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This is Scientific American 60 Second Science, I'm Steve Mursky, Got a minute?

The average price for a gallon of gas in the U.S. today was nearly $3.78 per gallon. But why do we calculate fuel expenditure¹ in dollars per gallon? Wouldn’t a more realistic figure be cost per mile?

The Web site zfacts.com

used a collection of federal agency figures to determine that the average price of a gallon of gasoline in March of 1981, another high-price period, was the equivalent to $3.55 in 2012 money.

But if you were driving in 1981, your car probably got lousy mileage². In 1981 the CAFEstandard, that is the corporate³ average fuel economy requirement set by the government, was just 22 miles per gallon for passenger cars. If you actually got that mileage, you paid the 2012 equivalent of, on average, 16.1 cents to go a mile.

Today, CAFE standards are up to 30.2 miles per gallon. If you actually get that mileage, with gas at $3.78, you are paying 12-and-a-half cents to go a mile. The price per gallon isn't necessarily the price of gas.

Thanks for the minute for Scientific American 60 Second Science, I am Steve Mursky.

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收听单词发音

1 expenditure
n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗
参考例句：
The entry of all expenditure is necessary.有必要把一切开支入账。 The monthly expenditure of our family is four hundred dollars altogether.我们一家的开销每月共计四百元。

2 mileage
n.里程，英里数；好处，利润
参考例句：
He doesn't think there's any mileage in that type of advertising.他认为做那种广告毫无效益。 What mileage has your car done?你的汽车跑了多少英里？

3 corporate
adj.共同的，全体的；公司的，企业的
参考例句：
This is our corporate responsibility.这是我们共同的责任。 His corporate's life will be as short as a rabbit's tail.他的公司的寿命是兔子尾巴长不了。