VOA慢速英语2016--达沃斯探索世界上最紧迫的问题

Davos Explores World's Pressing Issues 达沃斯探索世界上最紧迫的问题

From VOA Learning English, this is In The News.

Falling oil prices are one reason leading measures of world stock markets have dropped in value this year.

Yet a United States government official says low oil prices are helping¹ people worldwide.

Treasury² Security Jack³ Lew spoke⁴ this week at the World Economic Forum⁵ in Davos, Switzerland.

Oil is one of many issues the forum’s delegates are talking about. Crude oil now is priced below $27 a barrel on the world market.

Lew said that means consumers "have more money in their pockets," to buy products they need or to improve their own finances by paying down debt or saving money. He noted⁶ that low oil prices do not have "to be bad for the overall global economy."

Once a year, political and business leaders, activists⁷ and others gather in Davos for talks on issues that beyond economics.

This year, another major issue was concern over China’s economic slowdown. Christine Lagarde, head of the International Monetary⁸ Fund, said poor communication by Chinese economic managers has worried investors⁹.

She said questions about the value of the Chinese currency, the renminbi, are at the center of current fears about the country's economy. 

Feng Xinghai, the vice¹⁰-chairman of China's securities regulator, reacted to her comments. He said, "We have to be patient because our system is not structured in a way that is able to communicate seamlessly with the market."

Jack Lew said the slowdown in Chinese economic growth, the other main factor in falling stock prices, was not a surprise. But he said it shows China needs to press ahead with a "long and difficult transition" to change its economy.

That means the country should redirect its attention from exports to a more consumer-driven economy.

China this week said its economy grew by 6.9 percent in 2015. That was its slowest growth in 25 years.

U.S. Vice President Joe Biden also spoke at Davos. He called for a fairer share of the gains resulting from progress in technology. He spoke days after the non-profit group Oxfam reported that the world's 62 richest people own as much wealth as half of the rest of the world.

Biden called for the end of offshore¹¹ tax shelters for the rich. He also urged political and business leaders to create economic opportunities for more people.

Biden asked, "Will we end up creating more of a two-tier society than exists today?"

High-level technology received a lot of attention at Davos because of a robot attendee. HUBO is the South Korean humanoid robot. It won the DARPA Robot Challenge last year. The robot showed its ability to walk and operate tools.

And the Internet of things, electronic devices connected wirelessly¹² by the Internet, was identified as a rapidly developing field. Delegates also talked about three dimensional printing and even implanting phones in the body. These technologies are seen as driving what has been called the Fourth Industrial Revolution.

Not all of the meetings deal with business.

Queen Rania of Jordan said short-term solutions can lead to long-term problems. She appealed to rich countries to create a special economic zone for refugees from Syria. Syrian refugees now make up 20 percent of Jordan’s population.  

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry praised the work of the international coalition¹³ fighting the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. He promised the militant¹⁴ group would be defeated.

Kerry also said the best way to ensure peace in the Middle East is to work toward a negotiated political settlement in Syria.

Words in This Story

offshore – adj. located in a foreign country or territory

two-tier – adj. having two levels or two different groups

barrel – n. the standard measurement of oil

consumers – n. someone who buys good and services

opportunities – n. chances to do or accomplish something

DARPA --? n. Defense¹⁵ Advanced Research Projects Agency, a U.S. agency that invests in technologies for national security

rapidly – adj. quickly

three-dimensional – adj. having length, width and height

1 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

2 treasury   

n.宝库；国库，金库；文库

参考例句：

• The Treasury was opposed in principle to the proposals.财政部原则上反对这些提案。
• This book is a treasury of useful information.这本书是有价值的信息宝库。

3 jack   

n.插座，千斤顶，男人；v.抬起，提醒，扛举；n.（Jake）杰克

参考例句：

• I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
• He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。

4 spoke   

n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说

参考例句：

• They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
• The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。

5 forum   

n.论坛，讨论会

参考例句：

• They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
• The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。

6 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。

7 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

8 monetary   

adj.货币的，钱的；通货的；金融的；财政的

参考例句：

• The monetary system of some countries used to be based on gold.过去有些国家的货币制度是金本位制的。
• Education in the wilderness is not a matter of monetary means.荒凉地区的教育不是钱财问题。

9 investors   

n.投资者，出资者( investor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• a con man who bilked investors out of millions of dollars 诈取投资者几百万元的骗子
• a cash bonanza for investors 投资者的赚钱机会

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 offshore   

adj.海面的，吹向海面的；adv.向海面

参考例句：

• A big program of oil exploration has begun offshore.一个大规模的石油勘探计划正在近海展开。
• A gentle current carried them slowly offshore.和缓的潮流慢慢地把他们带离了海岸。

12 wirelessly   

不用电线的，用无线电波传送的

参考例句：

• I heard it on the wireless. 我是从无线电收音机里听到的。
• There are a lot of wireless links in a radio. 收音机里有许多无线电线路。

13 coalition   

n.结合体，同盟，结合，联合

参考例句：

• The several parties formed a coalition.这几个政党组成了政治联盟。
• Coalition forces take great care to avoid civilian casualties.联盟军队竭尽全力避免造成平民伤亡。

14 militant   

adj.激进的，好斗的；n.激进分子，斗士

参考例句：

• Some militant leaders want to merge with white radicals.一些好斗的领导人要和白人中的激进派联合。
• He is a militant in the movement.他在那次运动中是个激进人物。

15 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。