By Rodney Smith, BBC reporter

Background: 中国银行已经开始面向欧洲市场发放购房贷款。作为全球第三大银行，中国银行提供的贷款要比英国当地资金紧缺的银行更具吸引力，很多业主将会看到中行的利率和信贷紧缩前的利率相差无几。

Questions: 请在听下面录音的时候试着回答这些问题。这是一个用来帮助你提高听力技能的练习。

1. Was the Bank of China as badly affected by the credit crunch as European banks?

2. What will the Bank's loans be used to buy?

3. Are Bank of China the only foreign bank entering the UK mortgage market?

4. Why would UK home buyers be interested in using Bank of China loans?

Click here for answers

Chinese Mortgages in the UK 中行房贷现身英国

Listen to Rodney Smith's report 点击此处下载录音材料

The Bank of China's entry into the British market will come as a surprise to some and a relief to many.

It hasn't been crippled by the credit crunch and it's rich with Chinese savings when many big European banks are still struggling with massive government bailout loans.

The Chinese also bring with them more than a whiff of old-fashioned banking; the kind of rules that prevailed before the credit crunch, when bankers actually talked first to their customers.

The Bank will use its own capital, another return to past practice. Economists will laud what's happening as evidence that the market does work: the Chinese earn money from selling cheap goods to Europeans, then save what they earn in banks which then cycle the money back to Europeans as loans for them to buy property.

Others have spotted the same opportunities as the Bank of China. Israeli and Swedish banks, also less affected by the credit crunch than the mainstream European banks, are offering loans in the potentially lucrative British home loans market substantially cheaper than the local alternative.

GLOSSARY 词汇表 (收听发音, 请单击英语单词)

relief 慰藉

crippled 受创了

credit crunch 信贷紧缩

savings 存款

struggling 挣扎

massive 巨大的

bailout loans 紧急援助贷款

whiff 一点点

old-fashioned 传统的，老套的

prevailed 盛行，普遍

capital 资本

past practice 过去的做法

laud 赞美

goods 商品

cycle 流转

property 房产

mainstream 主流

lucrative 利润丰厚的

spotted 发现了

substantially 大大地

Answers

1. Was the Bank of China as badly affected by the credit crunch as European banks?
No, it wasn't crippled by the credit crunch.

2. What will the Bank's loans be used to buy?
Property.

3. Are Bank of China the only foreign bank entering the UK mortgage market?
No, Isreali and Swedish banks will also be offering home loans in the UK.

4. Why would UK home buyers be interested in using Bank of China loans?
Because their loans are cheaper than those offered by UK banks.

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