Solar energy for your home is coming. It can help you as a single home owner. It can help the whole country as well. Whether or not solar energy can save your money depends on many things. Where you live is one factor and the type of home you have is another. Things like insulation (絕緣材料), present energy costs, and the type of system you buy are added factors.
Using solar energy can help save our precious fuel. As you know, our supplies of oil and gas are very limited. There is just not enough on hand to meet all our future energy needs. Sooner or later Mother Nature will say that's all. The only way we can delay hearing those words is by starting to save energy now and by using other sources, like the sun.
We won't have to worry about the sun's running out of energy for another several billion years or so. Besides, the sun doesn't offer as many problems as other energy sources. For example, fossil fuel(礦物燃料) adds to already high pollution levels. With solar energy, we will still need sources of energy, but we won't need as much. That means we can cut down on our pollution problems.
With all these good points, why don't we use more solar power? There are many reasons for this. The biggest reason is money. Until now, it was just not practical for a home owner to put in a solar unit. There were cheaper sources of energy.
All that is changing now. Solar costs are starting to equal the costs of oil and electricity. Experts say that gas, oil and electricity prices will continue to rise. The demand for electricity is increasing rapidly. But new power plants will use more gas, oil or coal. Already in some places the supply of electricity is being rationed (限量供應(yīng)). Solar energy is now in its infancy (初期). It could soon grow to become a major part of our nation's energy supply.
60. What's this passage mainly about?
A. Something about solar energy and pollution.
B. Solar energy.
C. Energy and pollution.
D. Energy and money.
61. Solar energy can help us _____.
A. escape punishment from nature B. become home owners
C. get rid of present energy D. save our precious fuel
62. The sun is an endless source of energy, and it will not run out of energy for _____.
A. several million years B. several hundred years
C. several billion years D. several thousand years
63. Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A. Energy from coal would not pollute our living environment.
B. Energy from natural gas would not pollute our living environment.
C. Energy from the sun would not pollute our living environment.
D. Energy from oil would not pollute our living environment.
64. Solar energy is now in its infancy, _____.
A. but in the future it will become an important part of our nation's energy supply
B. so we will build more power plants
C. and the supply of electricity will be rationed throughout the country
D. so we don't need it
科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
In the atmosphere , carbon dioxide acts rather like a one-way mirror or the glass in the roof of a greenhouse which allows the sun’s rays to enter but prevents the heat from escaping.
According to a weather expert’s prediction, the atmosphere will be 3 ℃ warmer in the year 2050 than it is today, if man continues to burn fuels at the present rate. If this warming up took place, the ice caps in the poles would begin to melt, thus raising sea level several meters and severely flooding coastal cities. Also, the increase in atmospheric temperature would lead to great changes in the climate of the northern hemisphere(半球), possibly resulting in an alteration of the earth’s chief food growing zones.
In the past, concern about a man-made warming of the earth has concentrated on the Arctic because the Antarctic is much colder and has a much thicker ice sheet. But the weather experts are now paying more attention to West Antarctic, which may be affected by only a few degrees of warming, in other words, by a warming on the scale that will possibly take place in the next fifty years from the burning of fuels.
Satellite pictures show that large areas of Antarctic ice are already disappearing. The evidence available suggests that a warming has taken place. This fits the theory that carbon dioxide warms the earth
However, most of the fuel is burnt in the northern hemisphere, where temperatures seem to be falling. Scientists conclude, therefore, that up to now natural influences on the weather have gone beyond those caused by man. The question is: Which natural cause has most effect on the weather?
One possibility is the variable behavior of the sun. Astronomers at one research station have studied the hot sports and ‘cold” spots( that is, the relatively less hot spots) on the sun. As the sun rotates(使旋轉(zhuǎn)), every 27.5 days, it presents hotter or colder faces to the earth, and different aspects to different parts of the earth. This seems to have a considerable effect on the distribution of the earth’s atmospheric pressure, and consequently on wind circulation. The sun is also changeable over a long term: its heat output goes up and down in cycles, the latest trend being downward.
Scientists are now finding shared relations between models of solar weather interactions and the actual climate over many thousands of years, including the last Ice Age. The problem is that the models are predicting that the world should be entering a new Ice Age and it is hot. One way of solving this theoretical difficulty is to assume a delay of thousands of years while the solar effects overcome the inertia(慣性) of the earth’s climate. If this is right, the warming effect of carbon dioxide might thus be serving as a useful opposed balance to the sun’s fading heat.
It can be concluded that concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would ____.
A. mean a warming-up in the Arctic.
B. raise the temperature of the earth’s surface.
C. prevent the sun’s rays from reaching the earth’ s surface.
D. explain the cause of great changes in the climate in the northern hemisphere.
The article was written to explain____.
A. the greenhouse effect. B. the solar effects on the earth.
C. the causes affecting weather. D. the models of solar weather of solar weather interactions.
Although the fuel consumption is greater in the northern hemisphere, temperature there seems to be falling. This is ____.
A. mainly because the levels of carbon dioxide are rising
B. partly due to changes in the output of solar energy
C. possibly because the ice caps in the poles are melting
D. only due to the effect of the inertia of the earth’s climate
On the basis of their models, scientists are of the opinion that .
A. the climate of the world should be becoming cooler
B. the new Ice Age will be delayed by the greenhouse effect
C. the man-made warning effect helps to increase the solar effects
D. it will take thousands of years for the interia of the earth’s climate to take effect.
If the assumption about the delay of a new Ice Age is correct, ___.
A. ice would soon cover the northern hemisphere.
B. the greenhouse effect could work in favor of the earth.
C. the best way to overcome the cooling effect would be to burn more fuels.
D. the increased levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere could warm up the earth even more quickly.
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科目：高中英語 來源： 題型：閱讀理解
Sometimes, the simplest ideas are the best. For example, to absorb heat from the sun to heat water, you need large, flat, black surfaces. One way to do that is to build those surfaces specially, on the roofs of buildings. But why go to all that trouble when cities are rub of black surfaces already, in the form of asphalt （柏油） roads?
Ten years ago, this thought came into the mind of Arian de Bondt, a Dutch engineer. He finally persuaded his boss to follow it up. The result is that their building is now heated in winter and cooled in summer by a system that relies on the surface of the road outside.
The heat-collector is a system of connected water pipes. Most of them ran from one side of the street to the other, just under the asphalt road. Some, however, dive deep into the ground.
When the street surface gets hot in summer, water pumped through the pipes picks up this heat and takes it underground through one of the diving pipes. At a depth of 100 metres lies a natural aquifer （蓄水層） into which several heat exchangers （交換器） have been built. The hot water from the street runs through these exchangers, warning the ground-water, before returning to the surface through another pipe. The aquifer is thus used as a heat store.
In winter, the working system is changed slightly. Water is pumped through the heat exchangers to pick up the heat stored during summer. This water goes into the building and is used to warm the place up. After performing that task, it is pumped under the asphalt and its remaining heat keeps the road free of snow and ice.
Which of the following is true according to the first two paragraphs?
A. Arian de Bondt got his idea from his boss.
B. Large, flat, black surfaces need to be built in cities.
C. The Dutch engineer's system has been widely used.
D. Heat can also be collected from asphalt roads.
For what purpose are the diving pipes used?
A. To absorb heat from the sun.
B. To store heat for future use.
C. To turn solar energy into heat energy.
D. To carry heat down below the surface.
From the last paragraph we can learn that __
A. some pipes have to be re-arranged in winter
B. the system can do more than warming up the building
C. the exchangers will pick up heat from the street surface
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科目：高中英語 來源：山東省淄博市2010屆高三下學(xué)期第一次模擬考試 題型：閱讀理解
C
A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigationsystems powered by the sun can pro-duce more food and money for villagers． The study-in Benin found that solar - powered pumpsare effective in 8upplying water, especially during the long dry season．
Sub - Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security． The United Na-tions Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more"than one biillion of the world' s peo-ple faced hunger last year．Around 265 million of them live'south of the Sahara Desert: Lack of rainfallis one oftheir main causes offood shortages．．
Jennifer Bumey from Stanford University in Califomia led the study．The research team helped build three solar - powered drip irrigation -（滴灌） ,systems in northem Benin． Between 30 and 35 women used each system to pump water from the ground or a stream．Each woman was responsible for farming her own 120 sqrurre meters of land． They also farmed other land collectively．
The solar - powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two tons of vegetables per montb． During the first year, the women．kept a monthly average of almost rune kilograms of vegetables for home use．They sold the surplus produce at local markets． The eamings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months． Peo- ple in the'two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more servingsof yegetables per day．But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect．
The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets． The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much．The researchers note that only four percent of the croplamd in sub - Saharan Africa is irrigated． Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first． But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene． And solar power is environmentally friendly．
66．Food security in Sub - Saharan Africa is insufficient mainly because of
A．lack of rainfall B．limitation of farmland
C． a small crop variety D．little sunlight
67．From the third paragraph we know that _______．
A．water is wasted by using the system
B． the farmers imgate the land together
C． all farmers use irrigation systems in northem Benin
D． the solar - powered systems take up more manpower
68．The underlined word "surplus" in the 4th paragraph most probably means_______
A．special B．unnecessary C．extra D．a(chǎn)bandoned
69．Usinf．solar power to pump water has advantages EXCEPT that
A．solar energy has higher cost at first
B．solar power helps to protect environment
C．solar power helps farmers increase eanungs
D． solar energy can be more economical in the long run
70．What can be the best title for the text?
A．Manpower affects rainfallin Africa
B．Irrigation by carrying water in buckets
C．Solar - powered pumps aid African farmers
D．Vegetable supply increased in African villages
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科目：高中英語 來源：2011-2012學(xué)年江西高樟豐宜四校高二下學(xué)期期末聯(lián)考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
With the Tesla Roadster and other plugin (插入式) electric vehicles hitting the road，demand is growing for accessible refueling points to recharge them. Carbon Day Automotive, a Chicagobased company，has now demonstrated a solarpowered recharging point, known as the Solar PlugIn Station，which lets motorists easily charge their cars using electricity that has been produced without any environmental damage.
The Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show in Chicago as part of the city’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games. According to Carbon Day Automotive，the Solar PlugIn Station on show in Chicago is part of the vital infrastructure(基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施) required for electric vehicles in Chicago and was the focus of a recent visit by the International Olympic Committee.
These solarpowered electricity points will be used daily to fuel the city’s electric vehicles with power from the sun. By producing the electricity from pollutionfree solar cell, the CO2 emissions are reduced to zero.
“Solar energy and electric vehicles are a partnership that is one more step to reducing our dependence on foreign oil,” says Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies.Coulomb Technologies recently developed the components (部件) required for individual recharging stations，marketed as ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations.Carbon Day Automotive is the Midwest distributor for the ChargePoint stations. The Solar PlugIn Station consists of giant solar panels (電池板) that shade the tiny ChargePoint Networked Charging Station.The solar panel is connected to an underground battery pack，ready for everyday refueling.
“Without these stations it would be like driving around in a traditional car without the availability of gas stations，” says Scott Emalfarb，CEO at Carbon Day.“The day of true plugin electric vehicles will be here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate them.”
【小題1】The Solar PlugIn Station is used as part of the bid to host the Olympics mainly because ________.
| A．it’s environmentally friendly |
| B．it makes up for the lack of electricity |
| C．it’s a new idea and attracts people’s attention |
| D．it brings convenience to electric vehicle users |
| A．to recharge the electric vehicles takes a long time |
| B．the Solar PlugIn Station will come into use in 2016 |
| C．the Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show internationally |
| D．Chicago is promoting the use of electric vehicles |
| A．2. | B．3. | C．4. | D．5. |
| A．more visitors will come to Chicago |
| B．the citizens of Chicago will be able to go to work faster |
| C．more space for electric vehicles will be needed |
| D．the cost of electric vehicles will be lower than traditional cars |
| A．Chicago Will Soon Be Full of Electric Vehicles |
| B．Chicago Calls on People to Buy Electric Vehicles |
| C．Chicago Fights for Its Bid to Host the 2016 Olympics |
| D．Chicago Shows Its Solarpowered Recharging Stations |
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科目：高中英語 來源：2013屆安徽省黃山市高三第一次聯(lián)考英語試卷（帶解析） 題型：閱讀理解
As the railroads and the highways shaped the American West in the past centuries, a new electrical generating(發(fā)電)and transmission (輸送) system for the 21st 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 surrounding community. The same is true of big solar plants and the power lines that will be laid down to move electricity around.
The 19 th century saw land grants(政府撥地) 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 of 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 them. 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 spots will be sacrificed. Some species(物種) 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 in the region. There are chances for that 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 railroads and the highways.
The money set aside in negotiated trade-offs and the institutions that control it will shape the West far beyond the immediate footprint of power plants and transmission lines. So let’s remember the effects of the railroads and the highways as we construct these new power plants in the West.
【小題1】What was the problem caused by the construction of the railways?
| A．Small towns along the railways became abandoned. |
| B．Land in the West was hard to manage. |
| C．Some railroad stops remained underused. |
| D．Land grants went into private hands. |
| A．The use of money and power. |
| B．The transmission of power. |
| C．The conservation of solar energy. |
| D．The selection of an ideal place. |
| A．Disapproving. | B．Approving. | C．Doubtful. | D．Cautious. |
| A．How the Railways Have Affected the West |
| B．How the Effects of Power Plants Can Be Reduced |
| C．How Solar Energy Could Reshape the West |
| D．How the Problems of the Highways Have Been Settled |
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