The United States Central Bank has cut interest rates. Policy makers of the Federal Reserve【聯(lián)邦儲備局】lowered the banks main interest rate by one half percentage point to six percent. The goal is to prevent the economy from slowing down too much. The Federal Reserve policy makers noted a continuing1) drop in sales and production. Their decision to lower the cost of borrowing money was not expected at this time. Financial markets rose sharply2) after the announcement.