11岁的时候你在干嘛？11-year-old Chinese boy builds homemade go-kart

An 11-year-old Chinese boy from the city of Quzhou(衢州) in Zhejiang has built a homemade(自制) go-kart(卡丁车) during his summer vacation(暑假), reports the Qianjiang Evening News.

An 11-year-old Chinese boy rides his homemade go-kart in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province, August 13, 2018. [File photo:VCG]

The boy, surnamed Shao, is currently a fifth grader at the Quzhou Experimental Primary School. Unlike most kids(小孩) at his age, who usually spend(花费) their summer vacation taking extra courses(课程) to improve their grades, Shao decided to build a go-kart.

At a cost(费用) of just 620 yuan (just under 100 US dollars), the boy created the frame(框架) from wood(木材) and aluminium alloy(铝合金). He fashioned the engine(发动机) out of an old electric bike motor he purchased from a local bike repair shop. The wheels(轮胎) he purchased online.

He says he spent around 4 hours each day during his break creating his go-cart, spending a total of 120 hours building his invention(发明).

An 11-year-old Chinese boy assembles his home-made go-kart in Quzhou, Zhejiang Province August 13, 2018. [File photo:VCG]

Shao does have a background in engineering and inventing. He participated in the 2018 World Robot Championship's Wuhan district competition, taking 2nd prize at the event.

"I have enormous passion toward inventing. One day I hope to be an inventor like Thomas Edison," said Shao.

词汇 Words:

[shǔ jià] 暑假 summer vocation
[xiǎo hái] 小孩 kid
[kè chéng] 课程 course
[fèi yòng] 费用 cost
[kuàng jià] 框架 frame
[lún tāi] 轮胎 wheel
[fādòngjī] 发动机 engine
[fā míng] 发明 invention
[huā fèi] 花费 spend

重点词汇 Key word:

自制 <动词 v.> 

• Made by oneself
  E.g. Zhèxiē shèbèi shì wǒmen zìzhì de。
  这些设备是我们自制的。
  The equipment is of our own manufacture.

• Restrain/control oneself
  E.g. Tā yī dá yóuxì jiù bùnéng zìzhì, chángcháng yī wán jiùshì yīgè tōngxiāo。
  他一打游戏就不能自制,常常一玩就是一个通宵。
  Whenever he begins to play a game, he will be so absorbed in it that he can hardly bear to part with it and often plays it all night.