四级阅读2635.docx
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四级阅读2635.docx
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四级阅读2635
UnitTwenty-Six
Passage1
PuttingtheSuntoWork
It'sahotsummerday,andyou,yourfamily,andfriendsdecidetodrivetothebeachforacookout.
Whenyougettothebeach,thesandandtherocksaresohotthattheyhurtyourbarefeet.Youputonsneakersinahurry.Thewaterissobrightandshininginthesunthatyoucanhardlylookatit.Whilethecharcoal(木炭)fireisstartingtoburninthecookoutstove,everyonegoesforaswim.Thewaterfeelsgood—warmatthetop,butcoolerdownaroundyourtoes.
Alittlewindisblowingwhenyoucomeout.Thefireisn'tquitereadyforcookingyet,soyouplaytag(儿童捉人游戏)orread.
Forlunchtherearehotdog,corn,saladandrolls,sodas,fruit,andcoffeefortheadults.Bythetimethecoffeewaterboilsandthecornandhotdogsarecooked,allthebathingsuitsaredry.Soarethetowelsspreadoutontherocks,inthesun.
Lunchisgood.Justasyouarefinishing,itstartstorainsoyoupackupandrun.Butnobodymindstherain.Itwillcoolthingsoff.
Atthesametimeyouwerehavingfunatthebeach,workwasbeingdone.Energyfromthesunwasdoingwork.Energy,inoneformoranother,doesalltheworkintheworld.
Heatenergyfromthesundriedthetowels.Itheatedthesandandtherocks,thewaterandtheair.Itevenmadetherainandthewind.Heatfromthesundoessmallworkandbigwork,allovertheearth.
Lightenergyfromthesunwasworkingonthebeachtoo.Itsuppliedthedaylight.
Itlittheearthandmadethesandbrightandthewatersparkling.
Thesunalsosuppliedtheenergythatgrewthefoodyouate.
Plantsuselightenergyfromthesuntomakefoodforthemselves.Thefoodisakindofsugar.Itisalsoakindofenergycalledchemicalenergy.Greenplantschangelightenergyfromthesunintochemicalenergy.
Plantsusesomeofthatenergyforeverydaylivingandgrowing.Theystoretherestintheirleavesandseeds,infruit,roots,stems,andberries.
Thesaladandthecorn,therolls,fruit,andcoffeeallcamefromplants.Youandallanimalsdependonplantsforfood.
Thecharcoalyouusedforcookingbeganasaplanttoo.Once,thatcharcoalwasalivingtreethatusedsunlighttomakefoodandthenstoredpartofthefooditmade.Theenergyinthisstoredfoodremained,evenafterthetreedied.Youusedthatenergywhenyouburnedthecharcoal.
Thegasolineyouusedfordrivingtothebeachbeganwithenergyfromthesun,too.Itwasmadefromoil.
Oilwasformedfromtheremainsofplantsandanimalsthatlivedonearthmillionsofyearsago.Theremainsofancientlivingthingsarecalledfossils.Thisiswhyoiliscalledafossilfuel.Coalandnaturalgasarefossilfuels,too.
Nowfossilfuelsarebeginningtobeusedup.
That'swhypeopleworryaboutrunningoutofenergy.
Butaslongasthesunshines,theearthwillnotrunoutofenergy.Thesunpoursmoreenergyonearththanwecaneveruse.Mostofthatenergycomestousasheatandlight.Energyfromthesuniscalledsolarenergy.
Solarenergyisasafekindofenergy.Itdoesn'tmakepollutionorhavedangerousleftovers.Thatiswhyscientistsandinventorsareexperimentingwithwaysofharnessingthesuntodosomeofthejobsfossilfuelshavebeendoing.
Buttomakethesundoworklikethat,theyhavetosolvesomeproblems.
Theyhavetocollectthesun'senergy.Collectingsunshineisn'teasy,unless
youareaplant.
Sunshineisn'teasytostore,either.Youcan'tfillatankwithitorputitinthewoodbox.Youcan'tmoveitthroughapipeorawire.Youcan'tturniton.
Still,peoplehavebeenusingsolarenergytohelpdotheirworkforalongtime.Thereareoldwaysandnewwaysofcatchingsunshineandputtingittowork.
Supposeyouwerelivinginacoldplaceandgoingtospendthewinterinacave.Wouldyouchooseacavethatfacedthewintersunoracavethatfacedawayfromit?
Youmightmakethesamechoiceifyouwerebuildingahouseinacoldplace.Youwouldprobablybuildthehouse,sothewintersunwouldpourinthewindowstowarmit.Peoplehavebeenbuildinghousesthatwayforalongtime.
Isitpossibletocatchstillmoreofthesun'sheatinahouse?
Yes,Somehousesalsocollectheatontheroof,moveitindoors,storesome,usesometomakehotwaterandtherestforheating.Ahouselikethatiscalledasolar
house.
Peoplewhobuildsolarhouseshavelearnedhowtodothosethingsbyobservinghowtheearthitselfusessolarenergy.
Rememberthebeach?
Rememberthehotsandandthehotrocks?
Somematerialstakeinheatenergyfromthesunandholdit.Theyabsorbtheheat.Sandandrocksdothis.Sodosomeothersolidmaterials,suchasmetals.Waterabsorbsthesun'sheattoo.
Colorcanalsobeimportant.Dark,dullcolorsabsorbheat.Light-colored,shinysurfacesreflectheat.Theybounceitback.That'swhydarkclothesarewarmerinthewinterandlightcoloredclothesarecoolerinthesummer.
Thelongerittakessomethingtoheatup,thelongerthatthingholdstheheat.Materialsthatheatupfastcoolofffast.
Ifyougobacktothebeachintheeveningaftersunset,thesandandtherocks,whichheatedupfast,willbecool.Butthewater,whichheatedupslowly,willstillbewarm.
Ittakesalongtimeforthesuntoheatthewaterinabiglakeorocean.Butbytheendofsummer,alargebodyofwaterwillhavecaughtandstoredenoughheatfromthesuntolastforagoodpartofthewinter.Waterstoresheatverywell.
That'swhylandnearalargebodyofwaternevergetsquiteascoldinthewinteraslandfarawayfromthewater.Thestoredheatinthewaterkeepsthelandarounditwarm.
Slowly,allwinterlong,heatfromthewatermovesoutintothecoldair.Heatalwaysmovesthatway—fromawarmerplaceorthingtoacoolerone.Onceyouknowwhichwayheatmoves,youunderstandhowthingsgethotandhowtheyloseheat.
1.Alltheworkintheworldisdonebyenergycomingfromthesuninoneformoranother.
2.Aswehumansdependonplantsforfood,plantsliveonchemicalenergyconvertedfromlightenergy.
3.Unlessthesundies,itwillsupplyendlessenergyonearth.
4.Ithasbeenalongtimesincepeoplebegantousesolarenergybecausesunshinecanbestoredinhouses.
5.Theadvantageofthesolarhouseisthatithashotwaterandheating.
6.Asolarhousedoesn'thavetouseelectricitywhenitmakesagooduseofsolarenergy.
7.Thepassagegivesabriefaccountofhowsolarenergyisemployed.
8.Wecanunderstandhowthingsgethotorloseheataslongasweknow______.
9.Mostoftheenergythesunsuppliestousisintheformsof______.
10.Peopleliketousefossilfuelstogetalmostallkindsofenergybecausetheyare______.
Passage2
Ihaveneverattendedalargecompany'sboardmeetinginmylife,butIfeelcertainthatthediscussionoftentakesthefollowinglines.The11ofproducinganew—forexample—toothpastewouldmake8Opthedecentpriceforit,sowewillmarketitat£l.20.Itisnotabadtoothpaste(notspeciallygoodeither,butnotbad),andaspeopleliketotrynewthingsitwillsellwelltostartwith;butthe12ofnoveltysoonfades,sosaleswill13.Whenthatstartstohappenwewillreducethepriceto£l.15.Andwewillturnitintoabargainbyprinting5pOFFalloverit,whereuponpeoplewillrushtobuyiteventhoughitstillcostsaboutforty-threepercentmorethanits14price.
Sometimesitisnot5pOFFbutlpOFF.WhatashametoadvertiselpOFFyoursoaporwashingpowderordogfoodorwhatever.Eventhepoorestold-agepensioneroughttoregardthisasaninsult,buthedoesn't.Abargainmustnotbe15Tobeoffereda"gift"ofonepennyislikebeinginvitedtodinnerandofferedonesinglepea(tastilycooked),andnothingelse.Evenifitrepresenteda16reductionitwouldbeaninsult.Still,peoplesay,onehastohavewashingpowder(orwhatever)andonemightaswellbuyitapennycheaper.WhenIwasaboyinHungaryamanwas17ofmurderingsome¬oneforthesakeofonepengo,theequivalentofashilling,andpleaded18Thejudgeshouted19:
"Tokillamanforashilling!
Whatcanyousayinyour20?
"Themurdererreplied:
"Ashillinghere...ashillingthere..."Andthat'swhattoday'sshoppersays,too:
"Apennyhere...apennythere..."
A.missedB.defenseC.realD.cost
E.anxiouslyF.attractionG.fairH.expense
I.fallJ.angrilyK.dismissedL.accused
M.guiltyN.faultyO.security
Passage3
Anindustrialsociety,especiallyoneascentralizedandconcentratedasthatofBritain,isheavilydependantoncertainessentialservices:
forinstance,electricitysupply,water,railandroadtransport,theharbors.Theareaofdependencyhaswidenedtoincluderemovingrubbish,hospitalandambulanceservices,and,astheeconomydevelops,centralcomputerandinformationservicesaswell.Ifanyoftheseservicesceasestooperate,thewholeeconomicsystemisindanger.
Itisthisinterdependencyoftheeconomicsystemthatmakesthepoweroftradeunionssuchanimportantissue.Singletradeunionshavetheabilitytocutoffmanyeconomicbloodsupplies.ThiscanhappenmoreeasilyinBritainthaninsomeothercountries,inpartbecausethelaborforceishighlyorganized.About55percentofBritishworkersbelongtounions,comparedtounderaquarterintheUnitedStates.Forhistoricalreasons,Britain'sunionshavetendedtodevelopalongtradeandoccupationallines,ratherthanonanindustry-by-industrybasis,whichmakeswagepolicy,democracyinindustryandtheimprovementofproceduresforfixingwagelevelsdifficulttoachieve.
Thereareconsiderablestrainsandtensionsinthetradeunionmovement,someofthemarisingfromtheiroutdatedandinefficientstructure.Someunionshave
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