听力原文及题目答案Unit 8概要1.doc

听力原文及题目答案Unit 8This is based on the result of a new UN study called “The State of Food Insecurity in the World, 2002”. It found that more than nine million people die each year from hunger. Six million of them are children younger than age five. Researchers also found that the number of starving people is growing in some parts of the world. The report says that about eight hundred and forty million people around the world are getting enough food to eat. Ninety-five percent of these people are in developing countries. Unit 8 Task 1 【答案】 A. 1) interest rates; third time 2) shrunk; first time 3) A fall; employment 4) higher B. News Items Figures Possible Causes or Effects 1 1) The overnight bank lending rate rose by 0.25 percent. And the current rate was 5.5 percent. 2) The discount rate increased by 0.25 percent to 5 percent. The increase would reduce the danger of inflation. 2 The total value of goods and services produced in the US fell by four tenths of 1 percent (0.4 percent) between July and September. 3 US bonds fell nearly two points. More jobs had been created in March than had been expected. 4 The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up nearly 1 percent or 89 points at 10,205. Some analysts believed some signs indicated the US inflation was under control. 【原文】 News Item 1 The United States central bank, the Federal Reserve, has raised interest rates for the third time this year. The Federal Reserve raised the overnight bank lending rate by 0.25 percent (one fourth of one percent) to 5.5 percent. It raised the discount rate also by 0.25 percent to 5 percent. The Federal Reserve said it had no plans to raise interest rates again any time soon. It said the increase today should reduce the danger of inflation. News Item 2 The Commerce Department says the American economy has shrunk for the first time in eight years. The total value of goods and services produced in the United States fell by four tenth of one percent (0.4 percent) in the perio