题目内容
Solar energy heating system is an _____ method of heating.
A. economic B. economy C. economics D. economical
D
In a world with limited land, water and other natural resources(资源), the harm from the traditional business model is on the rise. Actually, the past decade has seen more and more forests disappearing and the globe becoming increasingly warm. People now realize that this unhealthy situation must be changed, and that we must be able to develop in sustainable(可持续的)ways. That means growth with low carbon or development of sustainable products. In other words, we should keep the healthy while using its supply of natural resources.
Today, sustainable development is a popular trend in many countries. According to a recent study, the global market for low-carbon energy will become three times bigger over the next decade. China, for example, has set its mind on leading that market, hoping to seize chances in the new round of the global energy resolution. It is now trying hard to made full use of wind and solar energy, and is spending a huge amount of money making electric cars and high-speed trains. In addition, we are also seeing great growth in the global markets for sustainable products such as palm oil(棕榈油), which is produced without cutting down valuable rainforest. In recent years the markets for sustainable products have grown more than 50%.
Governments can fully develop the potential of these new markets. First, they can set high targets for reducing carbon emissions(排放) and targets for saving and reusing energy. Besides, stronger arrangement of public resources like forests can also help to speed up the development. Finally, governments can avoid the huge public expenses that are taking us in the wrong direction, and redirecting some of those expenses can accelerate the change from the traditional model to a sustainable one.
The major challenge of this century is to find ways to meet the needs of a growing population within the limits of this single planet. That is no small task, but it offers a large of new chances for sustainable product industries.
【小题1】The traditional business model is harmful because of all the following EXCEPT that____.
| A.it makes the world warmer |
| B.it consumes natural resources |
| C.it brings severe damage to future |
| D.it makes growth hard to continue |
| A.China lacks wind and solar energy |
| B.China is the leader of the low-carbon market |
| C.High-speed trains are a low-carbon development |
| D.Palm oil is made at the cost of valuable forests |
| A.cut public expenses | B.forbid carbon emission |
| C.develop public resources | D.encourage energy conservation |
| A.develop sustainable products | B.explore new natural resources |
| C.make full use of natural resources | D.deal with the major challenge |
| A.To introduce a new business model | B.To compare two business models |
| C.To predict a change of the global markets | D.To advocate sustainable development |
As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electhical generating(发电)and transmission(输送)systen for the 21th century will leave a lasting mark on the West, for better or worse. Much of the real significance of railroads and highways is not in their direct physical effect on the scenery, but in the ways that they affect the suurouding community. The same is true of big solar ppants and the power lines that will be laid dowm to move electricity around.
The 19th century saw land grants(政府拨地)offered to railroad companies to build the transcontinental railroads ,leaving public land in between privately owned land . In much of the west ,some of the railroad sections were developed while others remained undeveloped ,and in both cases the landownership has presented unique challenges to land management ,with the completion or the interstate highway system ,many of the small towns which sprang up as railway stops and developed well ,have lost their lifeblood and died .
Big solar plants and their power lines will also have effects far beyond their direct footprint in the west .this is not an argument against building then ,we need alternative energy badly .and to really take advantage of it we need to be able to move electricity around far more readily than we can now .
So trade-offs will have to be made .some scenic sport will be sacrificed .some species (物种)will be forced to move ,or will be carefully moved to special accommodations ,deals will be struck to reduce the immediate effects .
The lasting effects of these trade-offs are another matter .the 21st century development of the American west as an ideal place for alternative energy is going to throw off a lot of power and money to do a lot of good .but it is just as likely that they will be spent wastefully and will leave new problems behind ,just like the railroad and the highway .
The money set aside in negotiated trade –offs and the institution that control will shape the west far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines .so let’s remember the effects of the railroad and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the west .
【小题1】
what was the problem caused by the construction of the railways ?
| A.small towns along the railways became abandoned . |
| B.some railroad stops remained . |
| C.land in the west was hard to manage . |
| D.land grants went into private hands. |
what is the major concern in the development of alternative energy according to the last two paragraphs ?
| A.the transmission of power | B.the use of money and power |
| C.the conservation of solar energy | D.the selection of an ideal place |
what is the author ‘s attitude towards building solar plants ?
| A.cautious | B.approving | C.doubtful | D.disapproving |
which is the best title for the passage ?
| A.how the railways have affected the west |
| B.how solar energy could reshape the west |
| C.how the effects of power plants can be reduced |
| D.how the problems of the highways have been settled |