【正文】 en39。t finished yet.Q: And you39。ve been writing a book about solar cars.A: Well, so far I39。ve only written the first few chapters! I want people to have a good impression of solar cars.Q: But a lot of people think that solar cars are too slow or not very reliable. How can you persuade them of the advantages of solar cars?A: Solar cars are getting better all the time. They have reached speeds of nearly 80 . In tests, one car we built has averaged over 40 ., even in cloudy weather.Q: You39。ve been working hard – good luck in the race!A: Thanks a lot.U9 L44 Car CultureThe Road to Destruction“This morning it took me forty minutes to get to work. More road construction works on the A10!” “Oh really? It took me over an hour. There was an accident on the M11.”“You39。re both lucky. It took me two hours! You don39。t have to use the M25.”How often have you heard these conversations? How often do we get stuck in traffic jams? How often do we arrive at work or school stressed out, tired and angry? For many people in Britain, the answer is every day. But anger and stress are nothing pared to the real costs of the motor car. Here are some figures:? In the last ten years, the number of cars on the roads in Britain has gone up by 30%.? There are now 25 million cars in this country.? Over three thousand people die every year in road accidents in Britain.? In London, car engines produce 99% of all carbon monoxide in the atmosphere.? Twentyfive thousand deaths per year are caused by air pollution.? Some types of cancer are related to traffic pollution.? Traffic is one of the major causes of global warming and climate change. The average global temperature is about degrees centigrade higher than it was 100 years ago.We know that cars are bad for us. So why do we carry on using our cars so much? We all make excuses: “The buses are terrible.” “The trains are always late!” “I haven39。t got time to walk.”I39。m talking about myself, too. I admit: I39。m addicted to my car. When I asked Jenny Trowe of Greenpeace for advice about how to give up, she told me six things:1 Use your legs. Over 25% of car journeys are under two miles – short journeys we could easily walk or cycle. Leg power can save you money, keep you fit and help you live longer. And regular exercise cuts the risk of heart disease by 50%!2 Use public transport. On average, about forty people travel in one bus, while the same number occupy thirtythree cars. Sometimes it can take a little bit longer, but so what? You can relax on the bus or train, read a book, talk to someone, meet the love of your life – who knows?3 Think before you go. Do you really have to go to that shopping centre on the other side of town? What about the shops around the corner? Before you get into your car, think about whether you really need to make that journey.4 Share cars. If you39。ve really got to use a car, share journeys with someone else. It is much cheaper and kinder to the environment.5 Don39。t believe advertisements! Nearly a quarter of all the advertisements on TV are about cars. You see an attractive man or woman driving a fast car through beautiful countryside. It39。s not true! That new car won39。t make you more attractive. And you won39。t be driving on an empty country road. You39。ll be stuck in a traffic jam in a city or on a highway!6 Take action somehow! We often think there is nothing we can do about the noise, pollution and danger of traffic. There is. If your street39。s full of heavy traffic, talk to your neighbours about it. Write to the papers. Go to the city government. Ask for a speed limit. Ask for a pedestrian area. Do whichever of these things that suit you. Don39。t just sit around and plain!All quite simple, isn39。t it? Six easy ways to improve our environment. Well, I39。m sorry I must finish this article. I39。ve got to pick up my daughter from school at four o39。clock. Then I39。ve got to drive to Sainsbury39。s to do the shopping. After that I have to take my son to a party. And tomorrow we39。re driving over to see my mother. The traffic39。s going to be awful, but what can we do?11