一、 國際原油價格攀升，加上英鎊貶值，專家指出英國石油破紀錄不是不可能的 事。 二、 內文: Amid warnings that serious unrest in Saudi Arabia could push oil prices to unheard-of levels, there are fears that the record price of Brent crude could put the brakes on the UK's recovery. Oil prices have hit an all-time high in sterling terms following a cocktail of supply pressures across Africa and the Middle East. The impact of the weaker pound, which declined 17% in value in the past two years, means the sterling value of Brent crude oil has risen to a record high of ￡74.60 per barrel. But at 121 US dollars a barrel, Brent crude is still below the 147 US dollars (￡91) a barrel record set in the summer of 2008. The immediate cause of yesterday's rise was a strike in the West African oil-producing state of Gabon. This compounded fears over the loss of oil exports from Libya, Africa's third largest oil producer, as civil war rages in the country. Events there have forced Saudi Arabia to boost its supply. Economists say it will squeeze people's income and push up inflation - and put pressure on the Bank of England to raise interest rates. 三、 多益英檢文法整理 1. amid(介):在…中間，unrest(N):騷動，unheard-of:未曾聽過的， brake(N):煞車，sterling(N):英國(英鎊)貨幣，cocktail(N):雞尾酒、很多， impact(N):衝擊，weaker(adj):較弱的，in value:帳面上，crude oil:原油， barrel(N):桶(石油單位)，strike(N):示威、轟炸，Gabon:加彭，compounded(adj):混雜 的，rage(V):肆虐、激烈進行，squeeze(V):壓縮，inflation(N):通貨膨脹。 2. 由於這裡提到的是原油價格攀升，因此作者都用了不同的形容詞來表示「持 續攀升到令人不可思議的」，包括unheard-of level、the record與all-time及a record high。 3. 另外除了價格因素外，供給(supply)與另一個重點因素:英鎊貶值(weaker pound)、decline in value或是常見的depreciation，都是指貨幣貶值之意。 4. 另外，附加因素還包括加彭國內的示威罷工(strike)，這個字也與轟炸有關 不要搞混了。 A. the train drivers' strike (火車司機罷工)。 B. an air strike (空襲)。 5. cocktail是指雞尾酒之意，a cocktail of 則被引申作為結合許多東西之意 ，例如這裡指的a cocktail of supply pressures(一連串接踵而來的供給壓力)。Push、 rise與boost都是指增加的意思，當然包括increase或promote與elevate都有「增加」的 意思。 A. The rise in interest rates will push prices up. (利率升高將後，將促 使價格上揚。) (push+price) B. He’s going to ask for a rise. (他想要跟老闆要求加薪。) (rise薪水) C. a boost in car sales (汽車銷售額的增長。) (銷量數字的升高) D. The city population has increased from 1.2 million to 1.8 million. ( 都市人口已從 120 萬增加到了 180 萬。) (人數上的增加) E. policies to promote economic growth (促進經濟成長的政策。) (promote+N) F. She worked hard and was soon promoted. (因為她工作勤奮，不久就得到 獲得升遷了。) (職務上的升遷) G. Smoking often elevates blood pressure. (抽煙通常會使血壓升高。) (使 血壓數值升高) . 更多見 http://tw.myblog.yahoo.com/raymondchuang-toeic/ --

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