VOA标准英语2012--Indicators Show US Economic Recovery Slow, Uneven_在线英语听力室

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Indicators² Show US Economic Recovery Slow, Uneven³

Economists⁵ say trucks haul nearly 70 percent of the freight used in the United States.

The American Trucking Association says freight is a measure of the economy, because manufacturers have to move raw materials, carry parts to factories, haul imports and exports and deliver goods to store shelves.

“We are actually a very good indicator¹, a leading economic indicator ((a way of looking at the economic future)) in fact. And so if tonnage starts to fall, we get nervous. If it’s going up, we are pretty happy,“ said Bob Costello, the group's chief economist⁴.

Freight tonnage is going up at the moment, but the rate of growth is slowing down.

"It is telling me that the economy is not falling into another recession. It will continue as a sort of a slow growth recovery," Costello said.

Other clues about economic growth come from the volume of air freight. The most recent data show demand for air freight fell more than three percent globally during July.

"It can also, as you start to see air cargo⁶ dropping off and you are seeing other signs -- it can also be a leading indicator of a downturn,” said Perry Flint, of the International Air Transport Association.

However, the same report shows that passenger traffic made gains during the same period.

That may be why a top official of Cambria Suites⁷ Hotels, Michael Murphy, says business is strong.

“We are seeing the highest demand in the history of the hotel industry right now. More people are traveling now than ever before, and that's in all segments of travel,” Murphy said.

The contradictory⁸ indicators are one reason that predicting the economic future is a complex and difficult task.

For example, government experts first said the U.S. economy expanded at a 1.5 percent annual rate during April, May, and June. Then they made a revision -- as new information became available and showed growth was more likely at a 1.7 percent rate.

Trying to figure out what to do about the sluggish⁹ economic recovery is even more complicated.

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1 indicator
n.指标；指示物，指示者；指示器
参考例句：
Gold prices are often seen as an indicator of inflation.黃金价格常常被看作是通货膨胀的指标。 His left-hand indicator is flashing.他左手边的转向灯正在闪亮。

2 indicators
（仪器上显示温度、压力、耗油量等的）指针( indicator的名词复数 )；指示物；（车辆上的）转弯指示灯；指示信号
参考例句：
The economic indicators are better than expected. 经济指标比预期的好。 It is still difficult to develop indicators for many concepts used in social science. 为社会科学领域的许多概念确立一个指标仍然很难。

3 uneven
adj.不平坦的，不规则的，不均匀的
参考例句：
The sidewalk is very uneven—be careful where you walk.这人行道凹凸不平—走路时请小心。 The country was noted for its uneven distribution of land resources.这个国家以土地资源分布不均匀出名。

4 economist
n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人
参考例句：
He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。 He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

5 economists
n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )
参考例句：
The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。 Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。来自《简明英汉词典》

6 cargo
n.(一只船或一架飞机运载的)货物
参考例句：
The ship has a cargo of about 200 ton.这条船大约有200吨的货物。 A lot of people discharged the cargo from a ship.许多人从船上卸下货物。

7 suites
n.套( suite的名词复数 )；一套房间；一套家具；一套公寓
参考例句：
First he called upon all the Foreign Ministers in their hotel suites. 他首先到所有外交部长住的旅馆套间去拜访。来自辞典例句 All four doors to the two reserved suites were open. 预定的两个套房的四扇门都敞开着。来自辞典例句

8 contradictory
adj.反驳的，反对的，抗辩的；n.正反对，矛盾对立
参考例句：
The argument is internally contradictory.论据本身自相矛盾。 What he said was self-contradictory.他讲话前后不符。

9 sluggish
adj.懒惰的，迟钝的，无精打采的
参考例句：
This humid heat makes you feel rather sluggish.这种湿热的天气使人感到懒洋洋的。 Circulation is much more sluggish in the feet than in the hands.脚部的循环比手部的循环缓慢得多。

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VOA标准英语2012--Indicators Show US Economic Recovery Slow, Uneven