curb¹：抑制；控制

　　The physical and psychological damage caused by Hurricane Katrina is likely to reverberate² across the global economy in ways that will curb growth well into 2006， economists³ say.

　　perk⁴ up：振作起来

　　There were no significant changes from prior quarters， and SupportSoft met revenue estimates. During the conference call， however， management raised an issue that made my ears perk up.

　　cap：限制

　　In an effort to gain some control over what motorists pay at the pump， Hawaii on Wednesday became the first state in the U.S. to set caps on the wholesale⁵ price of gasoline.

　　mortgage：抵押贷款

　　Rates on 30-year mortgages declined this week after posting increases for six consecutive⁶ weeks.

　　proceeds：收益

　　The Internet search leader said it will use the proceeds for “general corporate⁷ purposes，” including possible acquisitions. Google added that it currently has no agreements or commitments to make a material purchase.

　　downturn：衰退

　　“Six weeks after the July 7 attacks killed 56 people， including four suicide bombers⁸， the Greater London Authority （GLA） accepts there has been some downturn，”the economic daily reported.

　　inflation ：通货膨胀

　　Consumer inflation shot up in July as rising gasoline prices pinched drivers' wallets from coast to coast.

　　Initial public offering：公开募股

　　Now the startup founded by two Chinese veterans of American tech firms is preparing to follow Google's example with an initial public offering in the United States， hoping to raise $45 million.

　　Skew：曲解；歪曲

　　However， that comparison is skewed because the sale of IBM's personal computer division to China's Lenovo Group Ltd. closed on May 1， lowering the figures IBM posted in the remaining two months of the quarter. Looking only at continuing operations， IBM showed a profit of $1.85 billion， $1.14 per share.

　　Population：种群，族群

　　“There are clear differences between the two populations that had not been previously⁹ recognized and these were confirmed by the studies on DNA，” said Isabel Beasley， a doctoral student at James Cook University's School of Tropical Environmental Studies and Geography.