VOA常速：美联储向陷入困境的银行发放千亿美元贷款
刘立军 供稿
u TRANSCRIPT
The Fed lent hundreds of billion dollars in emergency funds to troubled banks. AP's Lisa Dwyer has that story.
The Federal Reserve says that cash-short banks have borrowed about $300 billion in emergency funding from the central bank in the past week. Nearly half the money - 143 billion - went to holding companies for the two major banks that failed recently, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The money they borrowed was used to pay their uninsured depositors, with bonds owned by both banks posted as collateral. An additional 148 billion in lending was provided to other unidentified banks through a longstanding program called the "discount window" and amounted to a record level for that program. Banks can borrow from the discount window for up to 90 days. Typically, in a given week, only about 4 to 5 billion is borrowed through that program. I'm Lisa Dwyer.
u VOCABULARY
1. uninsured depositor: 无保险存款人
2. bond n. an agreement by a government or a company to pay you interest on the money you have lent; a document containing this agreement 债券；公债
3. collateral n. property or sth. valuable that you promise to give to sb. if you cannot pay back money that you borrow 抵押物；担保品
uQUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
1. What was the purpose of the emergency funding provided by the Federal Reserve to troubled banks?
A) To finance new projects.
B) To repay debts.
C) To pay uninsured depositors.
D) To pay employees’ salaries.
2. How much money did the two major banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, borrow from the Federal Reserve?
A) $100 billion.
B) $150 billion.
C) $200 billion.
D) $143 billion.
3. What was the collateral used by Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank to secure the emergency funding they borrowed from the Federal Reserve?
A) Stocks.
B) Real estate.
C) Bonds.
D) Cash.
4. How long can banks borrow money from the discount window provided by the Federal Reserve?
A) For up to 30 days.
B) For up to 60 days.
C) For up to 90 days.
D) For up to 180 days.
u KEY
1. What was the purpose of the emergency funding provided by the Federal Reserve to troubled banks?
A) To finance new projects.
B) To repay debts.
C) To pay uninsured depositors.
D) To pay employees’ salaries.
【答案】C) To pay uninsured depositors.
【解析】美联储向困难银行提供紧急资金的目的是支付未投保存款人。
2. How much money did the two major banks, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, borrow from the Federal Reserve?
A) $100 billion.
B) $150 billion.
C) $200 billion.
D) $143 billion.
【答案】D) $143 billion.
【解析】硅谷银行和签名银行从美联储借了1430亿美元。
3. What was the collateral used by Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank to secure the emergency funding they borrowed from the Federal Reserve?
A) Stocks.
B) Real estate.
C) Bonds.
D) Cash.
【答案】C) Bonds.
【解析】硅谷银行和签名银行使用债券作为抵押，以获得从美联储借款的紧急资金。
4. How long can banks borrow money from the discount window provided by the Federal Reserve?
A) For up to 30 days.
B) For up to 60 days.
C) For up to 90 days.
D) For up to 180 days.
【答案】C) For up to 90 days.
【解析】银行可以从美联储的折扣窗口借款最长90天。
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