精听建议：
先完整地把一条新闻听一到三遍，争取掌握大意。然后，一句一句精听，力争每句话都听明白。遇到实在不懂的地方，再听写。

下面的文本材料中空缺部分里面要填的词都很简单，不过是一些值得注意的连读或者典型的美式发音哦，有些语速比较快。试试看，你能不能全部写对？

（参考文本，欢迎指出错误^^）

Avoiding investment scams

Steps to keep your money safe from scammers in the investment business.

In December, it was Bernie Madoff and his 50-billion-dollar Ponzi scheme. Now it's Texas billionaire financier Allen Stanford ___(1)___ swindling investors of 9 billion dollars. Here's how you can avoid scammers in the investment business: First, recognize they exist everywhere. Regulators banned more than 350 brokers from the business just last year. And when it comes to keeping your money safe, you are your own best defence. Steve Weisman is the author of The Truth about Avoiding Scams:

"You've got to do your homework. You've got to understand the ___(2)___things that can go on. You've got to understand what you're investing in."

Here are the ___(3)___ to watch out for: Be suspicious of any claims on performance returns. Anything that promises no risk or looks incredibly complicated is to be avoided. Watch out for investments that are not independently audited. Your money should be held separately from the brokerage accounts, an independent custodian should ___(4)___ manage it. Beware any advisor who won't let you access your account online or has difficulty taking money out of your account.

If you do get scammed, there are a lot of places to file a complaint. The Securities and Exchange Commission is a place to start at SEC.gov. Contact your state Attorney General's office and FINRA.org, the regulatory agency for financial advisors. A good first step and a preemptive move: ___(5)___ a money manager you are thinking of hiring on FINRA. There you will find whether your advisor has gotten into trouble in the past.

For CNNMoney.com, I'm Gerri Willis.

■填空答案■

Glossary:

1. swindle of 骗走某人的

2. scammer 骗子 施诡计者

3. investment business 投资业务

4. red flag n.红旗, 危险信号, [喻]惹人生气的事物

5. performance return n.业绩回报

6. brokerage account 经纪帐户

7. custodian n. 管理人 监护人

8. regulatory agency 管理机构

9. preemptive adj. 抢先的, 有先买权的, 有强制收购权的,

10. money manager [经济]短期资本经营者