VOA慢速英语-Economics Report - Automakers, Airlines Hit by Sky-H

General Motors will close four truck factories and move to make more cars. Also, airlines are retiring older planes and cutting flights and jobs. Transcript¹ of radio broadcast:
05 June 2008

This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.

There was more evidence this week of the effects of high oil prices on the transportation industry.

Automakers reported further drops in sales of trucks and SUVs, sport utility vehicles, in the United States. Big, fuel-hungry vehicles brought in big profits -- until Americans faced big costs for fuel. Now they want smaller and more fuel-efficient cars.

The head of General Motors, Rick Wagoner, says the prices are changing consumer behavior, maybe permanently³. G.M. sales in the United States in May dropped thirty percent from last year. The Ford⁴ Motor Company had a nineteen percent drop.

Toyota sales in the United States were down eight percent. But another Japanese maker², Honda, reported an eleven percent increase on strong sales of cars.
　

General Motors Hummer SUVs are not selling well. GM is considering selling the division.

General Motors announced it will close four truck factories in North America and expand car production. It may also sell its Hummer division. Hummers are military-like vehicles.

But Rick Wagoner said G.M. will go forward with plans to make the Chevy Volt⁵, a car powered mainly by electricity. He says it will be available no later than the end of two thousand ten.

Still, new findings show that Americans are driving less. The Federal Highway Administration says the number of kilometers traveled on public roads has dropped since late two thousand six.

Many people may be driving less because of high gasoline prices. But transportation officials worry that less demand for gasoline will mean shortages of money from fuel taxes that support roads.

Use of public transportation, though, is up. The American Public Transportation Association says it increased three percent in the first three months of this year over last year.

High fuel prices are also affecting air travel. The International Air Transport Association expects the industry to lose at least two billion dollars this year, mainly because of prices for jet fuel.

This week, more air carriers in the United States announced plans to cut flights and jobs and remove older, less fuel-efficient planes from service. Continental⁶ Airlines said record-high fuel prices have produced the worst crisis for the industry since the terrorist attacks of two thousand one.

Continental announced Thursday that it will reduce flights in the United States by sixteen percent during the last three months of the year. The airline will cut three thousand jobs, about seven percent of its positions worldwide.

And that's the VOA Special English Economics Report, written by Mario Ritter. I'm Steve Ember.

1 transcript   

n.抄本，誊本，副本，肄业证书

参考例句：

• A transcript of the tapes was presented as evidence in court.一份录音带的文字本作为证据被呈交法庭。
• They wouldn't let me have a transcript of the interview.他们拒绝给我一份采访的文字整理稿。

2 maker   

n.制造者，制造商

参考例句：

• He is a trouble maker，You must be distant with him.他是个捣蛋鬼，你不要跟他在一起。
• A cabinet maker must be a master craftsman.家具木工必须是技艺高超的手艺人。

3 permanently   

adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地

参考例句：

• The accident left him permanently scarred.那次事故给他留下了永久的伤疤。
• The ship is now permanently moored on the Thames in London.该船现在永久地停泊在伦敦泰晤士河边。

4 Ford   

n.浅滩，水浅可涉处；v.涉水，涉过

参考例句：

• They were guarding the bridge,so we forded the river.他们驻守在那座桥上，所以我们只能涉水过河。
• If you decide to ford a stream,be extremely careful.如果已决定要涉过小溪，必须极度小心。

5 volt   

n.伏特，伏

参考例句：

• You may use 100 and 110 volt appliances in your room.您可以在房间使用100及110伏特的电器。
• The common service voltage of electric power in our country is 220/380 volt.我国普通供电电压为220/380伏。

6 continental   

adj.大陆的，大陆性的，欧洲大陆的

参考例句：

• A continental climate is different from an insular one.大陆性气候不同于岛屿气候。
• The most ancient parts of the continental crust are 4000 million years old.大陆地壳最古老的部分有40亿年历史。