VOA慢速英语2021--新西兰学生用植物建造体育器材

Students from New Zealand have developed sustainable materials made from the leaves of a tree local to New Zealand, the cabbage tree, and a plant whose seeds are often eaten, flax.

Sustainable materials are products that are made that limit their harm to the environment and the amount of resources they take. They support a long-term ecological¹ balance.

The sustainable material the New Zealand students developed could soon be used to make high-performance outdoor sporting equipment like skis, kayaks, and skateboards. Their plan is to replace the traditional materials that are used like fiberglass and carbon fiber².

Skateboards need to be strong. Ben Scales and William Murrell are two students at New Zealand's University of Canterbury. They believe they can make them even stronger by using fiber from plants.

After experimenting in their at-home workshops, they created new, natural composite³ material, or material made up of different items.

Scales is 21 and studies product design. He said their first attempt is looking good.

Scales said their first experimental product is a skateboard. It is made up of 25 percent fiber from a plant called harakeke and 75 percent recycled polylactic acid, which is plastic made from corn starch⁴.

He said the material is good to make a skateboard because it can take the force and shocks skateboards receive better than what skateboards are now made from: wood or carbon-fiber.

The fiber is taken from the Harakeke plant, which is a native flax plant in New Zealand. The fiber is mixed with different resins⁵, which is a product that comes from some trees that can be used to cover a surface or hold objects together. Leaves from the cabbage tree are also an important part in their material.

The plan is to use these sustainable materials to make skis, snowboards, and kayaks. These outdoor sporting items are currently⁶ made from nonnatural materials like fiberglass and carbon fiber.

The university students have found interest from possible business partners in other countries.

Scales said some of the companies include businesses in Europe that make boats to skis and a few overseas startups that are looking to shape the personal transport industry.

He said, "... they are looking to use sustainable materials that just are not offered in industries like that. So, they are wanting to use our material once we have gotten it ready, which will hopefully be soon."

If they are successful, the students could bring new life to New Zealand's flax fiber industry. They could also bring back practices used by the native people, the Māori, before European colonization⁷.

Words in This Story

sustainable – adj. something that can be maintained, and ecologically, a way of working or making something that does not hurt the environment

fiber –n. a thin thread of natural or artificial material that can be used to make cloth, paper, or other materials

recycle –v. to make something new from (something that has been used before)

starch –n. a substance that is found in certain foods (such as bread, rice, and potatoes)

startup –n. a new business

1 ecological   

adj.生态的，生态学的

参考例句：

• The region has been declared an ecological disaster zone.这个地区已经宣布为生态灾难区。
• Each animal has its ecological niche.每种动物都有自己的生态位.

2 fiber   

n.纤维，纤维质

参考例句：

• The basic structural unit of yarn is the fiber.纤维是纱的基本结构单元。
• The material must be free of fiber clumps.这种材料必须无纤维块。

3 composite   

adj.混合成的，综合成的；n.合成物，复合材料

参考例句：

• English is a composite of many languages.英语是多种语言混合而成的。
• This composite illustration was made by putting together a number of drawings.这本综合说明书是集若干图片汇合而成的。

4 starch   

n.淀粉；vt.给...上浆

参考例句：

• Corn starch is used as a thickener in stews.玉米淀粉在炖煮菜肴中被用作增稠剂。
• I think there's too much starch in their diet.我看是他们的饮食里淀粉太多了。

5 resins   

n.树脂，松香( resin的名词复数 )；合成树脂v.树脂，松香( resin的第三人称单数 )；合成树脂

参考例句：

• The resins were used to turn out millions of helmet liners. 用这类树脂生产了成百万只钢盔内衬。 来自辞典例句
• Cheapness is one of the main attractions of polyester resins. 廉价是聚酯树脂受到欢迎的主要原因之一。 来自辞典例句

6 currently   

adv.通常地，普遍地，当前

参考例句：

• Currently it is not possible to reconcile this conflicting evidence.当前还未有可能去解释这一矛盾的例证。
• Our contracts are currently under review.我们的合同正在复查。

7 colonization   

殖民地的开拓，殖民，殖民地化； 移殖

参考例句：

• Colonization took place during the Habsburg dynasty. 开拓殖民地在哈布斯堡王朝就进行过。
• These countries took part in the colonization of Africa. 这些国家参与非洲殖民地的开发。