News Item2

白宮呼吁創(chuàng)造就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)

News Background

新聞背景　　

財(cái)政政策進(jìn)入美國(guó)政策決策者視野最早可以追溯到羅斯福新政時(shí)期，為應(yīng)對(duì)1930年的經(jīng)濟(jì)大蕭條，羅斯福政府采取一系列政策措施，但是失業(yè)率仍有相當(dāng)長(zhǎng)時(shí)期在兩位數(shù)以上居高不下，直至1941 年，政府為配合租借法案的實(shí)施，以及應(yīng)對(duì)第二次世界大戰(zhàn)，開(kāi)始投入大量財(cái)政用于軍事開(kāi)支，改變之前的平衡預(yù)算的財(cái)政政策，這一狀態(tài)才得到扭轉(zhuǎn)。積極財(cái)政政策對(duì)解決大蕭條中的失業(yè)和經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退問(wèn)題成效卓著，成為凱恩斯主義最推崇的經(jīng)典案例。美國(guó)次貸危機(jī)發(fā)生以后，人們又重新想到財(cái)政政策，開(kāi)始考慮實(shí)施臨時(shí)和一次性的減稅措施，以試圖擺脫經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退。

News Transcript VOA 新聞梗概

(A White House economic advisor says there is an “overwhelming” need to do more to spurU.S. job creation and solidify a fragile economic recovery. The comment follows a disappointingmonthly unemployment report that showed continuing job losses in the United States.)Less than a year after President Barack Obama signed into law the biggest economic stimuluspackage in U.S. history, the head of his Council of Economic Advisers says additional measuresare needed.

Friday, the U.S. Labor Department reported a net 85,000 job loss in the United States lastmonth, with unemployment holding steady at 10 percent. “It was somewhat of a setback,” said theeconomic advisor.

Last month, the Democratically-controlled House of Representatives passed a secondstimulus bill aimed at jump-starting U.S. employment. The Senate is expected to consider the

Listening Comprehension聽(tīng)力理解

1. Less than a year; U.S. history2. C 3. D Keymeasure in coming weeks. Top economic voices in the Obama administrationapplaud the initiative, but add that, ultimately, America’s private sector must leadthe way in job creation and economic expansion.

The consensus view among economists is that the U.S. unemploymentrate will gradually decline in coming months as the economy rebounds fromthe worst recession since World War II. But some well-known economists areconsiderably more pessimistic, arguing that unemployment could rise further andthe United States could slip back into recession by year’s end.

1 after President Barack Obama signed into law the biggesteconomic stimulus package in , the head of his Council ofEconomic Advisers says additional measures are needed.

2 Which statement about the context is not true? ( )A. A White House economic advisor says there is an “overwhelming” need todo more to spur U.S. job creation and solidify a fragile economic recovery.

B. The comment follows a disappointing monthly unemployment report thatshowed continuing job losses in the United States.

C. Friday, the U.S. Labor Department reported a net95,000 job loss in theUnited States last month.

D. All of the above are not right.

3 According to the economists, which description is right? ( )A. Unemployment rate will gradually decline in coming months.

B. Some argues that unemployment could rise further.

C. the United States could slip back into recession by year’s end.

D. All of the above are right.

economic a.

經(jīng)濟(jì)上的solidify v.

鞏固stimulus n.

刺激setback n.

挫折senate n.

參議員initiative n.

主動(dòng)的精神consensus n.

共識(shí)，一致rebound n.

反彈，復(fù)原詞匯加油站白宮經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)言人說(shuō)，目前致力于為國(guó)人創(chuàng)造更多的就業(yè)機(jī)會(huì)以及鞏固脆弱的經(jīng)濟(jì)使其復(fù)蘇是當(dāng)務(wù)之急。這一發(fā)言依據(jù)的是令人沮喪的月份失業(yè)報(bào)告，該報(bào)告顯示了美國(guó)國(guó)內(nèi)持續(xù)的失業(yè)問(wèn)題。

從總統(tǒng)巴拉克·奧巴馬簽署美國(guó)歷史上最大的一項(xiàng)刺激經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)的法案后不到一年的時(shí)間內(nèi)，他所領(lǐng)導(dǎo)的經(jīng)濟(jì)顧問(wèn)委員會(huì)的總發(fā)言人聲明說(shuō)，采取額外措施是必要的。

周五，美國(guó)勞工部報(bào)告說(shuō)，上月美國(guó)凈失業(yè)人數(shù)為85,000人，失業(yè)率保持在10%?！斑@多少讓人有種挫敗感”，經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)言人說(shuō)。

上個(gè)月，由民主黨操控的眾議院通過(guò)了第二個(gè)刺激經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)法案，該法案旨在重新推動(dòng)美國(guó)的就業(yè)狀況。參議員應(yīng)在接下來(lái)的幾周內(nèi)考慮這項(xiàng)措施。奧巴馬政府中的高層經(jīng)濟(jì)人士贊同采取主動(dòng)行動(dòng)，但他們追述說(shuō)：美國(guó)的私營(yíng)企業(yè)必須引領(lǐng)就業(yè)崗位的增加，以及經(jīng)濟(jì)的增長(zhǎng)。

經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家們達(dá)成了一致共識(shí)。他們認(rèn)為隨著在二戰(zhàn)后最嚴(yán)重的衰退期中美國(guó)經(jīng)濟(jì)的反彈，未來(lái)的幾個(gè)月美國(guó)的失業(yè)率將會(huì)逐漸下降。但是一些著名的經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家仍然持悲觀態(tài)度，他們認(rèn)為美國(guó)的失業(yè)率仍會(huì)上升，直到年末才可能擺脫經(jīng)濟(jì)衰退。

1 The comment follows a disappointing monthly unemployment report that showed continuingjob losses in the United States.句中用現(xiàn)在分詞disappointing和continuing作形容詞修飾unemployment和job losses，表示一種現(xiàn)在持續(xù)的情況。例： Do you see that speedingcar? The aging father found it hard to do the work.這兩個(gè)句子中的speeding car 是正在超速行駛的車(chē)；aging father上了年紀(jì)的父親。

2 The Senate 參議院（美國(guó)）美國(guó)參議院（英語(yǔ)：United States Senate）是美國(guó)的立法部門(mén)──美國(guó)國(guó)會(huì)的兩院之一，另一院為眾議院。美國(guó)每一州于參議院中均有兩位議員作為代表，與各州人口無(wú)關(guān)。所以全院?jiǎn)T額為100名議員。參議員任期六年，相互交錯(cuò)，故每隔兩年改選約三分之一的席位。美國(guó)副總統(tǒng)任參議院議長(zhǎng)，無(wú)參議員資格；且除非是為了在表決平手時(shí)打破僵局，不得投票。參議院公認(rèn)較眾議院更為審慎；參議員名額較少而任期較長(zhǎng)，容許學(xué)院派看法與黨派之見(jiàn)，較眾議院更易自外于公共輿論。參議院擁有若干表列于憲法而未授予眾議院的權(quán)力。

3 Top economic voices in the Obama administration applaud the initiative. Top economicvoices高層經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家的呼聲。