VOA常速英语2008年-Handyman Constructs His Own Fuel-Efficient Vehi

By Paul Sisco
Washington
20 March 2008
 

One man's solution to record high gas prices is a unique, lightweight vehicle he built himself. VOA's Paul Sisco introduces you to Jory Squibb in today's Searching for Solutions report.

Spend the day in Camden, in the northeastern state of Maine, and Jory Squibb might drive by.

He does his errands in his Moonbeam, a modified scooter really, that he built himself.

Thanks to his unusual vehicle, soaring gas prices are less of a problem for Squibb than for many Americans.  "Americans are largely asleep right now. We are just in sort of a bad habit we don't know how to get out of," he says.

The Moonbeam gets nearly 37 kilometers per liter in town and averages more on the highway. It will go almost 80 kilometers an hour, but ... "It's not about to flip¹ over or anything, but you realize you are the light kid on the block, so you drive it very, very carefully," Squibb said.

Squibb offers step-by-step instructions on how to build the Moonbeam on the Internet.

At home, he is working on a slightly bigger prototype that he plans racing² across country later this year. "This will probably get close to 100 miles to the gallon (42 kilometers per liter), because it involves diesel³ technology," Squibb said.

Squibb hopes he is making a difference in America's future and believes his little car is stimulating⁴ thought. 

"It gets people thinking that there might be another way of personal transportation," he said.

1 flip   

vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的

参考例句：

• I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
• Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。

2 racing   

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。

3 diesel   

n.柴油发动机，内燃机

参考例句：

• We experimented with diesel engines to drive the pumps.我们试着用柴油机来带动水泵。
• My tractor operates on diesel oil.我的那台拖拉机用柴油开动。

4 stimulating   

adj.有启发性的，能激发人思考的

参考例句：

• shower gel containing plant extracts that have a stimulating effect on the skin 含有对皮肤有益的植物精华的沐浴凝胶
• This is a drug for stimulating nerves. 这是一种兴奋剂。