2006年VOA标准英语-High Oil Prices Have Broad Impact on Price

By Mil Arcega
Washington, DC
04 May 2006
 
watch Ripple¹ Effect of Oil report
 
  
  
The latest data on consumer spending shows the U.S. economy continues to expand at a healthy pace.  But some economists² fear oil prices, which hit $74 dollars a barrel Tuesday, could slow economic growth by reducing disposable income.   As VOA's Mil Arcega reports, high-energy prices have a ripple effect on many consumer products.

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It's not just gasoline prices that are going up. Car tires, made from oil-based, synthetic³ rubber, will soon cost more.  So will road repairs. Asphalt, obtained by processing crude oil, costs nearly 50 percent more than it did last year.  

 

 
Daniel Massey
  

Daniel Massey an energy analyst⁴ at Argus Media, which publishes a weekly newsletter, says that could slow road-building projects dramatically. "Municipalities and other state governments have to kill road projects when the price of asphalt goes up because their budgets are fixed⁵ once a year."

And it's already costing more to fly.  Airline ticket prices are up an average of nine percent this year.  American Airlines, says every one-cent increase in the price of fuel, adds $29 million in costs per year.  

Steve Chealander  
  
Flight operations manager Steve Chealander, says the company has no choice but to pass higher costs on to consumers. "Our plan is to operate the airline at those prices and to operate at a profit."

In order to turn a profit, manufacturers have to charge more for nearly everything - from plastic milk containers to lawn fertilizer.  Retired⁶ resource analyst Tom Whipple says food is especially vulnerable to price hikes because it takes so much petroleum-based energy just to produce one calorie of food energy.

 
Tom Whipple 
  
In a cost breakdown⁷, Mr. Whipple says, "There are 10 calories of oil in every calorie of food that you eat, all the way from tractors, to the fertilizers to the trucks, the shipping⁸, the trucks in the interstate, the supermarket refrigeration, that sort of thing."

U.S. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman says high oil prices have created a crisis for some American families. "There are many families today in this country that can't afford today's prices, let alone prices that might be created in the future."

The range of products affected⁹ by higher oil prices is surprising:  For young families, there are disposable diapers, which use petrochemicals to improve absorbency.   The cost of manufacturing children's crayons, made from paraffin wax, is up 10 percent this year. And the price of nylon carpets, another petrochemical product, is up about 30 percent from last year. 

1 ripple   

n.涟波，涟漪，波纹，粗钢梳；vt.使...起涟漪，使起波纹； vi.呈波浪状，起伏前进

参考例句：

• The pebble made a ripple on the surface of the lake.石子在湖面上激起一个涟漪。
• The small ripple split upon the beach.小小的涟漪卷来，碎在沙滩上。

2 economists   

n.经济学家，经济专家( economist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The sudden rise in share prices has confounded economists. 股价的突然上涨使经济学家大惑不解。
• Foreign bankers and economists cautiously welcomed the minister's initiative. 外国银行家和经济学家对部长的倡议反应谨慎。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 synthetic   

adj.合成的，人工的；综合的；n.人工制品

参考例句：

• We felt the salesman's synthetic friendliness.我们感觉到那位销售员的虚情假意。
• It's a synthetic diamond.这是人造钻石。

4 analyst   

n.分析家，化验员；心理分析学家

参考例句：

• What can you contribute to the position of a market analyst?你有什么技能可有助于市场分析员的职务？
• The analyst is required to interpolate values between standards.分析人员需要在这些标准中插入一些值。

5 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

6 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

7 breakdown   

n.垮，衰竭；损坏，故障，倒塌

参考例句：

• She suffered a nervous breakdown.她患神经衰弱。
• The plane had a breakdown in the air,but it was fortunately removed by the ace pilot.飞机在空中发生了故障，但幸运的是被王牌驾驶员排除了。

8 shipping   

n.船运（发货，运输，乘船）

参考例句：

• We struck a bargain with an American shipping firm.我们和一家美国船运公司谈成了一笔生意。
• There's a shipping charge of ￡5 added to the price.价格之外另加五英镑运输费。

9 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。