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The diesel engine dates back to the last decades of the 19th century when Dr. Rudolf Diesel invented an engine that could use multiple sources of energy, ranging from coal dust mixed with water, to mineral oil to vegetable oil. In his most important public showing of the diesel engine, at the 1900 World's Fair in Paris, Diesel described experiments he had done with the engine using peanut oil as fuel. He saw the future of his engine as a boon for farming. He said that by running on vegetable oils, his engine could “help considerably with the development of agriculture in the countries which use it.”
Unfortunately though, for most of their commercial life in the United States, diesel engines in cars and machinery have run on petroleum-based diesel fuel. Petroleum is a fossil fuel, something America is not blessed with in abundance. It is also in short supply globally. Diesel fuel made from plant or animal fats and oils is called biodiesel and is gaining in popularity in the United States and abroad. It is truly a green product as it can be made from any plant oil or even from recycled cooking oils. It is estimated that there are presently 4.5 billion gallons of used vegetable oil available per year in the United States, which could replace 10 percent of our current fuel expenditures.
Today, gasoline prices are at an all time high in the United States. Biodiesel fuel costs less and is better for your car and for the environment. It also employs farmers in the United States in its production and is a local product. Perhaps the most interesting thing about driving or walking near a car or truck running on biodiesel is the smell of french fries. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that can be run in a standard car (diesel engine) without modifying the engine. It is also flexible in that it can be mixed with petroleum-based diesel or used on its own. Because of the glycerin in the fuel, biodiesel acts as a cleanser and thus prolongs the life of the engine. With regular diesel, sulfur is used as a lubricant, which when burned produces sulfur dioxide, the main component in acid rain. Biodiesel needs no such lubricating agent and therefore does not produce sulfur dioxide. It bums more cleanly as well, producing 50 percent less air pollution than standard diesel.
Another advantage is its much higher ignition temperature. Regular diesel ignites at 125 degrees Fahrenheit compared to approximately 300 degrees for biodiesel. This difference can save lives in cases of accidents since biodiesel will have a much lower likelihood of bursting into flames. It is also biodegradable. A University of Idaho study found that biodiesel mixed with water was 95 percent degraded by the end of a 28 day period. The regular diesel in the same study was only 40 percent degraded after the same period.
Question 1 of 5
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1. What is the main point of this article?
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Question 2 of 5
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2. What does the italicized word mean ill the following sentence?
Petroleum is a fossil fuel, something America is not blessed with in abundance.
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Question 3 of 5
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3. Which or the following is not mentioned as an advantage of biodiesel?
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Question 4 of 5
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4. Why is biodiesel considered safer than regular diesel?
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Question 5 of 5
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5. What is the author’s attitude towards biodiesel’s smell?
Unfortunately though, for most of their commercial life in the United States, diesel engines in cars and machinery have run on petroleum-based diesel fuel. Petroleum is a fossil fuel, something America is not blessed with in abundance. It is also in short supply globally. Diesel fuel made from plant or animal fats and oils is called biodiesel and is gaining in popularity in the United States and abroad. It is truly a green product as it can be made from any plant oil or even from recycled cooking oils. It is estimated that there are presently 4.5 billion gallons of used vegetable oil available per year in the United States, which could replace 10 percent of our current fuel expenditures.
Today, gasoline prices are at an all time high in the United States. Biodiesel fuel costs less and is better for your car and for the environment. It also employs farmers in the United States in its production and is a local product. Perhaps the most interesting thing about driving or walking near a car or truck running on biodiesel is the smell of french fries. Biodiesel is the only alternative fuel that can be run in a standard car (diesel engine) without modifying the engine. It is also flexible in that it can be mixed with petroleum-based diesel or used on its own. Because of the glycerin in the fuel, biodiesel acts as a cleanser and thus prolongs the life of the engine. With regular diesel, sulfur is used as a lubricant, which when burned produces sulfur dioxide, the main component in acid rain. Biodiesel needs no such lubricating agent and therefore does not produce sulfur dioxide. It bums more cleanly as well, producing 50 percent less air pollution than standard diesel.
Another advantage is its much higher ignition temperature. Regular diesel ignites at 125 degrees Fahrenheit compared to approximately 300 degrees for biodiesel. This difference can save lives in cases of accidents since biodiesel will have a much lower likelihood of bursting into flames. It is also biodegradable. A University of Idaho study found that biodiesel mixed with water was 95 percent degraded by the end of a 28 day period. The regular diesel in the same study was only 40 percent degraded after the same period.
Question 1 of 5
0.8 Points
1. What is the main point of this article?
- A. Dr. Rudolf Diesel's prophecy has come true 90 years later.
- B. We should conserve gasoline and diesel.
- C. Biodiesel is cleaner than regular diesel.
- D. Bicdicsel is a feasible fuel for today and is better than regular diesel
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Question 2 of 5
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2. What does the italicized word mean ill the following sentence?
Petroleum is a fossil fuel, something America is not blessed with in abundance.
- A. a place in the United States.
- B. demand
- C. great supply
- D. scarcity
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Question 3 of 5
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3. Which or the following is not mentioned as an advantage of biodiesel?
- A. It burns more cleanly than standard diesel
- B. It is easy to find in many gas stations.
- C. It does not contribute to acid rain.
- D. It causes an engine to last longer.
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Question 4 of 5
0.8 Points
4. Why is biodiesel considered safer than regular diesel?
- A. Its vapors smell like french fries.
- B. It burns at a higher temperature.
- C. It contains glycerin.
- D. It is made in the United States
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Question 5 of 5
0.8 Points
5. What is the author’s attitude towards biodiesel’s smell?
- A. He prefers the smell of french fries to that of regular diesel.
- B. It reminds him of a fast-food restaurant.
- C. He dislikes it.
- D. He finds it amusing.