From Japan to Detroit, automobile manufacturers have been busy creating the green car, a vehicle that, in all its forms, promises to be one of the cleanest technologies on earth. To create the green car of the future, say designers, they will replace dangerous substances with safe ones, recycle car parts from antifreeze to old tires and develop alternative fuels.
To meet high environmental standards, automakers began renovating(翻新)their practices at the heart of the matter: the manufacturing process.
At General Motors(GM)a two-seat electric car named the Impact can travel 110 to 160 kilometers on a single charge, depending on driving habits and conditions. GM will begin the consumer test to the Impact in 12 U. S. cities this year. About a thousand people have been selected to drive the vehicle for two-and four-week periods.
Meanwhile, another alternative to standard gasoline-powered cars is Volkswagen’s Golf Ecomatic, recently introduced in Europe and powered by a diesel(柴油)engine that shuts down automatically whenever the car doesn’t require the force of push — while drivers are waiting at traffic lights, slowing to a standstill in heavy traffic or driving downhill. In city traffic alone, Volkswagen engineers expect 60 percent of the trip is spent either moving without its engine turned on or waiting, and overall the carbon dioxide emissions(排放物)produced by the Golf Ecomatic are 22 percent less than those of a standard diesel-powered automobile.
In the end, the green car will be good not only for the environment but also for business. In the long run environmental success is essential to business success, and many companies have recognized this reality, as a growing number of people want to purchase products from environmentally responsible firms.
【小题1】What is the main purpose of automakers worldwide designing the green car?A.To increase the efficiency of fuels now in use. |
B.To solve the problem of the ever-worsening fuel shortage. |
C.To meet high environmental standards. |
D.To clear the world of waste car parts. |
A.It shortens waiting time in the street. |
B.It reduces carbon dioxide emissions. |
C.It cuts down on the consumption of diesel. |
D.It ensures the quality of being pollution-free. |
A.Automakers have come to see the advantage of making green cars. |
B.Environmental protection should not be achieved at the risk of business failure. |
C.Automakers may lose much in the production of green cars. |
D.The general public are all eager to use the green car. |
A.To educate people on environmental protection. |
B.To list the advantages of green cars over traditional ones. |
C.To explain the process of developing green cars. |
D.To inform people of the development of green cars. |