听力原文： Officials of the United States and the European Community are continuing to negotiate, trying to solve differences three weeks before the deadline for reaching a new world trade agreement. U. S. trade representative Mickey Kantor and EC trade commissioner Leon Brittan will meet again next Wednesday after two days of talks in Washington this week. Deputies will continue to negotiate until then. Mr. Brittan says he made some progress in the Washington talks. The U.S. and the EC officials now are ______ .