UK's inflation rate hit its highest for more than five years 英國通貨膨脹率達到五年來最高

　　文字稿

　　英國國家統計署2017年最新發布的報告顯示，成衣、酒店住宿、汽車燃料價格的增加，導致了消費者物價指數的上升。英國的通貨膨脹率也因為交通費和食品價格的上漲，而達到五年來的最高水平。不過，通脹率上升不完全是因為去年英鎊彙價下跌。請聽報道。

　　The September inflation figure is used to calculate the annual increase in state pensions and 3%is thought likely to be the rate at which price rises will peak or very close to it.

　　For people in work,however,faster price rises intensify the squeeze on living standards as average pay is increasing more slowly.The squeeze is even more pronounced in most of the public sector where there's a pay cap of 1%,and for people dependent on working-age benefits which are mainly frozen.

　　The increasing inflation is largely due to the impact of food prices,computer games and the cost of transport.The Office for National Statistics does not say how much of the increase may be attributable to last year's fall in the value of the pound,but it does note that cheaper sterling tends to raise the cost of imported goods.

　　詞彙表

　　inflation通貨膨脹

　　pensions養老金，退休金

　　peak達到頂峰，達到最大值

　　intensify加劇

　　squeeze減少，減縮

　　living standards生活水平

　　pronounced明顯的，明確的

　　pay cap工資（上漲）限製

　　frozen凍結的

　　attributable歸因於…的，由於…的

　　sterling英國貨幣，英鎊

　　測驗

　　請聽報道並回答下列問題。

　　1.What is the September inflation figure used for?

　　2.True or false:For people in work,faster price rises weaken the squeeze on living standards.

　　3.What are the main causes of inflation?

　　4.True or false:Cheaper sterling tends to raise the expense of imported goods.

　　答案

　　1.What is the September inflation figure used for?

　　The September inflation figure is used to calculate the annual increase in state pensions.

　　2.True or false:For people in work,faster price rises weaken the squeeze on living standards.

　　False.According to the article,for people in work,faster price rises intensify the squeeze on living standards,as average pay is increasing more slowly.

　　3.What are the main causes of inflation?

　　The increasing inflation is largely due to the impact of food prices,computer games and the cost of transport.

　　4.True or false:Cheaper sterling tends to raise the expense of imported goods.

　　True.According to the article,cheaper sterling tends to raise the cost of imported goods.