VOA慢速英语2021--马来西亚研究人员用菠萝叶造无人机

Malaysian researchers have found a new use for waste from processing pineapples: making parts for small, pilotless aircraft drones. Researchers developed a method to use pineapple leaves to make airframes for the drones.

Pineapples are harvested once a year in Malaysia. The leaves are thrown away because there is little use for them, until now

Professor Mohamed Thariq Hameed Sultan is the director of the project. He teaches at Malaysia's Putra University. He has been trying to find uses for pineapple waste created by farmers in an area around 65 km from the capital Kuala Lumpur.

"We are transforming the leaf of the pineapple into a fiber¹ that can be used for...a drone," he told Reuters.

Mohamed Thariq explained that natural materials can be better than man-made ones. They are less costly², lighter³ and stronger when compared by weight.

Experimental drones made of the new material have been able to fly up to about 1,000 meters and stay in the air for about 20 minutes, he added. If the drone is damaged, the frame can be buried in the ground and will fully⁴ break down within two weeks, he said.

The research team hopes to create a larger drone that is more profitable to sell. It would include sensors⁵ for agricultural purposes and to take pictures.

The Malaysian Unmanned Drones Activist⁶ Society is a non-governmental group helping⁷ to design the drone and advising on the project. William Robert Alvisse is a member of the group. He said: "Our role here is to help the industry, the farmers, to increase their yield and make their jobs much easier."

Farmers hope that the new use for pineapple leaves will lead to higher incomes for themselves and their families.

Irwan Ismail is a pineapple farmer. Ismail said Malaysia is suffering from economic and health problems from the spread of the coronavirus.

"Society is desperate and there is no alternative to increase income," he said.

Words in This Story

pineapple – n. a large fruit that grows on a tropical tree and that has thick skin, is sweet and juicy

airframes –n. the body or mechanical structure of an aircraft

transforming – v. to change (something) completely and usually in a good way

leaf – n. one of the flat and typically green parts of a plant

fiber – n. a thin thread of natural or artificial material

sensors – n. a device that senses light, heat, sound or motion and provides information about it

role –n. the part someone plays in an activity or job

yield – n. to produce or provide (something, such as a plant or crop)

desperate – n. very sad and upset because of having little or no hope

alternative –n. a choice or possibility

1 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

2 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

3 lighter   

n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级

参考例句：

• The portrait was touched up so as to make it lighter.这张画经过润色，色调明朗了一些。
• The lighter works off the car battery.引燃器利用汽车蓄电池打火。

4 fully   

adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地

参考例句：

• The doctor asked me to breathe in,then to breathe out fully.医生让我先吸气，然后全部呼出。
• They soon became fully integrated into the local community.他们很快就完全融入了当地人的圈子。

5 sensors   

n.传感器，灵敏元件( sensor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• There were more than 2000 sensors here. 这里装有两千多个灵敏元件。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Significant changes have been noted where sensors were exposed to trichloride. 当传感器暴露在三氯化物中时，有很大变化。 来自辞典例句

6 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

7 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。