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VOA慢速英语2009年-SCIENCE IN THE NEWS - Researchers Give the

时间:2009-12-05 01:33:57

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(单词翻译)

VOICE ONE:

This is SCIENCE IN THE NEWS in VOA Special English. I'm Bob Doughty1.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Today, we will tell about a genetic2 map of one of the world's major food crops. We will tell about a car made mostly from renewable materials, like plants. And, we will tell about an experimental vehicle designed for blind drivers.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Scientists have released a genetic map of the potato. The map is the work of scientists from fourteen countries. The project is called the Potato Genome Sequencing Consortium.

Potatoes are one of the world's leading food crops. Breeders currently spend ten to twelve years developing new kinds of potatoes. Now they will be able to identify genes3 for any desired trait, improving quality, nutritional4 value and disease resistance.

A genome contains information about every position along chromosomes5, the structures that hold genes. Genes direct the making of proteins which do much of the work in building an organism, whether a person or a potato.

A potato has twelve chromosomes and about eight hundred forty million base pairs. This is about one-fourth the size of the human genome.

VOICE TWO:

The potato genome shows the order of ninety-five percent of the genetic material. Most potato varieties carry four separate copies of their genes. But the researchers did much of their work with a phureja -- a kind of a potato that has only one copy. Richard Veilleux provided that variety of potato. He is a professor with the Virginia Polytechnic6 Institute and State University.

Plant biologist Robin7 Buell of Michigan State University also worked on the genome. She says it will improve understanding of other crops because potatoes have been linked to tomatoes, peppers and eggplants.

VOICE ONE:

Separately, another team reported completing a genome of the organism responsible for late blight8. That disease can infect potatoes, tomatoes and other plants. It causes several billion dollars a year in agricultural losses.

Late blight was also the cause of the potato famine in Ireland in the middle of the eighteen hundreds. Potato shortages were blamed for at least one million deaths. The food shortages were responsible for many Irish immigrants moving to the United States.

VOICE TWO:

The scientists say that studies based on the new genome may help explain, in the short-term, why the organism has been so aggressive. And, in the long term, they say, knowing where different genetic traits may be found on the map could lead to better plants. It could also reduce the need for chemicals.

Completion of the project was reported in the journal Nature. Researchers at Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology led the work.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

Researchers in Britain are driving the environmental movement to a whole new level. A team from the University of Warwick has built what it calls the world's first completely environmentally friendly Formula Three racing9 car.

The car is made mainly of sustainable and renewable materials, like plants and vegetables. The structure around the car is made from natural plant fibers10 and potatoes. The steering11 wheel is made from root vegetables like carrots. The engine uses biofuel made from vegetable oil and waste chocolate.

VOICE TWO:
 
From left, Kerry Kirwan, Steve Maggs, James Meredith and the renewable race car

The new race car is extremely fast. The car has a top speed of two hundred fifteen kilometers an hour. And it can go from zero to ninety-five kilometers an hour in just two and one half seconds. The race car meets all of the Formula Three racing requirements except for its biodiesel engine.

The car resulted from the efforts of the University of Warwick's Manufacturing Group and the Warwick Innovative12 Manufacturing Research Center. They developed the car because of criticism of the racing industry.

VOICE ONE:

Automobile13 racing is one of the most widely watched sports in the world. But it also is considered one of the least friendly to the environment. Race cars burn a lot of fuel, and create a lot of air pollution.

In recent years, the racing industry has taken steps to protect the environment. More racing companies are now producing cars that use less energy. These cars produce less pollution than vehicles that depend on traditional fuels, like gasoline.

VOICE TWO:

Last year, two American government agencies and an international organization announced a number of policies for environmentally-friendly racing. They are known as the Green Racing Protocols14.

The two agencies are the United States Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. The organization SAE International represents engineers and technical experts in the transportation industry. Officials from the American Le Mans Series also were involved in the effort.

The American Le Mans Series became the first racing event to use the protocols in its Green Challenge competition. The race was held in October of last year.

VOICE ONE:

Last month, the WorldFirst Formula Three racing car was set to run in its first competitive race at the Formula Three Championship Final at Brands Hatch. It would have been the first biodiesel-powered car to race at Formula Three.

Current Formula Three rules let only gasoline-powered cars compete. Officials needed permission from all of the other Formula Three racers for the biodiesel WorldFirst car to compete. They were unable to contact one of the drivers, so the WorldFirst car was barred from the event.

In test runs, the WorldFirst car was the fifth fastest among Formula Three race cars. Supporters are hoping to have the fuel issue resolved in time to compete next season.

(SOUND)

VOICE TWO:

That recording15 is from the nineteen ninety-two movie "Scent16 of a Woman." In the film, a blind man, Frank Slade, takes another man, Charlie Simms, for a fast ride in a Ferrari through the streets of New York City. Charlie gave the directions while Frank was the driver. For the blind Frank, it was one of the most exciting things he had ever done.

Recently, several Americans who are blind experienced a similar thrill. It took place in a restricted driving area at the University of Maryland, near Washington, DC. This time, no co-pilots were required. The car provided directions to the blind drivers.

VOICE ONE:
 
A driver tests the Virginia Tech Blind Driver Challenge vehicle

Students from Virginia Tech's Robotics and Mechanisms17 Laboratory designed the Blind Driver Challenge car. The Virginia Tech team put a laser sensor18 on the front of the car to look for activity in nearby areas. The device sends a signal to a computer at the back of the car. The computer then takes the signal and gives the driver spoken directions on how to drive the car to avoid an accident.

For example, it might say, "Go straight. Now turn two clicks to the right. And now, turn five clicks to the left." The driver follows the directions and makes turns based on sounds that the steering wheel makes when it is turned.

VOICE TWO:

A special vibrating vest worn by the driver provides information about the vehicle's speed. There are also sensing devices that stop the engine if the vehicle gets too close to anything.

On test day, all the blind drivers were able to guide the car through the test area without any problems.

The first blind drivers to test the car were employees from the National Federation19 of the Blind. One of the drivers found the car's directions to be more exact and dependable than those from a human passenger. The Virginia Tech team said the blind drivers performed better than sighted drivers who carried out the tests with their eyes covered.

Team members say the new car is the first and only one that gives the blind person complete control of the vehicle. The team members are excited about the project's success. They say the new technology offers many possibilities for other projects to help the blind.

(MUSIC)

VOICE ONE:

This SCIENCE IN THE NEWS was written by June Simms and Jerilyn Watson. Our producer was Brianna Blake. I'm Bob Doughty.

VOICE TWO:

And I'm Faith Lapidus. Join us again next week for more news about science in Special English on the Voice of America.

 


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点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 doughty Jk5zg     
adj.勇猛的,坚强的
参考例句:
  • Most of successful men have the characteristics of contumacy and doughty.绝大多数成功人士都有共同的特质:脾气倔强,性格刚强。
  • The doughty old man battled his illness with fierce determination.坚强的老人用巨大毅力与疾病作斗争。
2 genetic PgIxp     
adj.遗传的,遗传学的
参考例句:
  • It's very difficult to treat genetic diseases.遗传性疾病治疗起来很困难。
  • Each daughter cell can receive a full complement of the genetic information.每个子细胞可以收到遗传信息的一个完全补偿物。
3 genes 01914f8eac35d7e14afa065217edd8c0     
n.基因( gene的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • You have good genes from your parents, so you should live a long time. 你从父母那儿获得优良的基因,所以能够活得很长。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Differences will help to reveal the functions of the genes. 它们间的差异将会帮助我们揭开基因多种功能。 来自英汉非文学 - 生命科学 - 生物技术的世纪
4 nutritional 4HRxN     
adj.营养的,滋养的
参考例句:
  • A diet lacking in nutritional value will not keep a person healthy.缺乏营养价值的饮食不能维持人的健康。
  • The labels on food products give a lot of information about their nutritional content.食品上的标签提供很多关于营养成分的信息。
5 chromosomes 11783d79c0016b60332bbf1856b3f77d     
n.染色体( chromosome的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • Chromosomes also determine the sex of animals. 染色体也决定动物的性别。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Each of four chromosomes divide longitudinally. 四种染色体的每一种都沿着纵向分裂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
6 polytechnic g1vzw     
adj.各种工艺的,综合技术的;n.工艺(专科)学校;理工(专科)学校
参考例句:
  • She was trained as a teacher at Manchester Polytechnic.她在曼彻斯特工艺专科学校就读,准备毕业后做老师。
  • When he was 17,Einstein entered the Polytechnic Zurich,Switzerland,where he studied mathematics and physics.17岁时,爱因斯坦进入了瑞士苏黎士的专科学院,学习数学和物理学。
7 robin Oj7zme     
n.知更鸟,红襟鸟
参考例句:
  • The robin is the messenger of spring.知更鸟是报春的使者。
  • We knew spring was coming as we had seen a robin.我们看见了一只知更鸟,知道春天要到了。
8 blight 0REye     
n.枯萎病;造成破坏的因素;vt.破坏,摧残
参考例句:
  • The apple crop was wiped out by blight.枯萎病使苹果全无收成。
  • There is a blight on all his efforts.他的一切努力都遭到挫折。
9 racing 1ksz3w     
n.竞赛,赛马;adj.竞赛用的,赛马用的
参考例句:
  • I was watching the racing on television last night.昨晚我在电视上看赛马。
  • The two racing drivers fenced for a chance to gain the lead.两个赛车手伺机竞相领先。
10 fibers 421d63991f1d1fc8826d6e71d5e15f53     
光纤( fiber的名词复数 ); (织物的)质地; 纤维,纤维物质
参考例句:
  • Thesolution of collagen-PVA was wet spined with the sodium sulfate as coagulant and collagen-PVA composite fibers were prepared. 在此基础上,以硫酸钠为凝固剂,对胶原-PVA共混溶液进行湿法纺丝,制备了胶原-PVA复合纤维。
  • Sympathetic fibers are distributed to all regions of the heart. 交感神经纤维分布于心脏的所有部分。
11 steering 3hRzbi     
n.操舵装置
参考例句:
  • He beat his hands on the steering wheel in frustration. 他沮丧地用手打了几下方向盘。
  • Steering according to the wind, he also framed his words more amicably. 他真会看风使舵,口吻也马上变得温和了。
12 innovative D6Vxq     
adj.革新的,新颖的,富有革新精神的
参考例句:
  • Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
  • He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。
13 automobile rP1yv     
n.汽车,机动车
参考例句:
  • He is repairing the brake lever of an automobile.他正在修理汽车的刹车杆。
  • The automobile slowed down to go around the curves in the road.汽车在路上转弯时放慢了速度。
14 protocols 66203c461b36a2af573149f0aa6164ff     
n.礼仪( protocol的名词复数 );(外交条约的)草案;(数据传递的)协议;科学实验报告(或计划)
参考例句:
  • There are also protocols on the testing of nuclear weapons. 也有关于核武器试验的协议。 来自辞典例句
  • Hardware components and software design of network transport protocols are separately introduced. 介绍系统硬件组成及网络传输协议的软件设计。 来自互联网
15 recording UktzJj     
n.录音,记录
参考例句:
  • How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间?
  • I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。
16 scent WThzs     
n.气味,香味,香水,线索,嗅觉;v.嗅,发觉
参考例句:
  • The air was filled with the scent of lilac.空气中弥漫着丁香花的芬芳。
  • The flowers give off a heady scent at night.这些花晚上散发出醉人的芳香。
17 mechanisms d0db71d70348ef1c49f05f59097917b8     
n.机械( mechanism的名词复数 );机械装置;[生物学] 机制;机械作用
参考例句:
  • The research will provide direct insight into molecular mechanisms. 这项研究将使人能够直接地了解分子的机理。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He explained how the two mechanisms worked. 他解释这两台机械装置是如何工作的。 来自《简明英汉词典》
18 sensor sz7we     
n.传感器,探测设备,感觉器(官)
参考例句:
  • The temperature sensor is enclosed in a protective well.温度传感器密封在保护套管中。
  • He plugged the sensor into a outlet.他把传感器插进电源插座。
19 federation htCzMS     
n.同盟,联邦,联合,联盟,联合会
参考例句:
  • It is a federation of 10 regional unions.它是由十个地方工会结合成的联合会。
  • Mr.Putin was inaugurated as the President of the Russian Federation.普京正式就任俄罗斯联邦总统。

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