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Fuel Prices

Learn the Present Progressive Tense

Date: May 30 2012

Themes: News

Grammar: Present Progressive Tense

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Intro

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In many parts of the world, the weather has started to warm up and the days have been getting longer. With summer approaching, it would be fun to plan a road trip. But with fuel prices on the rise, you might decide on a staycation instead.

For many of us, gas is a necessity. We don’t like spending money on it, but we have to. People often complain about the cost of fuel. But lately, fuel prices seem to be higher than ever, and increasing more rapidly than ever. Will it ever get better? Find out what Amy and Dale think.

Dialog

1. Listen and Read - Listen to the audio and read the dialog at the same time.

2. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

Dale

Amy

Dale: So, I was watching a movie, and in one scene, they were at a gas station, and the gas was $1.10 a gallon.

Amy: No way. That’s unimaginable.

Dale: And now look at it. We’re in the four-dollar-plus range, and it could even hit five dollars in the summer. And we haven’t really earned a lot more money.

Amy: Yeah, people aren’t making five times what they made ten years ago.

Dale: Correct. And so it put me into a shock, and also a realization, going, “We had it pretty good at that dollar range.”

Amy: Right. But probably people were complaining then, too, because it’s just one of those things that people always seem to be upset about, you know, the price of gas.

Dale: Pretty much, but it seems to get higher and higher.

Amy: Right. Well, you can see that people are choosing to buy cars that get better mileage. You know, everybody wants a fuel efficient car, and I guess that’s one way to deal with it, at least on your end.

Dale: It is, but of course it’s not cheap upfront.

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Discussion

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Dale was watching a movie from about ten years ago, and he was shocked to see the price of fuel in the film. The cost of gas is nearly five times higher than it was back then. But Dale points out that we don’t earn five times as much money. The price of gas has increased more rapidly than anything else he can think of.

Amy agrees that the price of gas is high. But she says that people always complain about fuel prices. She also points out that if you want to save money at the gas station, you can buy a more fuel efficient car. Dale agrees, but he says that fuel efficient cars cost a lot of money upfront. So it might take some time before you really start to save money.

Are gas prices high in your country? What do you think we should do to deal with high fuel prices?

Comments

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julito

Argentina

I think that this increased is more about greediness from the multinational Petro Companies than cost-relating . I have read a report that the money that these companies earned during the past years is staggering.

yangkun13888619734

China

fuel prices should be put down

kotlesya

Belarus

Eastern part of Belarus has got gas and oil but it is not enough for the needs of republic.

Belarus is on the 32d place in Europe with its readings of the fuel price.

Despite the constant increasing of the fuel price in my country it is still 18-25% lower than the price lever of fuel in Russia.

The price level for the fuel in Belarus has been increased by 5% in April this year and it is not the end yet.

The fuel price in Belarus depends on the world price of oil. It also depends on the increasing rates of the excise tax for petrochemicals.

The attempt to make the prices for the goods approximately equal within the Customs Union ( Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan) is the reason of the high price for fuel in Republic of Belarus.

Belarussian oil-refining industry tend to rise its efficiency hence the high fuel price is held.

Compare the prices in Belarus with your country ;)

Petrol costs 0,84 USD per 1 litre; Gas 0,48 USD per 1 litre

TITO007

Saudi Arabia

I think that the solution to the reduction of fuel consumption may be in:

1 - Traffic congestion leads to increased fuel consumption due to suspension movement irrigated, and which can be solved by the rationalization of traffic and pave the roads to accommodate the crowds

2 – a substantial increase in the number of cars in cities, regardless of the percentage of the population. You may find one person in each car, whereas if you use the bus will find it accommodates 50 people and therefore I have provided an area of 50 car in the street, enough to solve the crisis of traffic and congestion but this culture is prevalent in my country is well known that the bus to the poor people with the knowledge that I like the bus but when It being empty .

3 – Architectural expansion such as the establishment of bridges and tunnels may help and solve the problem of congestion and thus rationalize the consumption of gasoline.

and I see that my colleague BASET says the solution for the problem is reducing speed, this is not true ,cause reduce the speed may be just the opposite , Because the consumption of the car sure increase within the city and crowds ,while less consumption on highways

4 – Financial support from organizations, institutions and businessmen to support scientific research for alternative energy.

5 – Finally, increased support from governments to such goods.

and by the way 1 liter of gasoline cheaper than the liter of water in KSA :P !!

oalkathiri

United Arab Emirates

actually this problem you can find it in any where even my country so they have to make roles to control the international prices of fuel and gas. the weather is the one of big factor makes the people use the car some countries and the temperature sometimes reached 50 so it impossible to ride the bicycle under high temperature so definitely you will use the car. we need more control on the prices and they have to look on the poor people who don’t have that money to buy a fuel or gas

ghaffarihamed67

Iran, Islamic Republic Of

we have maximum reservoire gaz in under ground…and our country has to increas price of gas with increase other things prices

khaethe

Philippines

fuel prices affects the fare and it’s good to have a roll back of the prices

Joy900

Japan

Baset : sooooooooo great : the time is tooo late in sanaa :

HAVE A SWEET DREAMS !!!!

The Last Joke

Yemen

Joy :

ome positive that is a direct result of higher gas prices in our countries

1- people will ride bicycles or walk to work !

2- people will drive very slow ..!!

Joy900

Japan

Baset :

Can you tell me some positive that is a direct result of higher gas prices in our countries ???

The Last Joke

Yemen

Joy :

1- People should convince the goverment to lower or eliminate gasoline taxes,

2-The government could also subsidize the price of gasoline as is done some countries ! LIKE KSA !!!!!!!!!

3-The most sensible thing that governments can do is to encourage a move away from gasoline dependence.

We must do our best & everything in our power to get oil and natural gas in our country,

Joy900

Japan

Baset :

What do you think we should do to deal with high fuel prices?

The Last Joke

Yemen

Joy , because :

the price of gasoline is overwhelmingly dictated by the global price of crude oil. It’s true that local conditions in individual countries can make a difference..

i mean :

Price increases generally occur when the world crude-oil market tightens and lowers inventories. !!