The results of new research will be applied to the Olympic Games,
officials with the Ministry of Science and Technology said
yesterday.
More than 6 billion yuan ($780 million) has been invested in
about 1,500 science and technology projects in urban construction,
energy-saving, environmental protection, traffic management and information
services for the Beijing Games, ministry sources said. About 1.5 billion yuan
was contributed by the central budget and the rest by local government budgets
and the public.
"We are confident of hosting a successful hi-tech Olympic
Games next year as the country has invested heavily in construction and
scientific innovations," Qin Yong, deputy director of the Development and
Planning Department of the Ministry of Science and Technology,
said.
"Special efforts have been made to tackle environment and traffic
problems."
"The ministry will continue to support high-end and
environment-friendly enterprises, promoting their independent research and
development, and speeding up the application of intellectual property rights,"
he said.
To achieve the target of zero emission in the Olympic zone,
Li-ion battery-powered vehicles will
be used. The battery was designed by the Beijing Institute of
Technology.
Another 100 hybrid electric vehicles will be used to connect
all the venues across the city.
So far, seven model buses have been
built and all have passed the required road tests. The manufacturer soon will
begin mass production, Chen Ligong, a senior engineer of Beijing Science and
Technology Commission, said.
The Li-ion battery is designed for vehicles
with a high energy density, and long-term repetitive use. Its high efficiency
and zero emission have made it a major subject of research and development at
home and abroad.
However, some accidents caused by the Li-ion battery
have occurred in recent years, sparking concern over its safety.
"The
Li-ion battery to be used in the Olympic buses is different and fully reliable
for its safety," Chen said.
About 80 percent of buses and 70 percent of
taxis in Beijing are expected to use clean fuel by the end of this
year.
Renewable energy sources including solar energy, wind power and
terrestrial heat will be used
widely in the Olympic zone and is expected to save 64.5 million kwh per
year.
Energy saving construction materials in the zone is expected
to help save another 260 million kwh a year and reduce carbon dioxide emission
of 230,000 tons per year, experts said.
A national key scientific project, the
Beijing intelligent traffic management system, has built four centers to oversee
80 percent of traffic on urban roads.
(China Daily 08/08/2007 page
4)
Vocabulary:
Li-ion：鋰離子
terrestrial heat：地熱
Questions:
1. How much has been
invested in the 1,500 projects?
2. What institution designed the Li-ion
battery?
3. How much energy is green technology expected to save in the
Olympic zone?
Answers:
1. 6 billion
RMB.
2. Beijing Institute of Technology.
3. 64.5 million kwh per
year.
（英語點津 Linda 編輯）
About the broadcaster:
Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an
undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China
Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University,
where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.
Matt Doran is an award-winning American newspaper journalist and an
undergraduate student at Albion College. He is currently a polisher for China
Daily Website and is on summer break from Beijing Foreign Studies University,
where he will resume his study of Chinese in the fall.
