美国抵押贷款利率小幅走高

 　　WASHINGTON, June 5 (Xinhua) -- U.S. fixed¹ mortgage rates rose for the first time in six weeks after hitting a seven-month low amid a slowdown in the housing recovery, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday.

　　The 30-year fixed-rate mortgage (FRM) edged up to 4.14 percent in the week ending Thursday from a seven-month low of 4.12 percent in the previous week, the U.S. mortgage giant said in its Primary Mortgage Market Survey.

　　The 15-year FRM, a popular guide for those looking to refinance, rose slightly to 3.23 percent from 3.21 percent in the prior week, which was the lowest level since late October, the survey showed.

　　"Mortgage rates were little changed amid a week of light economic reports. Of the few releases, real GDP was revised down to -1.0 percent growth in the first quarter of 2014," said Freddie Mac's chief economist² Frank Nothaft in a statement.

　　That was the first contraction³ since the first quarter of 2011. Many economists⁴ expected the U.S. economic growth to bounce back in the second quarter after the brutally⁵ cold weather ended.

　　But the slowdown in the housing recovery has become a fresh concern, as sharp increases in home prices and limited inventories⁶, as well as higher mortgage rates have discouraged many home buyers.（本文由在线英语听力室整理编辑）

1 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

2 economist   

n.经济学家，经济专家，节俭的人

参考例句：

• He cast a professional economist's eyes on the problem.他以经济学行家的眼光审视这个问题。
• He's an economist who thinks he knows all the answers.他是个经济学家，自以为什么都懂。

3 contraction   

n.缩略词，缩写式，害病

参考例句：

• The contraction of this muscle raises the lower arm.肌肉的收缩使前臂抬起。
• The forces of expansion are balanced by forces of contraction.扩张力和收缩力相互平衡。

4 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》

5 brutally   

adv.残忍地，野蛮地，冷酷无情地

参考例句：

• The uprising was brutally put down.起义被残酷地镇压下去了。
• A pro-democracy uprising was brutally suppressed.一场争取民主的起义被残酷镇压了。

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。