英语专业学生经典的听力材料

Unit 3 World News: Economic Developments

Part I Warming up A

1. Who have been meeting in Hong Kong today to discuss the outlook for the global economy

Central Bank governors from more than a dozen countries.

2. What does UNCTAD say about the worldwide total of foreign investment It grew by 40% last Year to more than 600 billion dollars. 3. Who has approved a cut in income tax rates The United States House of Representatives.

4. Who has announced job cuts after a fall in demand for its products Intel What is its plan

To reduce its workforce by5,000.

5. What decisions have been made by EU, the U.S. and Canada after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in France

EU has imposed further restrictions on the movement of livestock. The U.S. and Canada have issued temporary bans on the import of animal produce from EU. Tapescript:

1. Central Bank governors from more than a dozen countries have been meeting in Hong Kong today. One subject they likely discussed is the outlook for the global economy because of the U. S. slowdown and Japan's struggling recovery. Another topic they may have discussed is how to strengthen financial markets in emerging economies in Asia and elsewhere. 2. A United Nations' report says the worldwide total of foreign investment grew by nearly 40% last year to more than 600 billion dollars. The report by the UN Conference on Trade and Development, UNCTAD says most of it took place between developed countries as big companies took one another over.

3. The United States House of Representatives has approved a cut in income tax rates, the first part of a package of tax cutting measures put forward by President Bush. The income tax reductions will amount to nearly 1 trillion dollars over ten years.

4. The world's largest maker of computer chips, Intel, has announced job cuts after a fall in demand for its products. Intel said it expected its revenue in the first quarter of this year to fall by a quarter than the same period last year. The California-based company plans to reduce its 85,000-strong work force by 5,000.

5. The European Union has imposed further restrictions on the movement of live-stock after a case of foot-and-mouth disease was confirmed in France. The United States and Canada have issued temporary bans on the import of all animal produce from EU countries. B

1. Foreign exchange rates:

1 dollar = German marks

= Japanese yen

1 pound = dollars Share Index

Dow Jones (up to) 6,783 (+45)

London’s 100 (up to) 4,390 (+20) Nikkie closed 2. Share Index:

Dow Jones 10,116 (+96) Standrd and Poor’s 500 1,254 (+6) NASDAQ: %) 3. Share Index:

Dow Jones 8,094 ( - 66 )

NASDAQ 1,662 (- 3 )

FT100 ( -36 )

CAC Quarante ( -33, -1% ) DAX ( -1% ) 4. Most active stocks:

Cable and Wireless HKT up $

HSBC down $

Hutchison down $

Shanglongkai Property up $ China Telecom down $

Chang Kong down $

Pacific Century Cyberworlds down $ CCT Telecom down $

New World CyberBase down $ Hanong Holdings down $ Gold prices:

Hong Kong gold: HK$ 2,670 London gold: US $ 289 5. Earnings:

Philips Electronics (last year): $ billion ($ 300 million) Royal Dutch Shell (4th quarter): $ billion

Electronic Data Systems (4th quarter): $ per share ( $ up)

Tapescripts:

1. The dollar is trading at one German mark seventy-three point three and at Japanese yen. The pound buys one dollar sixty-two point four. In New York, the Dow Share Index closed 45 higher at 6,783. Earlier London's 100 Share Index ended 20 higher at 4,390. In Tokyo, the Nikkei Share Index is closed for a holiday.

2. The Dow Jones Industrial Average closed up 96 points at 10,116. The