Learning English - Words in the News29 June, 2007 - Published 11:03 GMTIran petrol rationingIranians reacted angrily to the government's decision to introduce petrol rationing at a time when they're already struggling with high unemployment, spiralling inflation and low public sector pay. This report from Pam O'Toole:Listen to the storyIn his two years in office, President Ahmadinejad says he's created millions of jobs, increased foreign investment and achieved good economic growth. But a growing number of critics have accused him of using oil wealth to introduce populist economic policies which have served to drive up inflation. Officially, inflation is running at 13 per cent, but economists say in reality it's much higher. Ordinary people complain that rents have doubled, or that they can no longer afford to buy meat.For some Iranians, the rationing of highly subsidised petrol is clearly a step too far. Iranians have always regarded cheap petrol as a kind of national birthright - particularly given the country's poor public transport system. Over recent years, a number of Iranian administrations have toyed with the idea of raising the price of subsidised petrol, or rationing supply.The current government says rationing is essential to curb rising consumption and help reduce reliance on expensive petrol imports. But Tehran's also thought to be concerned that those petrol imports could be targeted in future sanctions imposed on it because of its controversial nuclear programme. While many Iranians support the nuclear programme, some economists fear that petrol rationing could stoke further inflation - and that's something ordinary people are anxious to avoid.Pam O'Toole , BBCListen to the wordspopulistappealing to a lot of people but not necessarily good in the long termto drive uphere, to increaserationinga system of limiting the amount of something that each person is allowed to havehighly subsidisedreceiving a lot of money from the state in order to keep the prices lowa step too fartoo muchbirthrightsomething you believe you deserve to have (in this case, because you were born in Iran)toyed withconsidered but not very seriously and without making a decisionto curbto reducecontroversialcausing strong disagreement or discussionstokebe the reason for (something negative)Read more about this story

New way to produce biofuel

Learning English - Words in the News12 September, 2007 - Published 12:36 GMTNew way to produce biofuelsScientists in Brazil say they have found a novel way of improving the production of biofuels. The researchers say that fermenting sugar cane in the presence of magnets boosted production by 17% and made the process faster. This report from Matt McGrath:Listen to the storyMany countries around the world are trying to reduce their dependence on oil by emulating Brazil where bio ethanol provides about 30% of automobile fuel. But the process of making bio ethanol by fermenting sugar cane is time-consuming, inefficient and expensive.Now a team of researchers at Brazil's State University of Campinas say they have found a way of improving the production process by using extremely low frequency magnetic waves. The team attached two electromagnetic generators to a vat containing a mixture of yeast and sugar cane. They found that the production of ethanol increased by 17% and it speeded up the time required to produce the fuel by two hours.The scientists involved are unsure as to how exactly the process works but they believe that the magnets stimulate the yeast and make it work faster and more intensely. They believe their discovery can be easily implemented at an industrial scale.Matt McGrath, BBCListen to the wordsemulatingbeing like or copying what someone or something (here, Brazil) has done wellbio ethanola chemical which is a type of alcohol, mainly produced by the sugar fermentation process, although it can also be manufactured by the chemical process of reacting ethylene with steamfermentingmaking something change chemically by the action of living substances, such as yeast or bacterialow frequency magnetic wavesthe disturbances which carry the energy produced using the power of magnets ('low frequency' refers to the fact that there is a relatively small number of these disturbances within a particular period)electromagneticrefers to a device made of iron, with wire around it, that becomes magnetic when a changing current is passed through ita vata large container used for mixing or storing liquidsyeasttype of fungus which is used, for example, to make bread swell and become lightspeeded up the time requiredless time was needed because the process happened fasterunsurenot certainimplementedput into operation, made to happenRead more about this storyTry a comprehension quiz based on this story