B
Surrounded by the sea off the coast in Mid-Norway, lies an island called Myken.This small island has about ten permanent residents, and for more than 50 years has been supplied with electricity via a 32-kilometer undersea cable (电缆).A break that appeared in the cable last autumn resulted in two months without power, so the island community started looking into a better way of sourcing their electricity.
“Myken is far out at sea, so as far as possible it should be taking care of things itself,” says Kyrre Sundseth, who is a hydrogen (氢) researcher in Norway and also the project manager for Myken’s energy project.“This is why we want Myken to become entirely self-sufficient in energy.It is also important to take the environment into consideration,” he says.
Much points to the idea that the solution may lie in a Hydrogen plant, specifically tailored for small islands.The “raw materials” for hydrogen production come from nature itself in the form of the sun and wind.Researchers have calculated that energy costs will be lower by using hydrogen production than the undersea cable option.And it is possible to store energy in the form of hydrogen for longer periods.This means that supplies will not have to rely on a lot of expensive batteries or external energy sources, even during periods when the sun isn’t shining, or the wind isn’t blowing.
The Myken project has attracted several technology companies.They are currently working on a pilot project.The pilot involves experiments on the feasibility (可行性) of the hydrogen system in which electricity is generated from solar and wind sources.The electricity can be used immediately, but during periods when all the energy generated is not required, the spare energy can be used to split seawater into hydrogen and oxygen.The hydrogen can be stored in a tank, and used later to generate electricity.The pilot will help researchers know more about how effectively the system will work in the hydrogen plant.Since the island has a distillery (酿酒厂), where the distillation (蒸馏) process relies on energy, a hydrogen plant on Myken offers an even greater environmental benefit.Spare heat from the hydrogen system can also be used for the heating part in the distillation process.
“In Norway alone there are about 300 island inhabited all year round by small populations,” says Kyrre Sundseth.“All of these islands may be candidates for using this technology.In global terms we’re talking about 10,000 similar islands.”
【语篇概述】这是一篇说明文,主要讲了Myken利用自身地理条件,建立了氢气发电站,实现了自给自足的环保发电。
24.Why is a hydrogen plant suitable for Myken?
A.It is perfect in size for small islands.
B.It can send electricity to faraway places.
C.It will restore local natural environment.
D.It provides green and sustainable energy.
【解析】选D。推理判断题。由第三段的第二句话可知,氢气产生的“原材料”来自于大自然的太阳和风,结合第二段的第一句话,Myken在大海深处,应该自己照顾好自己。可见Myken由于地理位置的特殊性,接电缆发电耗资大,而且没有完全的保障,氢气发电站环保又自给自足,故选D项。
25.What is mainly talked about in Paragraph 4?
A.The study on the energy storage.
B.The test on the hydrogen system.
C.The experiment on the raw materials.
D.The research on the innovation of the pilot.
【解析】选B。段落大意题。结合第四段的第一、二两句可知,Myken的方案吸引了好几家科技公司,他们目前在进行试行计划。也就是说,方案现在处于实验性阶段。故选B项。
26.According to the passage, a hydrogen plant will .
A.produce purified seawater
B.prove more technically reliable
C.contribute in more than one way
D.benefit from the distillation process
【解析】选C。推理判断题。由第四段可知,在实验性阶段,研究者对氢气发电站的可行性进行了实验,发现氢气发电站除了发电还可以有其他用处,由此可见,氢气发电站在许多方面都做出了贡献。故选C项。
27.What does Kyrre Sundseth think of the project?
A.Promising.
B.Systematic.
C.Irreplaceable.
D.Time saving.
【解析】选A。推理判断题。由最后一段可知,Kyrre Sundseth说,单单挪威就有大约300个岛长年只有少部分人居住,这些岛也许适合使用这一技术。从全球来看,大约有10 000个类似的岛。他的字里行间都表达了这一技术(建立氢气发电站)有很大的市场,即他认为这一方案有前途,有前景。故选A项。
