Question

An energy watchdog is alarmed about the threat to the environment from the increasing electricity needs of gadgets（小装置）like MP3 players, mobile phones and flat screen TVs.

In a report today, the Paris-based International Energy Agency says new electronic gadgets will be three times their energy consumption by 2030 to 1,700 terawatt hours（千瓦时）, which is equal to today's home electricity consumption of the United States and Japan combined.

The world would have to build around 200 new nuclear power plants just to power all the TVs, iPods, PCs and other home electronics expected to be plugged in by 2030,when the global electric bill to power them will rise to $200 billion a year, the agency said.

“Consumer electronics is the fastest growing area and the area with the least amount of policies in place to control energy efficiency, ” said Paul Waide, a senior policy analyst at the agency.

Electronic gadgets already account for about 15 percent of household electric consumption, a share that is rising rapidly as the number of these gadgets multiplies. Last year, the world spent $80 billion on electricity to power all these household electronics, the energy agency said.

“ Most of the increase in consumer electronics will be in developing countries, where economic growth is the fastest and ownership rates of gadgets are the lowest , ”Waide said.

“This will jeopardize efforts to increase energy security and reduce the amount of greenhouse gases blamed for global warming.” the agency said. Existing technologies could cut down gadgets’energy consumption by more than 30 percent at no cost or by more than 50 percent at a small cost, the agency estimates, meaning total greenhouse gas emissions（排放） from households’electronic gadgets could be held stable（稳定的） at around 500 million tons of CO2 per year.

1. How many terawatt hours did the energy consumption of new electronic gadgets reach?

A. Nearly l, 700. B. Nearly 600.

C. About 200. D. About 60.

2. What is the condition in the area of consumer electronics?

A. There are a lot of rules to control the market.

B. There are few policies to control energy efficiency.

C. There are few choices for the customers.

D. There are lots of regulations to protect consumers' rights.

3. The underlined word “jeopardize” in the last paragraph probably means “________ ”.

A. harm B. inspire

C. strengthen D. encourage

4. We can know from the last paragraph that existing technologies ___________.

A. are able to control gadgets’energy consumption

B. could do nothing about gadgets’ energy consumption

C. could only cut down gadgets’ energy consumption by 30 percent

D. cut down gadgets’energy consumption at great cost

 

Answer 1

1.B

2.B

3.A

4.A

【解析】

试题分析：本文讲述了电能的需求量越来越大使得对环境的威胁也越来越大，相关人士对此前景表示担忧的同时也在想解决问题的办法，认为这个情况是可以调和的。

1. electronic gadgets will be three times their energy consumption by 2030 to 1,700 terawatt hours（千瓦时）可知将来的能量消耗是现在的3倍，1700除以3约为600.故选B

2. electronics is ..the area with the least amount of policies in place to control energy efficiency可知需要一些政策作为条件来控制能量效率。故选B

3. of the increase in consumer electronics… fastest and ownership rates of gadgets are the lowest 可知由于发展中国家对电力的大量使用使得能源安全和温室气体的问题扩大。故选A

4. technologies could cut down gadgets’energy consumption可知能耗是可以较少的，故选A

考点：考查科学类阅读