着迷

参考例句：

• Larger fish devour the smaller ones.大鱼吃小鱼。
• Beauty is but a flower which wrinkle will devour.美只不过是一朵，终会被皱纹所吞噬。