VOA标准英语2008年-Oil Price Hits $100 Per Barrel

By Mil Arcega
Washington
03 January 2008
 

Oil prices soared to a record $100 a barrel Wednesday in New York before falling back, as worldwide demand for oil continues to grow. Surging economies in China and India have helped push oil prices higher over the past year -- and tensions in oil producing nations such as Nigeria and Iran have added to speculation¹ that global demand will continue to outstrip² supplies. VOA's Mil Arcega reports.

Light sweet crude for January delivery rose more than four dollars a barrel Wednesday to push the price of oil to more than $100, before easing to $99.61 at the close. The milestone³ comes after weeks of price increases driven by continuing tensions in several oil producing nations.

Although speculative⁴ concerns about supply disruptions have yet to materialize, that has not stopped buyers from driving prices higher.

The White House acknowledges higher prices have hurt some consumers. But Press Secretary Dana Perino says the president will not tap into the nation's Strategic Petroleum⁵ Reserves (SPR) to send prices lower. "Doing a temporary release of the SPR is not going to change prices very much. We know that from past history."

The reserves currently contain almost 700 million barrels of oil to be used in the event of an emergency. Perino says the president's plan for 2008 is to continue pushing Congress to pass laws aimed at reducing America's dependence⁶ on foreign oil and increase the consumption of alternative fuels such as ethanol. "We have to figure out a way to increase supply here in the United States, done in environmentally sensitive ways, which we know how to do, so that we can have an increase of supply of oil here, while world demand continues to increase."

Analysts⁷ say high oil prices reflect the strong and growing global energy demand in China and India and insufficient⁸ investment in production.

Despite the psychological and historical impact of $100 a barrel oil, analysts say oil prices are still within the range of inflation adjusted highs that were set in 1980.

1 speculation   

n.思索，沉思；猜测；投机

参考例句：

• Her mind is occupied with speculation.她的头脑忙于思考。
• There is widespread speculation that he is going to resign.人们普遍推测他要辞职。

2 outstrip   

v.超过，跑过

参考例句：

• He can outstrip his friend both in sports and in studies.他能在体育和学习方面胜过他的朋友。
• It is possible for us to outstrip the advanced countries in the world.我们能超过世界上先进的国家。

3 milestone   

n.里程碑；划时代的事件

参考例句：

• The film proved to be a milestone in the history of cinema.事实证明这部影片是电影史上的一个里程碑。
• I think this is a very important milestone in the relations between our two countries.我认为这是我们两国关系中一个十分重要的里程碑。

4 speculative   

adj.思索性的，暝想性的，推理的

参考例句：

• Much of our information is speculative.我们的许多信息是带推测性的。
• The report is highly speculative and should be ignored.那个报道推测的成分很大，不应理会。

5 petroleum   

n.原油，石油

参考例句：

• The Government of Iran advanced the price of petroleum last week.上星期伊朗政府提高了石油价格。
• The purpose of oil refinery is to refine crude petroleum.炼油厂的主要工作是提炼原油。

6 dependence   

n.依靠，依赖；信任，信赖；隶属

参考例句：

• Doctors keep trying to break her dependence of the drug.医生们尽力使她戒除毒瘾。
• He was freed from financial dependence on his parents.他在经济上摆脱了对父母的依赖。

7 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

8 insufficient   

adj.(for，of)不足的，不够的

参考例句：

• There was insufficient evidence to convict him.没有足够证据给他定罪。
• In their day scientific knowledge was insufficient to settle the matter.在他们的时代，科学知识还不能足以解决这些问题。