英语听力精选进阶版 14492

US bank to pay record $16.7bn to government

This is the latest effort by US authorities to hold Wall Street responsible for the financial crisis

Summary

22 August 2014

Bank of America has agreed to pay a record $16.7bn to US authorities for selling bad mortgage loans that helped start the 2008 financial crisis. The fine is the largest of its kind in US corporate¹ history.

Reporter:

Michelle Fleury

Wall Street

Report

The agreement involving one of America's biggest banks settles a probe brought by the US Justice Department. It resolves lengthy² wrangling³ over the extent to which Bank of America misled the buyers of its mortgage-backed investments. 

This is the latest effort by authorities in the US to hold Wall Street accountable for the bad conduct that led to the financial crisis. And the sums involved here dwarf⁴ the $13bn paid by another bank, JP Morgan, to resolve a similar matter. 

Even though the penalty exceeds Bank of America's entire profits last year, this deal brings a measure of closure. The bank has already paid tens of billions of dollars to settle cases related to the financial crisis, but this was seen as the biggest remaining legal hurdle⁵.

1 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。

2 lengthy   

adj.漫长的，冗长的

参考例句：

• We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
• The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

3 wrangling   

v.争吵，争论，口角( wrangle的现在分词 )

参考例句：

• The two sides have spent most of their time wrangling over procedural problems. 双方大部分时间都在围绕程序问题争论不休。 来自辞典例句
• The children were wrangling (with each other) over the new toy. 孩子为新玩具（互相）争吵。 来自辞典例句

4 dwarf   

n.矮子，侏儒，矮小的动植物；vt.使…矮小

参考例句：

• The dwarf's long arms were not proportional to his height.那侏儒的长臂与他的身高不成比例。
• The dwarf shrugged his shoulders and shook his head. 矮子耸耸肩膀，摇摇头。

5 hurdle   

n.跳栏，栏架；障碍，困难；vi.进行跨栏赛

参考例句：

• The weather will be the biggest hurdle so I have to be ready.天气将会是最大的障碍，所以我必须要作好准备。
• She clocked 11.6 seconds for the 80 metre hurdle.八十米跳栏赛跑她跑了十一秒六。