A Solar City 太阳能城市
by Lars Berry
A city in China has taken big steps in changing its energy sources.
中国有座城市已大大改变了其所仰赖的能源。
Practically everything around your home that was made in a factory owes its existence to fossil fuels. Unfortunately, cheap, nonrenewable fossil fuels like oil and natural gas are becoming more difficult to find. Much of the _(1)_ supply is found in countries that may or may not want to trade their dwindling resources. These fuels heat many of our homes, fuel cars, and provide energy _(2)_ the industries that produce computers, shoes, clothing, and coffee cups. Therefore, the prospect of a shortage of these fuels is a very _(3)_ one.
So what does a population that depends on the burning of _(4)_ rare fossil fuels do to break this fuel addiction? Alternative energy sources _(5)_ exist. Some cities have worked towards being primarily dependent on solar power. But is this just a fantastic idea, or is it a possible alternative?
Rizhao, a city in Shandong Province of northern mainland China, actually _(6)_ the idea of a solar city. Rizhao has _(7)_ 3 million residents, and 98 percent of inner city houses and 30 percent of outlying homes rely on the sun's energy for their hot water.
Rizhao, whose name means "sunshine," receives an _(8)_ of 270 days of sunlight every year. It's no _(9)_ that Rizhao's mayor decided to make his city dependent on solar energy. By using the simple, cheap solar devices that sit atop almost all of Rizhao's buildings, the city has cut its yearly carbon dioxide emissions _(10)_ about 53,000 tons. Although this solution is really only the tip of the iceberg in terms of energy production, Rizhao seems to be on the way to becoming the world's first solar city.
(A) by (B) do (C) remaining (D) wonder (E) increasingly (F) for (G) average
(H) approximately (I) worrying (J) lives up to
原来如此
1. Much of the remaining supply is found in countries that may or may not want to trade their dwindling resources.
理由:
a. 空格前有定冠词 the，之后有名词 supply（供应量），得知空格应置入形容词，以修饰 supply。
b. 选项中为形容词的有 (C) remaining（剩余的）、(G) average（平均的）与 (I) worrying（令人担心的），然仅 (C) 置入后符合语意，故选之。
c. remaining a. 剩余的
2. These fuels heat many of our homes, fuel cars, and provide energy for the industries that produce computers, shoes, clothing, and coffee cups.
理由:
a. 本空格测试下列固定词组：
provide A for B 提供 A 给 B
= provide B with A
例: The Red Cross provided earthquake victims with blankets, tents, and food.
（红十字会提供毛毯、帐蓬和食物给地震灾民。）
b. 根据上述，故选 (F)。
3. Therefore, the prospect of a shortage of these fuels is a very worrying one.
理由:
a. 空格前有不定冠词 a 及副词 very（非常），后为代名词 one，代替其前的 prospect（前景），可知空格应置入形容词，以修饰 one。
b. 选项中为形容词的有 (G) average（平均的）与 (I) worrying（令人担心的），然仅 (I) 置入后符合语意，故选之。
4. So what does a population that depends on the burning of increasingly rare fossil fuels do to break this fuel addiction?
理由:
a. 空格前有介词 of，后为形容词 rare（稀少的）及名词 fossil fuels（化石燃料），可知空格应置入副词，以修饰 rare。
b. 选项中为副词的有 (E) increasingly（日益增加地）与 (H) approximately（大约地），然仅 (E) 置入后符合语意，故为正选。
c. increasingly adv. 日益增加地
注意:
increasingly 即等于 more and more，故之后不可再接比较级形容词或副词。
例: It is getting increasingly important to have an email address.
= It is getting more and more important to have an email address.
（拥有电子邮件地址愈来愈重要。）
5. Alternative energy sources do exist.
理由:
a. 本句结构已完整，且空格后为现在式复数动词或原形动词 exist（存在），得知此处应置入副词或可强调动词的助动词 do、does 或 did。
b. 选项中仅剩 (H) approximately（大约）为副词，但置入后语意不通，故不可选。
c. 在肯定句中，可在动词前依人称及时态之不同，置助动词 do、does 或 did，以强调该动词，do、does 或 did 一般译为『的确、确实』，此时该动词一律用原形。
例: He did clean the house yesterday.
（他昨天的确有打扫房子。）
d. 根据上述，可知应选 (B) do。
6. Rizhao, a city in Shandong Province of northern mainland China, actually lives up to the idea of a solar city.
理由:
a. 本句尚缺动词，根据主词 Rizhao（日照市）及空格后的受词 the idea 可知，此处应填入现在式第三人称及物动词或词组动词。
b. 选项中仅 (J) lives up to（符合……）为现在式第三人称词组及物动词，置入后亦符合语意，故为正选。
c. live up to... 符合……（期望、想法）等
例: Cedric was saddened by the fact that he didn't live up to his parents' expectations.
（席瑞克很伤心，因为他没有达到父母的期望。）
7. Rizhao has approximately 3 million residents, and 98 percent of inner city houses and 30 percent of outlying homes rely on the sun's energy for their hot water.
理由:
a. 空格前有动词 has（有），空格后有名词词组 3 million residents（300 百万名居民），故知空格应置入 (H) approximately（大约），以修饰明确的数字 3 million。
例: There were approximately 30 pencils in the box.
（盒子里大约有 30 枝铅笔。）
b. 根据上述，故选 (H)。
8. Rizhao, whose name means "sunshine," receives an average of 270 days of sunlight every year.
理由:
a. 空格前为不定冠词 an，后为介词 of，得知空格应置入元音开头的名词。
b. 符合上述条件的仅有 (G) average（平均数），且置入后形成下列固定用法：
an average of + 数字 平均……
例: Getting a college degree takes an average of four years.
（取得大学学位平均需花四年时间。）
c. 根据上述，故选 (G)。
9. It's no wonder that Rizhao's mayor decided to make his city dependent on solar energy.
理由:
a. 本空格测试下列固定句型：
It is no wonder + that 子句 难怪……
= No wonder + S + V
例: It is no wonder that such a naughty boy was punished.
（这么顽皮的孩子难怪会受到处罚。）
b. 根据上述，故选 (D)。
10. By using the simple, cheap solar devices that sit atop almost all of Rizhao's buildings, the city has cut its yearly carbon dioxide emissions by about 53,000 tons.
理由:
a. 本空格测试下列固定用法：
cut sth by...
价钱∕时间等缩减……（幅度）
注意:
此处的介词 by 表 『以……差距』之意。
例: The big record company is going to cut its workforce by 25%.
（那家大唱片公司将裁撤四分之一的员工。）
b. 根据上述，故选 (A)。
精解字词词组
1. practically adv. 几乎
注意:
practically 和 almost 通常用来修饰涵盖性完全的词类，共计有四个：every、no、all、any。
例: Almost every school in this city has a swimming pool.
（这座城市几乎每一所学校都有游泳池。）
2. owe...to... 把……归功于……
= attribute...to...
例: She told us that she owes everything to hard work and determination.
（她告诉我们她一切的成就都要归功于勤奋和果决。）
3. dwindle vi. 减少
＊ 本文为现在分词作形容词用。
例: Our supplies of food are dwindling, so let's go to the store.
（因为粮食越来越少，我们去趟商店吧。）
4. depend on... 依赖……
= rely on...
例: When we live at home, we depend on our parents. When we live away from home, we rely on our friends.
（在家靠父母，出外靠朋友。）
5. be dependent on... 依赖……
dependent a. 依赖的
例: Though almost 30, John is very dependent on his parents.
（约翰虽然快 30 岁了，却仍很依赖父母。）
6. the tip of the iceberg
冰山的一角；喻：事情的一小部分
例: Unfortunately, that problem is just the tip of the iceberg.
（不幸的是，那个问题只是冰山一角而已。）
7. in terms of... 就……而言
例: In terms of service, that hotel is excellent.
（就服务而言，那家旅馆非常棒。）
8. on the way to + V-ing/N 即将（完成）……
on the way to + 地方 前往某地的途中
例: The patient is finally on the way to recovery.
（那名病患终于快要康复了。）
例: On the way to school, it occurred to Tom that it was Sunday.
（去学校途中，汤姆突然想到今天是礼拜天。）
单字小铺
1. solar a. 太阳的
lunar a. 月球的
2. existence n. 存在
3. fossil fuel n. 化石燃料（如石油、煤、天然气等）
4. nonrenewable a.（能源）无法再生的 renewable a.（能源）可再生的
5. supply n. 供应（量）
6. trade vt. 从事交易，做买卖
7. fuel vt. 供给燃料
8. prospect n. 前景；可能性
9. shortage n. 短缺，不足
10. population n. 人口
11. rare a. 稀有的
12. addiction n. 沉溺
13. alternative a. 替代的 & n. 选择 alternative energy 替代能源
14. exist vi. 存在
15. primarily adv. 主要地
16. province n. 省，州
17. resident n. 居民
18. outlying a. 偏远的
19. device n. 设备，仪器
20. atop prep. 在……上面
21. carbon dioxide n. 二氧化碳
22. emission n. 排放（物）
中文翻译＆标准答案
你家中几乎所有工厂生产的东西都得归功于化石燃料。不幸的是，便宜且无法永续使用的石油、天然气等化石燃料越来越难寻得。许多硕果仅存的供应量都产在那些因资源日益减少而不见得愿意买卖的国家中。这些燃料为我们的家带来温暖、发动汽车，也为制造计算机、鞋子、衣服和咖啡杯的产业提供能源。因此，缺少这些燃料的未来着实令人堪忧。
化石燃料日益减少，那么仰赖燃烧这些燃料的人口，又该怎么做才能戒除对它们的依赖呢？替代性能源确实存在。有些城市努力朝向依赖太阳能为其主要能源。但是，这会不会只是个不切实际的想法，或者是一个可能的选择呢？
中国北部山东省的日照市确实落实太阳能城市的想法。日照市有将近 300 万居民，98% 的都市家庭与 30% 的偏远地区家庭都仰赖太阳能供应热水。
日照意指『阳光』，而日照市每年平均有 270 天艳阳高照。难怪日照市市长决定让全市依靠太阳能。市内几乎家家户户的屋顶上都装置既简单又便宜的太阳能装置，使全市每年的二氧化碳排放量已减少约 5 万 3 千吨。虽然就能源产量而言，这个解决方法只是冰山一角，但日照市似乎正迈向成为全球首座太阳能城市。
标准答案: 1. (C) 2. (F) 3. (I) 4. (E) 5. (B) 6. (J) 7. (H) 8. (G) 9. (D) 10. (A)
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