现代大学英语听力2Unit-8

Task1NewsItem1TheUnitedStatescentralbank,theFederalReserve,hasraisedinterestratesforthethirdtimethisyear.TheFederalReserveraisedtheovernightbanklendingrateby0.25percent(onefourthofonepercent)to5.5percent.Itraisedthediscountratealsoby0.25percentto5percent.TheFederalReservesaidithadnoplanstoraiseinterestratesagainanytimesoon.Itsaidtheincreasetodayshouldreducethedangerofinflation.NewsItem2TheCommerceDepartmentsaystheAmericaneconomyhasshrunkforthefirsttimeineightyears.ThetotalvalueofgoodsandservicesproducedintheUnitedStatesfellbyfourtenthofonepercent(0.4percent)intheperiodofJulythroughSeptember.Arecessioniscommonlydefinedasatleastsixmonthswheretheeconomyshrinks.NewsItem3AfallintheNewYorkmarkethadbeenwidelypredictedfollowingFriday'sbetterthanexpectedUSemploymentfigures.USbondsfromwhichthegovernmentfundslong-termborrowingfellnearlytwopointsonthenewsthatmorejobshadbeencreatedinMarchthanhadbeenexpected.TheDowJonesIndexwasclosedonFridayfortheEasterholiday,sotodaywasthefirstchanceforthesharemarkettoreact.NewsItem4AndwegostraighttoWallStreetwheresharepricesclosedhigher.TheDowJonesIndustrialAveragewasupnearly1percentor89pointsat10,205.Sharesmadeupforsomeofthelossestheyincurredinthepastweek,thankstowhatwasinterpretedassignstheUSinflationisundercontrol.Task2NewsItem1Chinahaslaunchedamannedspaceflight,becomingthethirdcountrytodoso40yearsaftertheSovietUnionandtheUnitedStates.AsingleastronautwasonboardtheShenzhouVCraft,whichtookofffromtheGobiDesert.It'sexpectedtogoroundtheearth14timesduringa24-hourperiodbeforelandinginInnerMongolia.PresidentHuJintaowatchedthelaunch,asignoftheimportanceChinaattachestoitsspaceprogramme.FrancisMarguezreportsfromBeijing.Halfanhourafterthespacecraftblastedoff,China'sstatetelevisionshowedfootageofthelaunch,therocketclimbingslowlyintotheclearbluesky.AndmanyChinesewillfeeltheircountryhastakenaproudsteptowardsmodernity.NewsItem2China'sfirstmaninspacehasreturnedtoEarth.ReportssayChineseofficialsdeclaredthespaceflightasuccess.AstronautYangLiweiisalsoreportedtobeingoodhealth.OnTuesday,Chinabecameonlythethirdnationtosendapersonintoorbit.AstronautYangandhisspacecraftlandedinChina'sInnerMongoliaearlyThursday.Hehadorbitedtheearth14timesinabout20hours.TheUnitedStatesandRussiapraisedChinaforthelaunch.RussiaandtheUnitedStateswerethefirsttwonationstosendpeopleintospace.Task3Negotiatorshaveagreedtothewordingofaproposedinternationaltreatyontobaccocontrol.Delegatesfrommorethan170countriesapprovedthefinalwordingearlierthismonthinSwitzerland.Thiscameafterfouryearsofnegotiations.TheproposedtreatyiscalledtheFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControl.ItwillbepresentedinMayattheyearlymeetingoftheWorldHealthOrganization,aUNagency.ThefinalversionapprovedtherewillalsorequireindividualapprovalbyWHOmembers.Once40nationshaveapprovedit,thetreatywillgointoeffectinthosecountries.MemberstatescannotmakeanyamendmentsoncetheWHOapprovesafinalversionofthetreaty.Theymusteitheracceptorrejecttheagreementasitiswritten.TheproposedFrameworkConventiononTobaccoControlispartoftheeffortstoreducedeathsanddiseasesfromsmoking.TheWHOestimatesthatalmostfivemillionpeopledieeachyearfromlungcancerandothertobacco-relateddiseases.Thatnumbercouldrisetotenmillionayearby2020.Developingnationsarethebiggestgrowthareasfortobacco-relateddiseases.Thesenationsarecallingforthestrongestlawspossibletocontroltobacco.Thetreatywouldbanadvertisingandothermarketingcampaignsfortobaccoproducts,wheredoingsowouldnotviolateacountry'sconstitution.Italsocallsforhightobaccotaxes.Itwouldevenrequirecompaniestomakepublicallthesubstancestheyusetomakecigarettes.Inaddition,tobaccocompanieswouldhavetoplacehealthwarningsonatleastthirtypercentoftheirproducts.Thesewarningscouldnotincludeinformationthatmightleadpeopletobelievethatsomecigarettesarelessharmfulthanothers.Inaddition,governmentswouldhavetosupporttreatmentprogramstohelppeoplestopsmoking.And,therewouldhavetobeeducationcampaignstogetpeoplenottostart.Theproposedtreatyalsocallsformeasurestoprotectnon-smokersfromsecondhandsmoke,thatis,smokefromotherpeople'stobacco.Task4Thankyou.AndthankyouforaskingmetoshareinyourweeklyaddresstotheAmericanpeople.BritainandAmericahavesomuchincommon:language,values,beliefinfamilyandcommunity,inarealsenseofnationalpride.Wesharemanyproblems,too.Andithasbeenclearfromourdiscussionsthatweareagreed,ingeneralterms,aboutsomeofthesolutions.Youtookthetoughdecisionsneededforlong-termeconomicstability.Wearedoingso.Youhavefocusedoneducation,welfarereform,anewapproachtocrime.Soarewe.Together,wearebreakingdownboundariesofleftandrightandcreatinganewpoliticsoftheradicalcentre.Task5Eachyear,theNobelCommitteeinOslo,NorwayannouncesthewinnersofitsfamousNobelPrizes.MostwinnersoftheNobelPeacePrizehavebeenmen.Onlytenpercenthavebeenwomensincetheprizewasfirstpresentedin1901.NowtheUnitedNationsDevelopmentFundforWomenandthehumanrightsgroupInternationalAlerthavepresentedanewawardtohonorwomenpeacemakers.ItiscalledtheMillenniumPeacePrizeforWomen.Officialswillpresenttheawardeverythreeyears.Theawardrecognizeswomen'sactionsinbuildingpeace,pro