CNN Marketplace 2006-01-26

Rachel Lee: The housing market keeps losing steam. Sales of previously¹ owned homes fell 5. 7% last month according to the National Association of Realtors. If you're looking for a house , the group's chief economist² David Lereah says it's a good time.
David Lereah: (Er) certainly (ah) it's been a seller's market for many years, and now the buyer will have a little more control or little more power when negotiation's going forward.
Still sales of existing home set a record last year for a 5th straight year, more than 7 million homes were sold.

Rachel Lee: Threatened by big fines, Microsoft says it'll licence Windows source code in Europe. Competitors need the code to make products compatible with Windows.

Rachel Lee: BlackBerry users are safe for a month. The judge won't consider a possible injunction untill Feb. 24th.

Rachel Lee: The government reports stockpiles of gasoline grew last week while crude oil inventory³ shrank. Denton Cinquegrana is markets editor at the Oil Price Information Service.
Denton Cinquegrana: One of the things that probably led to the crude oil drop is, what's imported I think import's dropped by about 600, 000 barrels a day. But also refinery⁴ demand is down a little bit and would probably continue to drop , probably through the rest of the first quarter as refiners are going to make then choose it. . .
Rachel Lee: Crude oil futures⁵ fell more than $1 a barrel underreport.

Rachel Lee: The govenment's taking a closer look at hydrogen fuel as an energy alternative. Ed McCarthy has details.
Ed McCarthy: Don't expect a quick fix, U. S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says more researches are ahead and they grant secured for the work on hydrogen fuel cells.
Samuel Bodman: We are awarding $19, 000, 000 for fuel cell membrane⁶ research. The fuel cell membrane is really the heart of a fuel cell device.
Ed McCarthy: It could be 2020 by the time hydrogen fuel is used and there are other problems, the high cost to produce fuel cells and a lack of infrastructure⁷ of filling stations to make them useful. Ed McCarthy, CNN.

Rachel Lee: American Airlines expects to bring in more money this year but the company's CFO also looks for higher costs especially for fuel.

CNN Radio Marketplace, I'm Rachel Lee.

1 previously   

adv.以前，先前（地）

参考例句：

• The bicycle tyre blew out at a previously damaged point.自行车胎在以前损坏过的地方又爆开了。
• Let me digress for a moment and explain what had happened previously.让我岔开一会儿，解释原先发生了什么。

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 inventory   

n.详细目录，存货清单

参考例句：

• Some stores inventory their stock once a week.有些商店每周清点存货一次。
• We will need to call on our supplier to get more inventory.我们必须请供应商送来更多存货。

4 refinery   

n.精炼厂，提炼厂

参考例句：

• They built a sugar refinery.他们建起了一座榨糖厂。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

5 futures   

n.期货，期货交易

参考例句：

• He continued his operations in cotton futures.他继续进行棉花期货交易。
• Cotton futures are selling at high prices.棉花期货交易的卖价是很高的。

6 membrane   

n.薄膜，膜皮，羊皮纸

参考例句：

• A vibrating membrane in the ear helps to convey sounds to the brain.耳膜的振动帮助声音传送到大脑。
• A plastic membrane serves as selective diffusion barrier.一层塑料薄膜起着选择性渗透屏障的作用。

7 infrastructure   

n.下部构造，下部组织，基础结构，基础设施

参考例句：

• We should step up the development of infrastructure for research.加强科学基础设施建设。
• We should strengthen cultural infrastructure and boost various types of popular culture.加强文化基础设施建设，发展各类群众文化。