12月大学英语六级考试试题及参照答案PartIWriting(30minutes)Thedigitalage1.如今，数字化产品越来越多，如…2.使用数字化产品对于人们学习工作和生活的影响。PartIIReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)SevenwaytoSavetheWorldForgettheoldideathatconservingenergyisaformofself-denial—ridingbicycles,dimmingthelights,andtakingfewershowers.Thesedaysconservationisallaboutefficiency:gettingthesame—orbetter—resultsfromjustafractionoftheenergy.WhenaslumpinbusinesstravelforcedUlrichRamertocutcostsathisfamily—ownedhotelinGermany,hereplacedhundredsofthehotel’swastefullightbulbs,gettingthesamelightfor80percentlesspower.Heboughtanewwaterboilerwithadigitallycontrolledpump,andwrappedinsulationaroundthepipes.Spendingabout￡100,000ontheseandotherimprovements,heslashedhis￡90,000fuelandpowerbillby￡60,000.Asabonus,thehotel’slowerenergyneedshavereduceditsannualcarbonemissionsbymorethan200metrictons.“Forus,savingenergyhasbeenvery,veryprofitable,”hesays.“Andmostimportantly,we’renotgivingupasinglecomfortforourguests.”Efficiencyisalsoagreatwaytolowercarbonemissionsandhelpslowglobalwarming.Butthebestargumentforefficiencyisitscost—or,moreprecisely,itsprofitability.That’sbecausequicklygrowingenergydemandrequiresimmenseinvestmentinnewsupply,nottomentionthedrainofrisingenergyprices.Nowonderefficiencyhasmovedtothetopofthepoliticalagenda.OnJan.10,theEuropeanUnionunveiledaplantocutenergyuseacrossthecontinentby20percentby.LastMarch,Chinaimposeda20percentincreaseinenergyefficiencyby.EvenGeorgeW.Bush,theTexasoilman,isexpectedtotalkaboutenergyconservationinhisStateoftheUnionspeechthisweek.Thegoodnewsisthattheworldisfullofproven,cheapwaystosaveenergy.Herearetheseventhatcouldhavethebiggestimpact.InsulateSpaceheatingandcoolingeatsup36percentofalltheworld’senergy.There’svirtuallynolimittohowmuchofthatcanbesaved,asprototype“zero-energyhomes”inSwitzerlandandGermanyhaveshown.There’sbeenasurgeinnewwaysofkeepingheatinandcoldout(orviceversa).Themostadvancedinsulationfollowsthelawofincreasingreturns:ifyouaddenoughyoucanscaledownoreveneliminateheatingandair-conditioningequipment,loweringcostsevenbeforeyoustartsavingonutilitybills.Studieshaveshownthatgreenworkplaces(onesthatdon’tconstantlyneedtohavetheheatorair-conditionerrunning)havehigherworkerproductivityandlowersickrates.ChangeBulbsLightingeatsup20percentoftheworld’selectricity,ortheequivalentofroughly600,000tonsofcoaladay.Fortypercentofthatpowersold-fashionedincandescentlightbulbs—a19th-centurytechnologythatwastesmostofthepoweritconsumesonunwantedheat.Compactfluorescentlamps,orCFLS,notonlyuse75to80percentlesselectricitythanincandescentbulbstogeneratethesameamountoflight,buttheyalsolast10timeslonger.Phasingoldbulbsoutby2030wouldsavetheoutputof650powerplantsandavoidthereleaseof700milliontonsofcarbonintotheatmosphereeachyear.ComfortZoneWaterboilers,spaceheatersandairconditionershavebeennotoriouslyinefficient.Theheatpumphasalteredthatequation.Itremovesheatfromtheairoutsideorthegroundbelowandusesittosupplyheattoabuildingoritswatersupply.Inthesummer,thesystemcanbereversedtocoolbuildingsaswell.MostnewresidentialbuildingsinSwedenarealreadyheatedwithground-sourceheatpumps.Suchsystemsconsumealmostnoconventionalfuelatall.Severalcountrieshaveusedsubsidiestojump-startthemarket,includingJapan,wherealmostImillionheatpumpshavebeeninstalledinthepasttwoyears...
