Question

【題目】 When it comes to green buildings, we tend to think of new ones – the kind of high-tech, solar-paneled masterpieces that make the covers of architecture magazines. 【1】They are the witness of the country. And it would be incredibly wasteful to tear them all down and replace them with greener versions. 【2】What’s more, it would take an average of 65 years for the reduced carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources lost by destroying an old one. 【3】

But there is an unavoidable fact that nearly half of U. S. carbon emissions come from heating, cooling and powering those aged houses. "You can't deal with climate change without dealing with existing buildings," says Richard Moe, the president of the National Trust. With some exceptions, the oldest homes tend to be the least energy- efficient. 【4】Houses built before 1939 use about 50% more energy per square foot than those built after 2000.

【5】Historic ones like Lincoln's Cottage can be transformed through efficiency upgrades. They can not only help protect property owners from rising power costs; They can save the earth.

A.But how to change their conditions?

B.But the U.S. has more than 100 million existing homes.

C.Some effective measures should be taken by government.

D.So some people say that the greenest way is to maintain old ones.

E.Fortunately, some relatively simple changes can green older homes.

F.Vast energy and resources went into the construction of those houses.

G.The main cause is the cracks that expand over time and let outside air in.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】B

【2】F

【3】D

【4】G

【5】E

【解析】

這是一篇說明文。美國現(xiàn)有超過1億套住房，大量的能源和資源被用于建造這些房屋，而一個節(jié)能的新房子所減少的碳排放平均需要65年才能彌補因破壞舊房子而損失的資源。所以有些人說最環(huán)保的方法是維護舊的。文章分析了這些老房子不節(jié)能的原因以及解決方案。

【1】根據(jù)上文When it comes to green buildings, we tend to think of new ones – the kind of high-tech, solar-paneled masterpieces that make the covers of architecture magazines.可知說到綠色建筑，我們往往會想到新建筑——那種出現(xiàn)在建筑雜志封面上的高科技、太陽能面板的杰作。再結(jié)合后文主要在說明美國住房過多的問題，由此可知，本句與上文發(fā)生轉(zhuǎn)折，表明與那些高科技的新建筑不同的是，美國目前有超過1億套住房。后文中they可對應(yīng)到B選項中100 million existing homes。故B選項“但美國現(xiàn)有超過1億套住房”符合上下文語境。故選B。

【2】根據(jù)上文And it would be incredibly wasteful to tear them all down and replace them with greener versions.可知如果把它們都拆了，換成更環(huán)保的，那就太浪費了。由此可知，本句應(yīng)當(dāng)說明這些房屋所投入的大量能源和資源，不應(yīng)當(dāng)直接拆除換成更環(huán)保的。故F選項“大量的能源和資源被用于建造這些房屋”符合上下文語境。故選F。

【3】根據(jù)上文What’s more, it would take an average of 65 years for the reduced carbon emissions from a new energy-efficient home to make up for the resources lost by destroying an old one.可知更重要的是，一個節(jié)能的新房子所減少的碳排放平均需要65年才能彌補因破壞舊房子而損失的資源。由此可知，美國目前的住房投入了大量的能源和資源，同時一個節(jié)能的新房子需要耗費很長時間才能彌補因破壞舊房子而損失的資源，由此可知，有些人會認為最環(huán)保的方法就是維護這些舊的房子。故D選項“所以有些人說最環(huán)保的方法是維護舊的”符合上下文語境。故選D。

【4】根據(jù)上文With some exceptions, the oldest homes tend to be the least energy- efficient.可知除了一些例外，最古老的房子往往是最不節(jié)能的。由此可知，本句應(yīng)當(dāng)承接上文說明老房子不節(jié)能的原因。故G選項“主要原因是隨著時間的推移，裂縫會擴大，讓外面的空氣進來”符合上下文語境。故選G。

【5】根據(jù)后文Historic ones like Lincoln's Cottage can be transformed through efficiency upgrades.可知像林肯小屋這樣的歷史建筑可以通過提高能效來改造。由此可知，本段是在說明解決對這些舊房子的方案，即通過一些改變來讓這些老房子變得更加環(huán)保節(jié)能，故E選項“幸運的是，一些相對簡單的改變就可以綠化老房子”符合上下文語境。故選E。