The Pros and Cons
美音、自然拼读、分级阅读与词汇复习
Table of Contents The Endless Need for Energy.
目录 能源的无尽需求。
4 Fossil Fuels.
4 化石燃料。
6 Hydroelectric Power.
6 水力发电。
10 Solar Energy.
10 太阳能。
14 Nuclear Power.
14 核能。
18 Looking to the Future.
18 《展望未来》。
20 Glossary.
20 词汇表。
24 Index.
24 指数。
24 The Endless Need for Energy The United States is a modern society.
24 对能源的无休止需要 美国是一个现代社会.
Like all modern societies, it uses a lot of energy.
和所有现代社会一样,它也使用了大量的能量.
Scientists define energy as the ability to do work.
科学家将能量定义为工作能力.
Many kinds of things can be called work.
许多种类的事物都可以称为工作.
Getting an automobile to move down a road or an airplane to fly is work, and so is producing electricity or running the machinery in a factory.
汽车在路上移动或飞机飞行是可行的,生产电力或在工厂运行机械也是可行的。
The energy used by the United States and other modern societies comes from many sources.
美国和其他现代社会使用的能源来源很多.
Much of it comes from the burning of fuels, such as coal and gasoline.
其中多出自燃煤和汽油等燃料.
Other energy comes from the power of flowing water, from the light of the Sun, the wind, or from the splitting of atoms.
其他能量出自流水之能,出自太阳之光,出自风,出自原子之分.
Machines in this car factory need energy to build cars.
这个汽车厂的机器需要能量来制造汽车.
All energy sources have their pros and cons— their good points and bad points.
所有能源都有其利弊——好分和坏分。
Modern societies have to make many decisions about how best to produce energy.
现代社会必须就如何最好地生产能源作出许多决定。
The needs of the society have to be balanced against the need to protect the environment.
社会的需要必须与保护环境的需要相平衡。
These choices are not always easy to make.
这些选择并不总是容易作出的。
SOURCE: U.
资源:U.
S.
师曰.
Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2005 Consumption Production Imports Exports Energy use in the United States, 1949–2005 Quadrillion BTU The United States uses more energy than it produces.
能源信息管理局,《2005年能源年度审查》,《美国能源出口》,1949-2005年 美国使用的能耗比它生产出的能耗还多.
What does this tell you about the energy future of the United States?
这能告诉你美国能源的未来吗?
Fossil Fuels Fossil fuels—coal, oil, and natural gas—are a leading energy source around the world.
矿物燃料——煤、石油和天然气——是全世界的主要能源。
They are called fossil fuels because they were formed from the remains of plants and animals that died many millions of years ago.
它们被称为化石燃料,因为它们是由数百万年前死亡的动植物的遗骸所形成的.
Over time, great heat and pressure underground changed the remains into materials we use as fuel.
随着时间的推移,巨大的热量和压力 地下把遗骸变成了我们用来作为燃料的材料。
About 85 percent of energy used each year in the United States comes from fossil fuels.
美国每年使用的能源约有85%来自化石燃料。
Coal is burned in many power plants to produce electricity.
在许多发电厂中烧出煤来发电.
Fuels made from oil—such as gasoline, diesel fuel, and jet fuel— power our cars, trucks, and airplanes.
汽油、柴油和喷气机燃料等由石油制造的燃料为我们的汽车、卡车和飞机提供动力。
Most homes use natural gas to provide power for stoves and water heaters.
大多数家庭使用天然气为炉子和取水器提供动力.
Gasoline is a common fossil fuel.
汽油是一种常见的化石燃料.
Marine plants and animals die and sink to the ocean floor.
海洋动植物死亡并沉入洋底.
They mix with dirt and sand to form a sediment layer.
它们与泥土和沙子相混合,形成沉积层.
Time passes, more layers are added, pressure builds, and the buried plant and animal material changes to kerogen while the sediment forms into sedimentary rock.
时间流逝,增加了更多的地层,形成了压力,被掩埋的动植物物质会变为煤原,而沉积物则会形成沉积岩.
More time, more layers, and more pressure change the kerogen into oil, which begins to rise through tiny holes in the sedimentary rock.
更多的时间,更多的地层,以及更多的压力会把煤油改变为油,油开始从沉积岩上的小孔中上升.
Oil rises until it hits rock it can’t pass through.
石油不断上涨,
Oil rigs drill through this rock to pump out the collected oil.
钻油机钻出这块岩石来泵出所收集的石油.
How Oil Forms One of the main advantages of fossil fuels is that they are abundant—found in many places and in large amounts.
石油形式如何 矿物燃料的主要好处之一是,它们在许多地方和大量地很丰富。
In addition, they contain a lot of usable energy.
此外,它们还含有大量的可使用能.
Coal is especially abundant.
煤炭特别丰富.
The United States has enough coal to last another 200 to 300 years.
美国的煤炭足够再维持200到300年.
A special advantage of natural gas is that it burns very cleanly.
天然气的一个特殊优势是其燃烧非常干净.
When natural gas burns, it produces mostly carbon dioxide and water vapor.
天然气燃烧时,主要产生二氧化碳和水蒸气.
Oil’s main advantage is that it burns efficiently—meaning that little is wasted in the change to energy.
石油的主要优势在于能有效燃烧,
Also, the refining process that produces gasoline and diesel fuel produces other petroleum products used in crayons, bubble gum, eyeglasses, and even artificial heart valves.
另外,出产汽油和柴油的提炼工艺还生产出其他石油产品,用于蜡笔,气泡口香糖,眼镜,甚至人工心瓣.
A close-up of coal A pump jack is used for extracting petroleum from an oil well.
特写煤 A泵J用于从油井取出石油。
Hydroelectric Power Water is widely used to produce electricity.
水电 动力水被广泛用于发电.
You might wonder how electricity can be produced using water.
你可能会想知道如何用水生产电力。
The answer is by building dams.
答案是建造水坝。
A dam is a huge, wide wall, usually made of concrete.
大坝是一堵巨大而宽阔的墙,通常由混凝土砌成.
It is built across a river to hold back the river’s flow.
它建在一条河对面,以阻断河流的流量。
The river’s water then fills up a large area behind the dam, forming a lake or reservoir.
后由河水填入大坝后大面积,形成湖泊或水库.
Water from the lake is released through the bottom of the dam.
从湖中取出的水从坝底释放出.
The water moves very fast.
水动得非常快.
It passes through big machines called turbines.
它通过被称为"涡轮"的大机器.
Fanlike blades inside the turbines spin when water rushes through them.
风扇叶片在涡轮内部 当水冲过它们时会旋转
The turbines are connected to other machines, called generators, making them spin too.
涡轮机与其他机器相接,称为发电机,使其也自旋.
Inside a generator, a shaft is surrounded by giant magnets.
在发电机内部,一个轴被巨大的磁铁所包围.
All around the shaft and magnets is a huge coil of wire.
周围的地道和磁铁 是一个巨大的线圈。
When the turbines spin the shafts and magnets of the generators, they move electrons in the coil of wire.
当涡轮旋转发电机的轴和磁铁时,它们会移动电线圈中的电子.
The movement of these electrons creates an electric current.
这些电子的运动会产生电流.
Electricity made at dams is called hydroelectric power.
在水坝上制造的电力称为水电.
Hydro is a prefix (first part of a word) that means water.
Hydro是前缀(一个单词的第一部分),指水.
All fossil fuels are essentially nonrenewable energy sources because nature cannot create enough to keep up with demand.
所有矿物燃料基本上都是不可再生的能源,因为大自然无法创造出足够的能源来满足需求。
Many experts think that the world’s oil wells will be empty in a few decades.
许多专家认为,世界油井几十年后会空出.
But, even before then, the oil supply will be too small to meet global demands.
但是,即使在此之前,石油供应仍将太少,无法满足全球需求。
Also, fossil fuels (except for natural gas) produce pollutants.
此外,矿物燃料(天然气除外)产生污染物。
Cars, factories, and many power plants release harmful chemicals into the air.
汽车,工厂,以及许多发电厂向空气中排放有害的化学物质.
Since fossil fuels are burned, air pollution will continue to be a problem.
由于化石燃料被烧毁,空气污染将继续是一个问题。
Another problem is called the greenhouse effect.
另一个问题叫做温室效应.
Gases released from burning fossil fuels trap more heat in Earth’s atmosphere than would be trapped naturally.
燃烧化石燃料释放出来的气体在地球大气层中的热量比自然被困要多。
This heating up of Earth’s atmosphere is called global warming.
地球大气层的暖化被称为全球变暖。
Scientists think carbon dioxide contributes most to worsening the greenhouse effect, so even natural gas adds to the problem.
科学家们认为二氧化碳对温室效应的恶化贡献最大,因此即使是天然气也加剧了这一问题.
Pollutants rise into the atmosphere.
污染物会升入大气层。
Generators inside a dam How a Dam Works penstock turbine generator power lines dam reservoir Water from the reservoir flows into the penstock.
水坝内的发电机 水坝如何工作 笔架涡轮发电机电线 大坝 水库中的水 流入笔架
As the water rushes downward, it turns the blades of the turbine before emptying into the river.
随着水势向下冲出,使涡轮机的叶片在被清空入河前转向.
Dams produce a great deal of needed electricity.
大坝发电量巨大.
There are more than 2,000 hydroelectric dams in the United States.
美国有2000多座水电站大坝.
They produce about 10 percent of the nation’s electricity.
他们生产的电力约占全国的10%。
Hydroelectric dams produce about 20 percent of the world’s electricity.
水力发电大坝的发电量约占世界电力的20%。
Dams have many other uses too.
大坝还有许多其他用途.
They prevent flooding by storing the water from heavy rain and snowmelt, and gradually releasing it later.
它们通过从暴雨和雪融物中储存出水来防止洪灾,并逐渐在后期释放出.
Dams also create many opportunities for recreation, such as boating and fishing in the lakes they create.
水坝也为娱乐创造了许多机会,例如在它们所创造的湖泊中划船和捕鱼.
In addition, the lakes provide water for homes and industries as well as provide water for farmers to irrigate their crops during drier times of the year.
此外,这些湖泊为家庭和工业提供水,并为农民提供水来灌溉一年干燥时期的作物。
Hoover Dam blocks the Colorado River, creating Lake Mead, one of the world’s largest artificial lakes.
胡佛水坝阻挡了科罗拉多河,形成了米德湖,是世界上最大的人工湖之一.
Solar Energy Sunlight carries huge amounts of energy.
太阳能日光携带着巨大的能量.
You can feel the Sun’s energy when sunlight warms your skin on a summer day.
当夏日阳光照亮皮肤时,
To capture the Sun’s energy, scientists have developed solar cells, called photovoltaic (FOE-toe-vole-TAY-ik) cells.
为了捕捉太阳的能量,科学家们开发出太阳能电池,称为光伏电池(FOE-toe-vole-TAY-ik).
These cells convert sunlight into electricity.
这些细胞将阳光转化为电力.
When sunlight hits a solar cell, the cell absorbs some of the light energy.
当阳光照射到太阳能电池时,电池会吸收一些光能.
Particles in the solar cell move faster, and the movement of these particles creates electricity.
太阳电池中的粒子运动得更快,这些粒子的运动会产生电力.
In some places, large panels of solar cells harvest sunshine to make electricity for homes and businesses.
在一些地方,大型太阳能电池板收割阳光为家庭和企业提供电力.
Solar cells have been placed on cars and appliances, too.
太阳能电池也被放置在汽车和电器上。
A solar panel is used to provide energy to this phone booth.
一个太阳能电池板用来为这个电话亭提供能量.
Flood prevention is good for people, but not so good for the environment.
防洪对人民有好处,但对环境却不是那么好。
Rivers are supposed to flood.
河道本应被淹.
Flooding produces sediment, which is a mixture of gravel, sand, and topsoil.
洪水产生沉积物,是砾石、沙子和表土的混合物。
Sediment deposited by floods keeps the soil rich in farmlands located near rivers.
洪水所沉积的沉积物使农田中位于河流附近,土壤丰富。
When a river is dammed, it cannot renew the soil on the land around it.
当一条河流被堤坝淹没时,它无法更新周围土地上的土壤.
Salmon swimming upstream Dams also block the route for fish that swim up and down rivers.
沙门上游游泳 大坝还阻挡了上下游出河流的鱼道.
In the U.
在乌.
S.
师曰.
Pacific Northwest, dams have been a serious problem for salmon.
太平洋西北,水坝一直是鲑鱼的严重问题.
Every three to five years, salmon swim from the ocean up rivers to their birthplaces to lay eggs.
每三到五年,鲑鱼会从大海上游到出世地去产卵.
Dams make it difficult for salmon to swim up and down rivers.
水坝使鲑鱼难以上下游出河流.
As a result, salmon populations have severely declined in the past 100 years.
因此,在过去100年里,鲑鱼种群严重减少。
A solar heat collector uses the Sun’s energy to heat water.
太阳能热能收集器利用太阳的能量来取出热水。
These solar heat collectors are often placed on rooftops.
这些太阳能热收集器经常被放入屋顶.
Water circulates through pipes in the panels, and the Sun’s radiant energy heats the water.
水通过水管在板子上循环,而太阳的光能使水热.
The heated water is pumped into a building through more pipes.
热水通过更多的管道泵入建筑物.
The heat leaves the water and heats the inside of the building.
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Then the cooled water returns to the rooftop to be heated again.
然后冷却的水回到屋顶再加热.
This solar water heater is one of many used to heat water for a town.
这种太阳能热水器是用来给城镇取热水的众多设备之一.
In some areas of the world, such as the southwestern United States, there are many sunny days.
在世界一些地区,例如美国西南部,有许多阳光灿烂的日子。
In these places, solar cells and solar panels can produce lots of electricity and heat.
在这些地方,太阳能电池和太阳能电池板可以产生大量的电力和热能.
Since the Sun sends abundant free energy streaming toward Earth 24 hours a day, people in many parts of the world, not just the sunniest places, have mounted solar cells and solar panels on the roofs of their houses or businesses to lower their energy costs.
由于太阳每天24小时向地球输送大量自由能源,世界许多地方的人,而不仅仅是最阳光的地方,都把太阳能电池和太阳能电池板安装在房屋或企业的屋顶上来降低能源成本。
Experts say that huge installations of solar panels in sunny regions could generate enough electricity to supply an entire country.
专家们说,在阳光明媚的地区安装了巨大的太阳能电池板,可以产生足够的电力供应整个国家.
Capturing this energy can help overcome our diminishing energy supply.
抓住这种能量可以帮助克服我们不断减少的能源供应。
New ways to capture this energy are being developed all the time to maximize efficiency.
为了最大限度地提高效率,正在不断开发获取这种能量的新方法。
Rooftop solar panels provide this house with energy.
屋顶太阳能电池板为这所房子提供能量.
Nuclear Power Nuclear power plants unlock the energy inside atoms to generate electricity.
核电站将原子内部的能量解锁发电.
Each splitting of an atom releases energy.
原子的分解都会释放出能量
An atomic bomb explodes by creating a very rapid chain reaction.
原子弹通过产生非常快的连锁反应而爆炸.
A nuclear power plant uses the radioactive element uranium to create a slow, controlled chain reaction.
核电站使用放射性元素铀产生缓慢,可控的链式反应.
The energy released by breaking apart uranium atoms is used to heat water into steam.
分解铀原子所释放的能量用于将水加热成蒸汽.
The steam is then used to generate electricity in much the same way that coal power plants produce it.
然后用蒸汽发电的方式与煤电厂发电的方式大致相同.
Cooling towers keep the core of a nuclear power plant at a safe temperature.
冷却塔将核电站核心保持了安全温度.
There are two main problems with solar cells.
太阳能电池有两个主要问题.
One is that they are very expensive to manufacture.
一是制造成本非常高.
Their cost makes hydroelectric and fossil-fuel power plants a cheaper source of energy.
其成本使水电站和化石燃料发电厂成为更廉价的能源来源。
Until inexpensive manufacturing is developed for solar cells, this free energy source will continue to come at a high cost to capture and convert to electricity.
在为太阳能电池开发出廉价制造之前,这种免费能源将继续以高成本获得并转换成电力。
The second problem is that not all areas of the world get abundant sunlight.
第二个问题是,并非世界所有地区都获得丰富的阳光。
Other sources of energy would be needed as a backup to the solar cells, which adds to overall energy costs.
还需要其他能源作为太阳能电池的后援,这增加了总的能源成本。
Some people who live near houses that use solar cells and solar panels think the rooftop systems are ugly.
一些住在使用太阳能电池和太阳能电池板的房屋附近的人认为屋顶系统很丑陋.
They believe the look of the solar systems will decrease the value of their homes.
他们相信太阳系的外观会降低家园的价值.
Power plants could serve as backups for solar farms.
发电厂可作为太阳能农场的后备站。
Looking to the Future In years to come, we will have to find substitutes for oil.
展望未来 在未来的岁月里,我们必须找到石油的替代品。
Hydroelectric power may also be replaced, too.
水力发电也可以被替换.
Many people are concerned about the environmental effects of dams and would like to see many dams torn down.
许多人担心大坝对环境的影响,并想看到许多大坝被拆除.
The use of solar energy will probably continue to grow.
太阳能的使用可能会继续增长。
Energy experts also say that more nuclear power plants will have to be built to meet growing energy needs.
能源专家还称需要建造更多的核电站,以满足日益增长的能源需要.
Wind turbines could provide more energy in the future.
风力涡轮未来可以提供更多的能量.
Uranium releases an incredible amount of energy.
铀释放出惊人的能量.
One kilogram (2.
1公斤(2.
2 lbs) of uranium can produce more energy than 3 million kilograms (6.
2磅)的铀能产生超过300万公斤(6个)的能耗.
6 million lbs) of coal.
600万磅的煤炭。
Nuclear power plants have another advantage over coal power plants: They do not produce gases that can pollute the skies or add to global warming.
核电站对煤电站具有另一个优势: 它们不会产生会污染天空或加剧全球变暖的气体。
Many people oppose nuclear power because of its dangers.
许多人因为核能的危险而反对.
One danger is the possibility of an accident.
一种危险是发生事故的可能性。
A nuclear power plant can’t explode like an atomic bomb.
核电站不能像原子弹一样爆炸。
However, it can have a steam explosion if the core (the area containing the uranium) gets too hot.
然而,如果核(含铀区域)过热,它可能会有蒸汽爆炸.
This would spew out a lot of dangerous radiation.
这会喷出很多危险的辐射
A second danger is the waste material nuclear power plants produce.
第二种危险是核电站产生的废料。
Even when uranium is no longer useful for generating electricity, it is still highly radioactive.
即使铀不再用于发电,它仍然具有高放射性。
It remains dangerous for thousands of years.
数千年来它仍然危险。
Nuclear waste is handled very carefully.
核废料的处理非常谨慎。
Past and Estimated Future Energy Use by Type, 1980–2030 World Energy Use and Creation by Region, 2004 North, Central, and South America Europe Eurasia Middle East Africa Asia and Oceania Production Consumption 160– 120– 80– 40– 0– Quadrillion BTU Oil Coal Natural Gas Renewables (wind, solar, etc.)
1980-2030年按类型分列的过去和未来能源使用估计数 2004年按区域分列的世界能源使用和创造情况 北,中,南美 欧洲 欧亚 中东 非洲 亚洲和大洋洲 生产消费 160–120–80–40–0 Quadrillion BTU 石油煤天然气可再生能源(风能,太阳能等)
Nuclear History Pro jections Quadrillion BTU Using current rates as a guide, this chart shows the growth in the world’s energy use between now and the year 2030.
核历史推想四分卫 BTU 电话 本图表以目前的比率为指南,显示从现在到2030年世界能源使用的增长情况。
Experts pro ject that oil will not be available in the decades to come.
专家指出,今后几十年将无法提供石油。
What does this chart and information tell you about energy use in the future?
这个图表和资料 告诉你关于未来能源的用途是什么?
Three regions of the world use more energy than they create.
世界上有三个区域使用的能源比它们创造的能源多。
Why do you think that is the case?
为何如此?
Where do these regions find their extra energy sources?
这些地区在哪里找到其额外的能源?
SOURCE: U.
资源:U.
S.
师曰.
Energy Information Administration, Annual Energy Review 2005 Scientists are also researching other ways to generate energy, such as using wind turbines or geothermal energy.
能源信息管理局,2005年年度能源审查 科学家还在研究其他产生能的方法,例如使用风力涡轮机或地热能.
Wind turbines generate electricity when their blades turn in the wind.
风力涡轮机在叶片转向风时产生电力.
The turbines require no fuel and don’t create pollution, but they are huge and can kill local birds.
涡轮不需要燃料, 也不会造成污染,
Geothermal energy comes from deep underground where the Earth is very hot.
地热能来自地热非常高的地底深处.
Water can be circulated down into the ground in pipes to absorb that heat.
水可以在管道中向下流入地来吸收热量。
The hot water can then be used to heat homes and buildings.
然后热水可以用来给房屋和建筑物取暖.
However, in many areas, the underground heat can be difficult and expensive to reach.
然而,在许多地区,地下热量可能难以达到,而且费用昂贵.
Two things are certain.
有两件事是肯定的。
We need energy, and the fossil fuels that supply most of our energy will not last forever.
我们需要能源,提供我们大部分能源的化石燃料不会永远存在。
Finding renewable alternatives is key to the world’s energy future.
寻找可再生替代品是世界能源未来的关键。
Scientists will continue to do research.
科学家将继续进行研究。
Each new source of energy will have its pros and cons.
每种新的能源都将有其利弊。
Governments, businesses, and environmentalists will continue to debate which energy sources are best while our need for energy continues to grow.
政府、企业和环保主义者将继续辩论哪些能源是最佳能源,而我们对能源的需求却在继续增长。