至尊英语阅读资料之汽车专题第24集.pdfVIP

Automotive articles 24 [576]Alternative Fuels - Or Saving Money On Gas A lot of things have changed since I was a youngster. I remember the day when I worked on the corner gas station pumping gas, cleaning windows and checking oil, the last two of which you find very few stations doing anymore. The whole idea of full-service is pretty much a thing of the past, however this is a subject for a different article. During those days I had the part-time job at the gas station, the ozone layer was something that astronomers and astronauts worried about and not something that he had to worry about breaking down thereby burning a hole in this beloved planet we live on. The cost of gas was $.16 a gallon - yes you heard me - $.16 a GALLON! We drove cars that got on a good day 18 miles per gallon and it didnt break the bank or increase the interest rate on your credit card just to fill up the tank. We would ask mom and dad for a five spot to go cruising up and down the main drag, not the credit card charge of $30 or more that it takes now. Its no wonder that the old folks (like myself) who are now the parents of children cruisin the drag came up with the idea of alternative fuels to try and save ourselves a few bucks at the pump as well as save the planet that we so dearly love and yet manage to almost destroyed the last 30 years or so. One solution to this has been to make engines smaller, cars smaller and sometimes I even wonder if theyve made people smaller - because I sure cant fit in these boxes. I actually saw a car that couldnt have been more than a lawnmower engine with wheels, which were no larger than the ones I used to make my go carts out of when I was (once again) a kid! The car itself was boxy and it did sound a lot like a lawnmower going down the street but hey - I am sure it got great gas mileage! Another solution is to change the gasoline we run our cars on. What does this mean? Well, we remove the lead, an anti-knock agent which was ne