put one's house in order, rating, zero-rating, zero-sum game

 The senior leadership of the Chinese government increasingly views the competition between the United States and China as a zero-sum game, with China the likely long-range winner if the American economy and domestic political system ...

 zero-sum game 你死我活的競賽


Italy scrambles to put its house in order ahead of EU summit

In his bid to "save Italy" Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti is seeking
both international endorsement for his new round of austerity measures. But
first, he has to drum up support on the domestic front.



Rating agency warns EU, major banks on credit worthiness

Major banks and the entire EU face a credit rating downgrade due to their
exposure to the ailing eurozone. Meanwhile, a mail bomb addressed to
Deutsche Bank chief Josef Ackermann was intercepted in Frankfurt.


put one's house in order
Arrange one's affairs, as in Stop meddling in your daughter's business and put your own house in order. This metaphoric term appears in slightly different form in the Bible (Isaiah 38:1): "Set thine house in order." [Late 1500s]



rating
(rā'tĭng)
n.

1. A position assigned on a scale; a standing.
2. 1. A classification according to specialty or proficiency, as of a member of the armed forces.
   2. Chiefly British. An enlisted person in the navy.
3. An evaluation of the financial status of a business or person: a credit rating.
4. A specified performance limit, as of capacity, range, or operational capability: the power rating of a light fixture.
5. The popularity of a television or radio program as estimated by a poll of segments of the audience.

rat·ing² (rā'tĭng)
n.
A harsh scolding.

[名]

1 （段階・等級による）格付け, （等）級別

rating agencies
格付け機関.

2
(1) ((主に米))（船・船員の）等級, 序列, 格付け.
(2) ((〜s))ある等級の乗組員［水兵］全員；((英))二等水兵.

3 ((米))（個人・会社の）信用度.

4 ((the 〜s))（ラジオの）聴取率, （テレビの）視聴率.

5 ((英))税金の割り当て, 賦課（額）.

6 ((主に米))評定（結果）；[U][C]評価, 採点, 見積もり額；((a 〜))（映画の）ランク付け, 指定

a rating of 90 per cent in mathematics
数学90点の採点

the efficiency rating system
能率評定方式, 勤務評定

have an X-rating
X指定となる（⇒FILM RATING[活用]）.

7 《電気》（機器の）定格：電圧・周波数などの使用限度.

zero rate/rating(zîr'ō-rāt', zē'rō-)
tr.v. Chiefly British, -rat·ed, -rat·ing, -rates.
To exempt from paying a value-added tax.