【TEM4】【慢速英语】11.27VOA原文
起飞
米娜桑，给大家介绍我们公众号几个神奇的功能：
1、签到打卡。进入公众号→左下角键盘→输入“签到”两个字，系统会回复你一张粉丝卡片链接。点进链接，右上角可以直接分享到朋友圈。
2、搜索我们过去做过的新闻：进入公众号→左下角的菜单→号内搜→识别图中二维码→输入关键字。
3、在第1项里如果输入的不是签到会是怎么样呢？微信公号接入了AI智能小冰，大家可以找她聊天哦。如果你需要在后台联系我们，编辑“你的信息@管理员”。
4、我们的文稿会尽快呈现全文听译并提炼出【tips】，音频选自VOA官方的Learning English完整版，适用于随时热爱学习的你，欢迎你的加入。
降落
01
Metal Recycling Businesses Prepare for More Electric CarsRecycling businesses are improving processes to remove metals from old batteries.
Their hope is to take advantage of an expected shortage of materials, such as cobalt and lithium, when sales of electric cars start rising.
The main problem that companies face now is a shortage of used batteries to recycle. But leaders of the recycling industry are sure that the supply, and profits, will come.
Albrecht Melber is co-managing director of the German recycling company Accurec.
"The value of lithium carbonate and natural and synthetic graphite has doubled or tripled in the last three or four years, becoming the most valuable materials besides cobalt in the automotive battery. There are big values that can be recycled in the future,” he told the Reuters news agency.
Automobile manufacturers currently sell less than one million electric-powered vehicles every year. However, some experts expect electric vehicle sales to pass 14 million a year by 2025.
Benchmark Mineral Intelligence is a data specialist group. It predicts the auto industry will need an extra 30,000 tons of cobalt and 81,000 tons of lithium a year to meet demand by 2021.
Larry Reaugh is head of American Manganese, a Canadian recycler of metals. He notes that large lithium cobalt batteries contain high amounts of valuable minerals.
"If this equated to mining, you would have a very high-grade feedstock," he said. "We're mining batteries, you might say."
Supply constraints
Mining enough cobalt is a concern for battery manufacturers.
Most of the world’s cobalt supplies come from the Democratic Republic of Congo, where armed groups operate in areas close to mines. This year, the price of cobalt has more than doubled.
Supplies of lithium, mainly mined in Chile, are under far less pressure at this time. Argentina and Australia are likely to increase cobalt production in the near future.
However, business leaders are concerned about having enough lithium for use in batteries.
Most recyclers heat old batteries to high temperatures to recover metals, a process known as pyrometallurgy. But this generally only produces cobalt, and sometimes nickel, while lithium is more difficult and costly to collect.
New technology is helping to recover more waste metal from used batteries. Some companies, such as Umicore and Retriev, say they have developed ways to get lithium once more spent, or used, batteries are available for recycling.
Steady supply of spent batteries
The lack of a steady supply of spent batteries is one of the largest barriers to commercial development, recycling companies say.
While sales of electric cars are growing fast, lithium ion car batteries last eight to 10 years, on average. This means it will be almost 10 years before the supply of spent batteries is big enough to make the process profitable.
American Manganese says it is planning to direct its attention on recovering minerals from faulty batteries. This will help the company get around the wait time for working batteries to lose power.
Even if supplies are low, companies seem hopeful about the future.
Todd Coy is the vice president of Retriev.
"At current commodity prices we need approximately 4,000 tons per year of batteries to justify the estimated capital costs,” he said. That number is more than three times its current processing volume.
“We are confident this volume will be coming in the future - beyond 2023 - but the market is not there yet,” Coy added.
Umicore says it expects volumes of spent batteries to rise above 100,000 tons a year over the next 10 years, with “massive volumes” coming onto the market around 2025.
Once that happens, the chances for the recycling industry to capitalize will take off.
I'm John Russell.
Jan Harvey reported on this story for the Reuters news agency. John Russell adapted the story for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
__________________________________________________________________
Words in the Story
recycling - adj. of or related to reclaiming materials for future use
battery - n. an instrument or device for making electric current
data - n. the information operated from a computer program
feedstock – n. unprocessed material to supply or fuel a machine or industrial process
steady - adj. not able to move; not easily excited
commercial - adj. of or related to business
faulty - adj. having a mistake, fault, or weakness
commodity - n. unprocessed products; a measure of economic wealth
volume - n. an amount of total
capitalize – v. to sell (something valuable, such as property or stock) in order to get money; to convert (something) into capital
02
Popular American Hobby Bird Feeding Connects People to NatureMany Americans enjoy spending time with nature, and one popular activity is feeding wild birds.
As many as 53 million Americans feed birds as a hobby each year. One of them is Sumner Askin, from Arlington, Virginia. His interest started a few years ago, when he was in college and studying wildlife science.
"I had just taken this class, ornithology, the study of birds, and I was just super into it. And originally I got one feeder and I put it all the way up in this tree, I probably climbed like 30 feet so I could hang it right outside my window. And I got some cool stuff and I just wanted to keep going with it, see what else I could get."
His plan was successful, and many wild birds visited his bird feeder. He recalls seeing downy woodpeckers, northern cardinals, mourning doves, and other birds.
Watch and learn
Askin says you can learn a lot from bird watching.
"You learn about just how each species is designed differently, like the way their toes are shaped so they can grip things differently."
Askins adds that most bird watchers develop a dislike for a lot of invasive, or non-native, species because they often chase around the other birds.
One example is the blue jay, a bird Askin says he actually likes.
Askin says, “Some people don't like the big blue jays because they're loud. But I like them. They are just big."
Askin says he uses several kinds of bird feeders around his home.
"Most birds like a small sparrow can't exactly stand on the side of a tree like a woodpecker can, because (the woodpecker) gets its toes there and just climbs up. The low-hanging feeder, a normal feeder, they sit on it and they turn sideways and they eat, but that one, they have to hang upside-down. So you can watch them just pivot completely upside down. And only two species can do that. So it's just for them instead of the non-native sparrows," Askin says.
Why feed birds?
Askin works part-time at a store called Wild Birds Unlimited. It sells seed, feeders and other supplies for people who like to feed birds.
Michael Zuiker has operated the store for 26 years. He says feeding birds is good for everyone. "Birders," people who like the animals, enjoy watching the birds, while the birds get food to survive in big cities and expanding population centers. Zuiker is not surprised the hobby is so popular.
"Gardening is the first," he noted, "backyard bird feeding second."
He added that a lot of teachers have programs where they create environments for birds in their schools. They do this to teach students about different bird species, how they make their homes, and how to follow them.
Zuiker says people like to feed and watch wild birds for many reasons.
"I think one of the most important reasons is that it's a very, very peaceful emotional experience. You put the food out there, you spend time on your deck in the nice weather, in winter you're indoors watching birds. And you never know what's going to show up. Most of the yards around can easily get 30 different species of the birds in their backyards."
Birds for company
Paul Starzynski started feeding birds as a hobby after he retired three years ago.
"If you sit quietly, they come real close and you don't bother them; you can watch them," he said. "You can even see the little seed in their beak before they swallow it. It's kind of fun. Besides, I like them flying over my head. I would be alone out there if I didn't have the birds."
Starzynski also says that some birders are very serious about their hobby. They are able to identify many different species, even ones that look similar.
Even without knowing every bird species or where they come from, Starzynski loves bird watching. He's just one of millions of Americans who enjoy the colorful beauty and sounds that birds bring to their homes.
I’m Phil Dierking.
Faiza Elmasry reported this story for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted her report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor.
Do you enjoy birds? What kinds of hobbies are popular in your home country? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
________________________________________________________________
Words in This Story
backyard - n. an area in back of a house
bother - v. to cause (someone) to feel troubled, worried, or concerned
deck - n. a flat surface that forms the main outside floor of a boat or ship
hobby - n. an activity that a person does for pleasure when not working
pivot - v. to turn on or around a central point
species - n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants
toes - n. any of the five digits at the end of the human foot.
03
Scientists Developing Machine to Identify Diabetes-related UlcersDiabetes mellitus is the name for several disorders with one thing in common: there is too much glucose, or sugar, in the blood.
The body uses a natural hormone, called insulin, to change sugar and other food into energy.
Diabetes develops when the body does not produce enough insulin or produces none at all. Or it develops when the body cannot use insulin.
People living with diabetes often suffer from other health problems.
One complication can be damage to tissue on the feet. These foot ulcers can worsen if left untreated. Doctors may decide to remove the damaged area in an operation called an amputation. In some cases, the patient could die.
But a device being developed in Britain could help doctors recognize when ulcers are about to form.
Using a relatively simple temperature sensing device, doctors scan a patient’s feet for signs of an ulcer. The information may help them prevent ulcers from forming, as well as improve the condition of the patient.
The scanning device is called the DFirst. It works by looking for hot spots, or places of higher than normal temperature, on the feet of people with diabetes.
Doctors believe that hot spots help identify areas of inflammation, which could lead to foot ulcers.
Untreated ulcers are a leading cause of diabetes-related amputations.
Robert Simpson is a researcher with the National Physical Laboratory near London. He notes that studies have shown a link between amputations and patient survival rates.
“If you have an amputation, then unfortunately the outlook is up to 50 percent of those who have an amputation are dead within two years, and up to 80 percent are dead within five years.”
How ulcers lead to problems
Diabetes can cause damage to the nerves of the patient. Nerve damage can limit the patient’s ability to feel pain. People living with diabetes may not feel an ulcer developing in its early stages.
Using the new scanner, Simpson said, doctors can clearly see areas of inflammation in what he likens to a temperature map.
“So what we have here is a thermal imaging camera core. This is sensitive to the infrared which has a strong relationship with temperature; so this provides you with a temperature map.”
The problem of foot ulcers could be bigger than health experts have recognized.
A 2014 study by the World Health Organization (WHO) found that 400 million people live with diabetes. Some estimates say that 25 percent of patients will develop foot ulcers.
Simpson said, in Britain, the problem has led to an increase in the number of amputations.
“There are 140 amputations every single week, so that is nearly one every hour,” he noted. He added that 80 percent of these were “driven by foot problems.”
Researchers say that until recently doctors looked for hot spots with scanners that could not observe the whole foot. Because of this, problem areas could easily be missed.
Simpson said about 100,000 people in Britain have a foot ulcer. He said these people also are likely to develop another ulcer. He said it is important to help them better manage their health problems.
The current version of the DFirst is held with two hands. Researchers have been testing the scanner for two years. Designers hope that later versions of the DFirst will be as small as a smartphone.
I’m Mario Ritter.
Kevin Enochs reported this story for VOA News. Mario Ritter adapted his report for VOA Learning English. George Grow was the editor. We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
Words in This Story
hormone – n. a natural substance that influences the way in which the body grows
complication – n. a health condition or conditions often caused or brought on by another condition or a medical procedure
scan – v. to use a special camera to make an image of something so that it can be studied closely
inflammation – n. a condition where tissue becomes red, painful and swollen
stage – n. a period in the development of something
thermal – adj. related to heat
infrared – n. a form of electro-magnetic radiation closely related to heat
manage – v. to direct; to take care of; to have control of
04
Jimmy Carter: OutsiderToday we are talking about Jimmy Carter. His givenname was James, but he liked to be called Jimmy.
Carterwas elected president in 1976. Until he campaigned for the office, fewAmericans knew who he was.
ButCarter said his lack of experience with the federal government made him thebest candidate. After witnessing years of problems in the White House, many votersappeared to agree with him.
However,Carter’s inexperience also became a problem. Some of the issues he faced werecomplex and, at times, they seemed overwhelming.
Afteronly one term, Carter failed to get re-elected.
Butin time, his public image improved. His years after leaving the White House aregenerally considered more successful than his time in office.
Early life
JimmyCarter was born in the southern state of Georgia. He was the oldest of fourchildren. His father was a businessman. His mother was a nurse. The familyowned a store, as well as a peanut farm and warehouse.
Althoughthe businesses did well, Jimmy Carter grew up very modestly. His family’s housedid not have electricity or running water.
Buthe was hardworking and wanted to be successful. As a boy, he saved enough moneyto buy four houses. He earned more money by renting them to other people.
Healso decided to attend college at the United States Naval Academy. And in time,he did so.
Carterwas an excellent student. And he became a fine Naval officer. As a midshipman,Carter worked on one of the country’s first nuclear submarines. He later taughtnuclear engineering to other crewmembers.
ButCarter’s promising career in the Navy ended after only seven years.
Hisfather was dying. And the family farm was in trouble.
Carter,his wife, Rosalynn, and theirthree sons, decided to return to Georgia and try to save it.
Thefirst years back on the farm were difficult. But in time, the business becamesuccessful again.
Carterbegan to turn his attention to other issues. He became involved in his church,local school, hospitals and libraries. When he had a chance to compete for aposition in the state senate, he took it.
As apolitician, Carter developed an image as an independent thinker who tried tosave the government money. He also acted and spoke strongly against racialdiscrimination.
InGeorgia at the time, many voters did not agree with Carter’s support of racialequality. In 1966, even his own Democratic Party did not choose him to be itscandidate to represent Georgia in the U.S. Senate.
SoCarter began campaigning for the office of state governor instead. In 1970, hewas elected. As Georgia's governor, Carter was known as a social and politicalreformer.
However,historian Robert Strong notes that Carter did not always work well with othersin his party.
Strongteaches at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. He writesthat someGeorgia lawmakers believed Carter was “arrogant.” He could appear to think hewas morally right, and they were morally wrong.
Carter’sdifficulty in getting along with other officials proved to be one of theproblems he would later face.
Butin the presidential election of 1976, many Americans seemed to like thisquality. The little-known governor from Georgia defeated the sitting president,Gerald Ford.
Carterwon, in part, by saying that he was different than other politicians. He was,he said, a Washington outsider.
Thensuddenly, Carter was the biggest insider of all: the American president.
Presidency
Oneof the things Carter wanted to do was change the image of the president.
Earlierleaders, such as Richard Nixon and Lyndon Johnson, hadincreased the power of the presidency. Nixon had also been shown to bedishonest, and resigned from office.
Carterpromised never to lie to the American people. And on the day of his swearing-inas president, he purposefully tried to keep things simple. He walked to theWhite House from the U.S. Capitol building instead of riding in the back of anautomobile.
Hiswife, Rosalynn, wore clothes that she had worn in public before. The NationalFirst Ladies’ Library notes that her choice of clothing sent a message of "an oldAmerican value of thrift – or respecting money, and not spending itneedlessly.”
Whatshe wore was meaningful because the country was going through difficulteconomic times. The Carters wanted to show that the new government would workto cut costs. They also wanted to show that they were there to help theAmerican people, not enjoy the powers of the White House.
Butin the end, the Carter administration received poor ratings in surveys ofpublic opinion.
PresidentCarter had trouble dealing with U.S. lawmakers, even when his party was incontrol of Congress. One result was that Carter could not advance many of his ideas for legislation. Heappeared ineffective.
Manyhistorians point out that, in fact, Carter had a number of successes. He helpedreduce the country’s dependence on foreign oil. He took steps to make thefederal government more efficient, and to improve the environment. He appointeda number of women and racial minorities to top government jobs -- an importantmove at a time when many were pressing for women’s rights and civil rights.And, in many cases, Carter supported human rights causes, both in the UnitedStates and around the world.
Butthe public generally did not see Carter for his successes. Instead, manyAmericans blamed him for the country’s economic problems.
Somealso disliked the way he spoke to them. In one speech, Carter blamed thecountry’s troubles on what he called a crisis of confidence. Somelisteners were offended.
Healso decided that the U.S. would not attend the 1980 Olympic Games in Moscow.The move was meant to punish the Soviet Union for its involvement inAfghanistan. But many Americans believed the move mostly hurt young AmericanOlympians.
Theadministration also faced other problems. The president was never accused ofwrongdoing. But other high-level officials were. So was the president’sbrother, Billy. As a result, Jimmy Carter’s public image for honesty suffered.
Thencame the Iran hostage crisis.
Iran hostage crisis
Theconflict between the United States and Iran had a long history. One partinvolved the Shah of Iran. The U.S. government had supported his rise to power,partly because American interests wanted to control Iran’s oil.
Butthe Shah severely abused his power. Many Iranians resisted. Some wanted aleader who would more closely obey Islamic teachings.
In1979, under pressure from those Iranians and others, the Shah fled the country.By now, he was suffering from cancer.
So,as a humanitarian act, President Carter permitted the Shah to come to theUnited States for medical treatment.
Themove made many Iranians angry. In protest, a group of students seized the U.S.embassy in Tehran, the capital of Iran. They took 90 people, including 66Americans, hostage.
Carterworked hard to get the hostages released. He tried diplomatic negotiations andeconomic restrictions.
Buthis efforts did not work.
Finally,he tried a secret military operation. He sent eight helicopters and a team ofspecial forces to enter the embassy and rescue the hostages.
Butthat operation failed, too. The weather was bad. Three of the helicopterscrashed. Eight Americans were killed.
Andthe public’s approval of Jimmy Carter dropped even more.
After444 days, the remaining hostages were released. In exchange, the U.S.government agreed to end some of its economic sanctions against Iran andpromised not to interfere in the country’s affairs.
Noneof the hostages had been seriously hurt. But the crisis was the final blow toCarter’s presidency. A few months before they were released, his effort to seekre-election failed.
Legacy
Aspresident, Carter did not meet the high expectations he had set for himself.And he faced some unusually difficult situations. His presidency also sufferedfrom his problems communicating effectively with Congress, the media, and theAmerican people.
Buthis four years as president did leave several marks on the office. For one, heshowed that the U.S. president could help other nations and sides resolve theirdisputes.
Carter’sbest-known success as president was his help negotiating the Camp David Accords.
The accordswere a peace agreement between Egypt and Israel. Carter led the talks at CampDavid in Maryland.
Carter’sefforts to protect human rights overseas also influenced the foreign policy oflater presidents.
Intime, his work as a defender of human rights has become his most important legacy.
Several years after leaving the presidency, he founded the CarterPresidential Center at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. The center “seeksto prevent and resolve conflicts, enhance freedom and democracy, and improvehealth.”
In addition to his work there, Carter has helped build houses for peoplewho need them, written books, and negotiated with world leaders to take stepstoward peace.
In 2002, Carter received the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts.
I’m Kelly Jean Kelly.
Kelly Jean Kelly wrote this story for Learning English. George Grow was theeditor.
Words in This Story
overwhelming - adj. something that is so confusing or difficult that youfeel unable to do it
nurse - n. a person who is trained to care for sick or injured people
rent - v. to allow someone to use (something) in return for payment
advance - v. to move forward
confidence - n. a feeling or belief that someone or something is good orhas the ability to succeed at something
排版/小编：大葱
长按识别二维码关注