问题详情

America"s Federal Reserve cut interest rates by another quarter-point, to 3.75%. Wall Street, which had been (1)_____ for a sixth half-point cut, was disappointed. The Dow fell by 2% (2)_____ the week. The past week"s economic statistics gave mixed signals. Exports dropped by 2% in both March and April, largely (3)_____ a decline in high-tech investment (4)_____; the merchandise-trade (5)_____ widened to $458 billion in the 12 months (6)_____ April. (7)_____, the Conference Board"s index of consumer confidence was higher than (8)_____ in June.
Concerns (9)_____ inflation in the euro area (10)_____. Preliminary data (11)_____ that German consumer-price inflation fell to 3.1% in the year to June, from 3.5% in May; wage growth (12)_____ to 1.4% in April, a real pay cut of 1.5%. Some economists fear that Germany is on the (13)_____ of recession. The IFO index of business confidence dropped more (14)_____ than expected in May, and the institute has cut its forecast of GDP (15)_____ this year to only 1.2%, well (16)_____ the German government"s forecast of 2%.
The euro area"s current-account deficit narrowed to $30 billion in the 12 months to April. Britain"s deficit in the first quarter was its smallest (17)_____ 1998, (18)_____ record investment income.
There was more bad news from Japan, (19)_____ retail sales in large stores fell by 3.2% in May, the 37th consecutive monthly fall. The yen fell (20)_____ the dollar, touching almost Yen 125 on one point.
A．expecting
B．hoping
C．wishing
D．dreaming请帮忙给出正确答案和分析，谢谢！