Strong earnings reports push U.S. stocks higher

    NEW YORK, Jan. 11 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. stocks snapped a 3-day losing streak¹ to close higher on Tuesday as strong earnings² reports helped inject confidence into the market.
    Alcoa, the aluminum（铝） manufacturer which is traditionally the first component³ of the Dow Jones Industrial Average to report results, beat the market expectation on Monday by saying it had earned 21 cents a share in the fourth quarter of 2010, excluding one-time items, compared with 1 cent a share last year.
    Meanwhile, Sears soared after the retailer⁴ posted an outlook that exceeded expectations as sales rose in several categories, including toys and sporting goods.
    Luxury retailer Tiffany reported a huge jump in holiday sales, and used the 11-percent year-over-year gain as a reason to boost its full-year outlook for 2011.
    Oil prices surged on Tuesday, giving momentum（势头） to some energy- related stocks. Consol Energy, which reported coal production rose 8.4 percent in the fourth quarter, rose nearly 4 percent on Tuesday.
    Meanwhile, the U.S. Commerce Department said on Tuesday that wholesale⁵ inventories⁶ fell 0.2 percent to a seasonally⁷ adjusted 425.5 billion U.S. dollars.
    Economists⁸ polled by Reuters had expected a 1-percent rise in inventories after an October increase that was revised downward slightly to 1.7 percent. It was the first fall in wholesale inventories since December 2009.(本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑)

1 streak   

n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动

参考例句：

• The Indians used to streak their faces with paint.印第安人过去常用颜料在脸上涂条纹。
• Why did you streak the tree?你为什么在树上刻条纹？

2 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%。

3 component   

n.组成部分，成分，元件；adj.组成的，合成的

参考例句：

• Each component is carefully checked before assembly.每个零件在装配前都经过仔细检查。
• Blade and handle are the component parts of a knife.刀身和刀柄是一把刀的组成部分。

4 retailer   

n.零售商(人)

参考例句：

• What are the retailer requirements?零售商会有哪些要求呢？
• The retailer has assembled a team in Shanghai to examine the question.这家零售商在上海组建了一支团队研究这个问题。

5 wholesale   

n.批发；adv.以批发方式；vt.批发，成批出售

参考例句：

• The retail dealer buys at wholesale and sells at retail.零售商批发购进货物，以零售价卖出。
• Such shoes usually wholesale for much less.这种鞋批发出售通常要便宜得多。

6 inventories   

n.总结( inventory的名词复数 )；细账；存货清单（或财产目录）的编制

参考例句：

• In other cases, such as inventories, inputs and outputs are both continuous. 在另一些情况下，比如存货，其投入和产出都是持续不断的。
• The store must clear its winter inventories by April 1st. 该店必须在4月1日前售清冬季存货。

7 seasonally   

参考例句：

• The price of vegetables fluctuates seasonally. 蔬菜的价格随季节变动。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• They moved seasonally among various vegetation types to feed on plants that were flourishing. 它们还随着季节的变化而在各种类型植物之间迁移，以便吃那些茂盛的植物。 来自辞典例句

8 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》