广播电视英语短句 第 104 课：刺激经济-4

The slowing in GDP largely resulted from a sharp increase in imports . GDP 下降的主要原因在于进口的急剧增加。

Imports of goods and services increased almost three times as fast in the second quarter as in the first three months of the year . Exports slowed. 今年第二季度的商品和服务的进口与今年第一季度相比几乎增加了三倍。而出口却降低了。

Earlier this week, a report said manufacturing grew less in July than economists had predicted. 本周早些时候，该报告指出，七月制造业增长也低于经济学家此前的预测。

Not all the reports were bad. The Labor Department said the number of first-time claims for unemployment aid fell for the first time in four weeks. 当然不是所有的报告都是坏消息。劳动部说，首次申请失业救济的人数四周以来出现了第一次下降。

But more Americans are having trouble making monthly payments on their home loans. 但是，更多的美国人正在为支付他们的每月房贷而发愁。