U.S. stocks drop amid Fed meeting and Japan's disaster

    NEW YORK, March 15 (Xinhua) -- U.S. stocks dropped on Tuesday amid concern over Japan's nuclear disaster（灾难）, even though Fed said the economy recovery was "on a firmer footing."The major indices on Tuesday were lost more than 1 percent. The Dow Jones industrial average lost 137.74 points, or 1.15 percent, to 11,855.42. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index was down 14.52 points, or 1.12 percent, to 1,281.87. The Nasdaq declined 33.64 points, or 1.25 percent, to 2,667.33.
    The Federal Reserve maintained its ultra-loose monetary¹ policy（货币政策） on Tuesday, saying the economic recovery is on a firmer footing, and overall conditions in the labor² market appear to be improving gradually.
    The Fed also said that it would continue its 600-billion-dollar government bond-buying program as scheduled, and keep interest rates at very low levels for an extended period.
    The remarks relieved investors³' concern but the possible outcome of Japan disaster was still hovering⁴ around investors' mind.
    After an explosion and a fire dramatically（戏剧性的） escalated⁵ Japan's disaster, dangerous levels of radiation began leaking from a broken nuclear plant Tuesday in Japan, investors worried that the nuclear crisis will have a negative impact on Japan's economy, the world's third largest. Japan's Nikkei 225 stock average fell more than 1,000 points, or 10.55 percent on Tuesday.
    As of stocks, Entergy Corp., an integrated energy company, lost 2.28 percent to 68.49 dollars in the morning trading but rebounded⁶ to 68.58 dollars in the afternoon, rising 0.14 percent.
    General Electric Co, which has combined nuclear ventures with Hitachi Ltd. of Japan, fell 1.56 percent to 19.60 dollars.
    Japanese shares traded in New York dropped as well. Toyota Motor Co, which said it would suspend production at all its Japanese car plants, dropped 4.23 percent then rebounded to 0.48 percent to 81 dollars.
    With the situation in Japan worsened after radiation leak, spurring world-wide selloffs. U.S. crude oil price on Tuesday plunged⁷ near 4 percent after opening higher at 101.86 dollars a barrel, as a deepening nuclear crisis in Japan triggered a panic sell-off in the commodity markets.
    Most investors flocked to put their money in safe haven⁸ items, such as U.S. Treasuries⁹, pushing prices higher.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

4 hovering   

鸟( hover的现在分词 )； 靠近（某事物）； （人）徘徊； 犹豫

参考例句：

• The helicopter was hovering about 100 metres above the pad. 直升机在离发射台一百米的上空盘旋。
• I'm hovering between the concert and the play tonight. 我犹豫不决今晚是听音乐会还是看戏。

5 escalated   

v.（使）逐步升级( escalate的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）逐步扩大；（使）更高；（使）更大

参考例句：

• The fighting escalated into a full-scale war. 这场交战逐步扩大为全面战争。
• The demonstration escalated into a pitched battle with the police. 示威逐步升级，演变成了一场同警察的混战。

6 rebounded   

弹回( rebound的过去式和过去分词 )； 反弹； 产生反作用； 未能奏效

参考例句：

• The ball rebounded from the goalpost and Owen headed it in. 球从门柱弹回，欧文头球将球攻进。
• The ball rebounded from his racket into the net. 球从他的球拍上弹回网中。

7 plunged   

v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降

参考例句：

• The train derailed and plunged into the river. 火车脱轨栽进了河里。
• She lost her balance and plunged 100 feet to her death. 她没有站稳，从100英尺的高处跌下摔死了。

8 haven   

n.安全的地方，避难所，庇护所

参考例句：

• It's a real haven at the end of a busy working day.忙碌了一整天后，这真是一个安乐窝。
• The school library is a little haven of peace and quiet.学校的图书馆是一个和平且安静的小避风港。

9 treasuries   

n.（政府的）财政部( treasury的名词复数 )；国库，金库

参考例句：

• Yields on Treasuries, Bunds and gilts can remain at historically low levels. 美国国债、德国国债和英国国债的收益率仍然可以维持在历史低位。 来自互联网
• Treasuries and gold rose in response but the dollar fell sharply. 接着，国债和黄金的价格上涨，而美元价格则猛跌。 来自互联网