2006年VOA标准英语-Can Homegrown Ethanol Cure America's Addiction

By Brian Padden
Iowa
17 July 2006
 
watch Ethanol report 

Harvesting corn to make alternative fuel   
  
Oil prices recently reached a record high of $75 a barrel.  And the growing profits are funding such anti-American governments as Iran and Venezuela. These conditions threaten the United States' energy security and have prompted President Bush to say, "America is addicted¹ to oil."  To break this addiction², the Bush administration has proposed a 22 percent increase in clean energy research.  But proponents³ of the alternative fuel ethanol say energy independence can be achieved with current technology in 10 to 15 years.  VOA's Brian Padden reports from the corn producing state of Iowa.

-----------

 
Daryl Haack
  
Farmer Daryl Haack will profit twice from this year's corn crop.  First, a local Ethanol production plant will compete with the traditional markets for his corn, increasing demand for his product.  Second, he is part owner of the Little Sioux Ethanol plant.  So he will also sell the ethanol made from the corn.

"Financially, we projected a 20 to 25 percent return on investment and it's proven to be at least that good.   Right now it is considerably⁴ better." 

The surge in demand for ethanol as an alternative fuel in the United States is benefiting not just Daryl Haack, but also the entire economy here in Iowa.  For every dollar spent on foreign oil only 12 cents stays in the local community.  But for every dollar spent on Ethanol, 67 cents goes back into Iowa's economy. 

"It is what I call value-added because the dividends⁵ that are paid by this company go back into the local area and then are spent in the local area to keep the grocery stores and the furniture stores and the auto⁶ dealerships operating."

Ethanol is helping⁷ make the U.S. more energy independent.   And it is a cleaner-burning fuel, providing environmental benefits.  But the growing demand for ethanol is simply a matter of economics. 

 
Monty Shaw
  
Monty Shaw, with the Iowa Renewable Fuels Association, says that back when oil cost $10 a barrel, ethanol was too expensive to produce.  At $45 a barrel ethanol became competitive.  And at $70 a barrel, it is now a bargain. "Now what we are seeing is that the refiners are voluntarily putting it in the gasoline from Maine down to Florida, in Houston and Dallas, Texas.  You know basically every gallon of gasoline in California has ethanol in it, not because they are required to use it.  They are not.  It's there because it's the most cost-effective source of octane they can find.

Currently, refineries⁸ are a using only a 10 percent ethanol blend in gasoline.  And there is not enough corn to replace the over 530 billion liters of gasoline consumed each year in America.  But Monty Shaw says the U.S. could act both to increase ethanol production, and to lower consumption with flex⁹ fuel vehicles, which use an 85 percent blend of ethanol, and hybrid¹⁰ cars, which are powered by both electricity and fuel.

"We have the technology today to produce enough ethanol to fuel 85 percent of hybrid electric flexible fuel vehicles that would completely eliminate our imports of foreign oil for transportation.  Can we do that overnight?  No, we need to change our entire vehicle fleet.  But if the United States today stood up and said we are not going to buy another car that is not a flexible fuel hybrid, in 10 years to 15 years we would be over our foreign oil addiction.  Not just reduced -- but eliminated."

With a little foresight¹¹, investment and political will he says, higher energy prices today could end up being good for America tomorrow. 

1 addicted   

adj.沉溺于....的，对...上瘾的

参考例句：

• He was addicted to heroin at the age of 17.他17岁的时候对海洛因上了瘾。
• She's become addicted to love stories.她迷上了爱情小说。

2 addiction   

n.上瘾入迷，嗜好

参考例句：

• He stole money from his parents to feed his addiction.他从父母那儿偷钱以满足自己的嗜好。
• Areas of drug dealing are hellholes of addiction,poverty and murder.贩卖毒品的地区往往是吸毒上瘾、贫困和发生谋杀的地方。

3 proponents   

n.（某事业、理论等的）支持者，拥护者( proponent的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Reviewing courts were among the most active proponents of hybrid rulemaking procedures. 复审法院是最积极的混合型规则制定程序的建议者。 来自英汉非文学 - 行政法
• Proponents of such opinions were arrested as 'traitors. ' 提倡这种主张的人马上作为“卖国贼”逮捕起来。 来自辞典例句

4 considerably   

adv.极大地；相当大地；在很大程度上

参考例句：

• The economic situation has changed considerably.经济形势已发生了相当大的变化。
• The gap has narrowed considerably.分歧大大缩小了。

5 dividends   

红利( dividend的名词复数 )； 股息； 被除数； （足球彩票的）彩金

参考例句：

• Nothing pays richer dividends than magnanimity. 没有什么比宽宏大量更能得到厚报。
• Their decision five years ago to computerise the company is now paying dividends. 五年前他们作出的使公司电脑化的决定现在正产生出效益。

6 auto   

n.(=automobile)(口语)汽车

参考例句：

• Don't park your auto here.别把你的汽车停在这儿。
• The auto industry has brought many people to Detroit.汽车工业把许多人吸引到了底特律。

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。

8 refineries   

精炼厂( refinery的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The efforts on closedown and suspension of small sugar refineries, small saccharin refineries and small paper mills are also being carried out in steps. 关停小糖厂、小糖精厂、小造纸厂的工作也已逐步展开。
• Hence the sitting of refineries is at a distance from population centres. 所以，炼油厂的厂址总在远离人口集中的地方。

9 flex   

n.皮线，花线；vt.弯曲或伸展

参考例句：

• We wound off a couple of yards of wire for a new lamp flex.我们解开几码电线作为新的电灯花线。
• He gave his biceps a flex to impress the ladies.他收缩他的肱二头肌以吸引那些女士们的目光。

10 hybrid   

n.(动，植）杂种，混合物

参考例句：

• That is a hybrid perpetual rose.那是一株杂交的四季开花的蔷薇。
• The hybrid was tall,handsome,and intelligent.那混血儿高大、英俊、又聪明。

11 foresight   

n.先见之明，深谋远虑

参考例句：

• The failure is the result of our lack of foresight.这次失败是由于我们缺乏远虑而造成的。
• It required a statesman's foresight and sagacity to make the decision.作出这个决定需要政治家的远见卓识。