VOA标准英语2010年-US Growth Slows in Second Quarter

Slower economic growth in the United States pushed global stocks lower Friday.  The U.S. Commerce Department reports the country's  gross domestic product, the broadest measure of the nation's economic health, grew by a disappointing 2.4 percent in the second quarter.

Economists¹ blame the slower pace of growth on continuing high unemployment and falling consumer confidence. 

Worried consumers cut back on spending between April and June, slowing down the pace of growth in the world's largest economy to just 2.4 percent.  That's a sharp drop from the revised figures from January to March when the U.S. economy grew 3.7 percent.

Investment strategist Peter Cardillo said, "The reason is the high unemployment level. People are afraid.  They're not going to go out and spend unless they have to spend.  They're spending on the minimums and of course you know paying down debt is great but it also impacts the economy in a negative way."

Consumer spending accounts for 70 percent of U.S. economic activity.  And with unemployment expected to remain near 10 percent for the rest of the year, a new study by the University of Michigan shows consumers have grown more pessimistic.

But President Barack Obama was upbeat Friday in a speech to U.S. automakers. He said the GDP report marks the fourth straight quarter of economic growth.  He reminded Americans that the U.S. economy was shrinking about six percent per quarter when he took office -- and shedding an average of 700,000 jobs a month. "Our economy is growing again instead of shrinking.  That's a welcome sign compared to where we were, but we've got to keep increasing that rate of growth, and keep adding jobs so we can keep moving forward," he said.

Despite falling more than half a percent in early trading on fears of a slow recovery, U.S. stock prices edged higher Friday on better than expected corporate² earnings³.

Asian stocks closed mostly lower Friday due to worries about about high unemployment in Japan, while European indexes were mixed.

 

1 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 corporate   

adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的

参考例句：

• This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。
• His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。

3 earnings   

n.工资收人；利润，利益，所得

参考例句：

• That old man lives on the earnings of his daughter.那个老人靠他女儿的收入维持生活。
• Last year there was a 20% decrease in his earnings.去年他的收入减少了20%。