VOA Special English -  学习笔记 economics report:8/22/2008

economics report: what's up-or-down with the commodity prices? 2008-8-22
words and phrases：
lead the way: 首当其冲
by value:?
exchange value：汇率
in turn ：反过来

futures(pl. financial) n. 期货
gain :an increase in the amount of sth, especially in wealth or weight
all-time :adj. [only before noun] (used when you are comparing things or saying

how good or bad sth is) of any time: one of the all-time great players my all-time

favourite song Unemployment reached an all-time record of 3 million. Profits

are at an all-time high / low 历史上，到目前为止
ease inflation fears：减轻通货膨胀的恐惧
heartland：中心地带
foriegn currencies：外币，其他货币
the second largest ever:?

expresses：
in part because of...
so do prices in foriegn currencies
the drop in demand for...
be a sign of...
in a worse position than...
hit a all-time high of...
which way the oil price will go now is anyone's guess
help ease fear

difficulties:
1.official say americans drove fifteen and a half million fewer kilometers in may

than a year before.
2.one reason was good news from the midwest, the agriculture heartland in the

united states
3.a reuters news agency index showed commodites moving toward their biggest

weekly gain in thirty-three years.
(how to translate the three sentences,plz give me the answers,thanks)