英語学習

英語ニュース教材：Bank says inflation has ‘peaked’ as it holds interest rates（Intermediate レベル）

 

Contents

🎧 Audio

📖 Script

The central bank has announced that inflation has reached its highest point and is expected to decrease in the coming months. This decision comes as the bank chose to keep interest rates unchanged after a very close vote. The decision was made ahead of the upcoming national Budget announcement. Inflation is a measure of how much prices for goods and services increase over time, and managing it is crucial for economic stability. By controlling inflation, the bank aims to stabilize the economy, which can benefit businesses and consumers alike.

Keeping interest rates the same means that borrowing costs, like loans and mortgages, will not change for now. This decision was not easy, as the vote was very close, indicating differing opinions among the bank’s decision-makers. Some members might have believed that increasing rates could help reduce inflation faster, while others likely thought that keeping rates stable would support economic growth.

The upcoming Budget is another important factor in this decision. The Budget will outline government spending and priorities for the coming year, and it can significantly impact the economy. By keeping rates steady, the bank might be giving the government room to introduce new policies without the added pressure of higher borrowing costs.

Inflation affects everyone, as it determines how far your money can go when buying goods and services. High inflation can erode purchasing power, making it crucial for people to manage their finances carefully. The bank’s decision to hold interest rates steady suggests that they believe inflation will naturally decrease without the need for immediate intervention.

In summary, the bank’s decision to maintain the current interest rates reflects their belief that inflation has peaked. They aim to balance the need for economic stability with the upcoming Budget’s potential impact. By doing so, they hope to create a favorable environment for both businesses and consumers in the coming months.

📝 Vocabulary

  • inflation: a general increase in prices and fall in the purchasing value of money（インフレーション）
    例文: “Inflation can make it more expensive to buy everyday items like food and clothing.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • inflation rate
    • control inflation
    • inflation pressure
  • interest rate: the cost of borrowing money or the return for lending it, expressed as a percentage（利率）
    例文: “The interest rate on my savings account is quite low right now.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • raise interest rates
    • interest rate policy
    • interest rate cut
  • budget: an estimate of income and expenditure for a set period of time（予算）
    例文: “The government will announce its budget next week.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • budget plan
    • budget deficit
    • annual budget
  • stabilize: to make something more steady or less likely to change（安定させる）
    例文: “The central bank aims to stabilize the economy by controlling inflation.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • stabilize the economy
    • stabilize prices
    • stabilize the market
  • purchasing power: the financial ability to buy products and services（購買力）
    例文: “High inflation can reduce consumers’ purchasing power.”
    Collocations／日本語の意味を見る
    • increase purchasing power
    • purchasing power parity
    • strong purchasing power

✏️ Grammar Point

Present Perfect Tense – “Inflation has reached its highest point and is expected to decrease.”

文法の日本語補足を見る
現在完了形は、過去の出来事が現在に影響を与えていることを示します。

💡 使用場面

現在完了形は、過去から現在にかけて続いている状況や、現在の状態に影響を及ぼす過去の出来事を話す際に使われます。

📝 使用例文

“例: In a business context, you might say: ‘We have completed the project on time, and the client is satisfied.’”

❓ Listening Questions

  1. True/False: The bank decided to change interest rates after a unanimous vote.
  2. MCQ: What does inflation measure?
    a) The amount of money in circulation
    b) The increase in prices over time
    c) The level of unemployment
    d) The strength of the currency
  3. MCQ: Why was the decision to hold interest rates steady important before the Budget?
    a) It helps reduce government debt
    b) It allows more time for economic recovery
    c) It gives the government flexibility to introduce new policies
    d) It increases the bank’s profits
🔑 Listening Answersを見る
  1. False
  2. b) The increase in prices over time
  3. c) It gives the government flexibility to introduce new policies

📚 Reading Questions

  1. Who made the decision to keep interest rates unchanged?
  2. Why do you think some members wanted to increase interest rates?
  3. What does the word “stabilize” mean in the context of the script?
🔑 Reading Answersを見る
  1. The central bank
  2. Some members believed it could help reduce inflation faster.
  3. To make something more steady or less likely to change

🇯🇵 日本語での経済ニュース解説

中央銀行は、インフレーションがピークに達したと発表し、今後数カ月で減少する見込みとのことです。利率を据え置く決定は、今月後半に控えた予算発表を前にして行われました。インフレーションの管理は経済の安定に不可欠であり、利率を変えないことで、政府が新たな政策を導入する余地を与える狙いがあります。これは、国内外の経済において安定した環境を作り出すための重要な一手です。今後、政府の予算施策がどのような影響をもたらすのか注目されます。

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c77zkg5504eo?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss

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