News Item2
白宫呼吁创造就业机会
News Background
新闻背景
财政政策进入美国政策决策者视野最早可以追溯到罗斯福新政时期，为应对1930年的经济大萧条，罗斯福政府采取一系列政策措施，但是失业率仍有相当长时期在两位数以上居高不下，直至1941 年，政府为配合租借法案的实施，以及应对第二次世界大战，开始投入大量财政用于军事开支，改变之前的平衡预算的财政政策，这一状态才得到扭转。积极财政政策对解决大萧条中的失业和经济衰退问题成效卓著，成为凯恩斯主义最推崇的经典案例。美国次贷危机发生以后，人们又重新想到财政政策，开始考虑实施临时和一次性的减税措施，以试图摆脱经济衰退。
News Transcript VOA 新闻梗概
(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听力理解
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.
经济上的solidify v.
巩固stimulus n.
刺激setback n.
挫折senate n.
参议员initiative n.
主动的精神consensus n.
共识，一致rebound n.
反弹，复原词汇加油站白宫经济发言人说，目前致力于为国人创造更多的就业机会以及巩固脆弱的经济使其复苏是当务之急。这一发言依据的是令人沮丧的月份失业报告，该报告显示了美国国内持续的失业问题。
从总统巴拉克·奥巴马签署美国历史上最大的一项刺激经济增长的法案后不到一年的时间内，他所领导的经济顾问委员会的总发言人声明说，采取额外措施是必要的。
周五，美国劳工部报告说，上月美国净失业人数为85,000人，失业率保持在10%。“这多少让人有种挫败感”，经济发言人说。
上个月，由民主党操控的众议院通过了第二个刺激经济增长法案，该法案旨在重新推动美国的就业状况。参议员应在接下来的几周内考虑这项措施。奥巴马政府中的高层经济人士赞同采取主动行动，但他们追述说：美国的私营企业必须引领就业岗位的增加，以及经济的增长。
经济学家们达成了一致共识。他们认为随着在二战后最严重的衰退期中美国经济的反弹，未来的几个月美国的失业率将会逐渐下降。但是一些著名的经济学家仍然持悲观态度，他们认为美国的失业率仍会上升，直到年末才可能摆脱经济衰退。
1 The comment follows a disappointing monthly unemployment report that showed continuingjob losses in the United States.句中用现在分词disappointing和continuing作形容词修饰unemployment和job losses，表示一种现在持续的情况。例： Do you see that speedingcar? The aging father found it hard to do the work.这两个句子中的speeding car 是正在超速行驶的车；aging father上了年纪的父亲。
2 The Senate 参议院（美国）美国参议院（英语：United States Senate）是美国的立法部门──美国国会的两院之一，另一院为众议院。美国每一州于参议院中均有两位议员作为代表，与各州人口无关。所以全院员额为100名议员。参议员任期六年，相互交错，故每隔两年改选约三分之一的席位。美国副总统任参议院议长，无参议员资格；且除非是为了在表决平手时打破僵局，不得投票。参议院公认较众议院更为审慎；参议员名额较少而任期较长，容许学院派看法与党派之见，较众议院更易自外于公共舆论。参议院拥有若干表列于宪法而未授予众议院的权力。
3 Top economic voices in the Obama administration applaud the initiative. Top economicvoices高层经济学家的呼声。
