US Dollar Hits Near 15-Year Low

US Dollar Hits Near 15-Year Low [WORDS]   ♧ soar : v. 높이 치솟다, 날아오르다   ♧ cool : v. 가라앉다, 진정되다   ♧ opposite : n. 정반대의 일/사람/말   ♧ the Federal Reserve : n. 《미》 연방 준비 은행 《略 FRB》   ♧ return : n. 수익   ♧ disparity : n. 상이, 부동, 불균형   ♧ robust : a. 강건한, 튼튼한   ♧ faltering : a. 비틀거리는, 중얼거리는   ♧ play-out : n. 기진맥진함, 녹초가 됨   ♧ Virginal Atlantic   ♧ Easter : n. 부활절   ♧ by contrast : ~와 대조/대비하여   ♧ absolutely : ad. 절대적으로, 무조건   ♧ exchange rate : n. 환율   ♧ prohibitively : ad. 엄두를 못낼만큼, 엄청나게   ♧ reverse : v. 역전시키다, 반대로 하다, 뒤집히다   ♧ credit : v. 공로를 ~덕분으로 돌리다(A to B/B with A)   ♧ favorable : a. 호의를 보이는, 호의적인, 유망한   ♧ solid : a. 충실한, 단단한, 실속 있는      If you want one example why the dollar is so weak, look no further than housing. Home prices in Britain continue to soar despite many predictions the market would cool. So house price inflation is one big reason the Bank of England is expected to raise rates once again. The opposite is true in the United States. A weak housing market may mean the Federal Reserve's next move is a cut in rates. So big investors are moving their money where they can get higher returns.   "It's now that we are seeing this big disparity between UK economy which looks quite robust, and US economy which appears to be faltering that we are seeing this play-outs on the currency markets."   That is the why, but now what's the effects? Well, if you live in Europe, this is the cheapest time in nearly 15 years to head to the USA. Virginal Atlantic says its Easter bookings to the USA were up 15% over last year, and says the dollar hitting 2 to 1 should sell even more tickets, now that people have become aware of the bargain. But of course it's now even more expensive for Americans to leave home.   "We have been out too very many times in most people's life time. So, there will be people taking advantage of that. And by contrast, there, there is absolutely no doubt that, at this kind of exchange rate, US tourists find London pretty prohibitively expensive."   The pain is reversed for companies. American firms have found it cheaper to sell their goods overseas. Coca Cola on Tuesday credited favorable currency impact as one reason it saw a 24% jump in the value of sales in Europe and Asia in the first quarter. But European companies have spent the last few years finding ways to counter this strong pound and euro as they try to sell goods in the US. Either way analysts say companies plan for currency moves, so stock markets aren't impacted as much as people's travel plans. Jim Boulden, CNN, London.