Question

What if we could replace oil with a fuel which produced no pollution and which everybody had equal access to? The good news is that we can. In fact, we are swimming in it--- literally.

Hydrogen is one of the building blocks of the universe. Our own sun is basically a big, dense cloud of the stuff. And hydrogen can be used to create electricity for power, heat and light.

The problem is that hydrogen is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It does not exist as a material on its own, but is always part of something else. So it has to be separated before it can be used.

Most commercial hydrogen in use now is created from natural gas. As oil will start to run out in around the year 2030, it makes sense to produce as much hydrogen as possible as soon as we can. But natural gas supplies will also begin to run out soon after. Another source is needed.

Researchers are now using electricity to make water into hydrogen. Companies are working on the problem in their own areas. The first commercial hydrogen “fuel cells” for computers and mobile phones have already come on to the market. Auto companies have also invested over US $2 billion in the production of hydrogen fuelled cars.

The nations of a hydrogen fuelled planet would not fight over energy recourses. There would be a great reduction in pollution. The only by-product of creating hydrogen is pure drinking water--- something that is very scarce in many parts of the world. But that is not where the good news ends. Once the costs of producing hydrogen have been brought down, it will possibly provide power for a third of the Earth’s population that has no electricity.

And electricity creates wealth. In South Africa over the last decade there has been a large programme of electrification. Thanks to the programme, people do not have to spend their days looking firewood to burn for heat. And with electric light, they can work long into the night.

Some scientists see radical changes in the way the human race co-operates. Hydrogen creates electricity, and is also created by it. With dual use fuel cells, everyone who consumes energy could also produce it. Late at night, a man drives home in London and connects his car into the “world-wide hydrogen web,” which it supplies with electricity. A few hours later, a man in Beijing uses that electricity to power the hydrogen cell in his car. Hydrogen could be the first democratic energy source.

Like all dreams of the future, it seems very far away. But the threat of war and terrorism in the Middle East has made governments and businesses more aware of the need to end oil dependency and spend more time and money on hydrogen resource. So maybe the threat of war is not a completely bad thing for the future of the human race.

1.What does the underlined word “it” in the last but one paragraph refer to?

A. wealth                            B. hydrogen                         C. electricity                       D. fuel

2.What is the problem with using hydrogen as energy?

A. It has by-products.

B. It has to be separated from other materials.

C. It will make energy too cheap.

D. It is too far away from us.

3.Why does the author give the example in the last but one paragraph ?

A. To tell us that we produce energy while using hydrogen power.

B. To tell us that hydrogen power does not produce pollution.

C. To show hydrogen power can stop war.

D. To show hydrogen power is cheap.

4.What is the author’s attitude about the future?

A. skeptical                            B. negative              C. indifferent              D. positive

5.What is the passage mainly about?

A. war and energy                                          B. the future of hydrogen as an energy resource

C. the disadvantages of oil                        D. How to end war

 

Answer 1

【答案】

 

1.C

2.B

3.A

4.D

5.B

【解析】

試題分析：文章主要講的是能源問題。石油和天然氣都有枯竭的那一天，所以，研究新能源勢在必行。氫氣是普遍存在的一種氣體，每個地方的人們都有權使用它，而且氫氣不會產生污染。文章還講到氫能源與電能的相互轉換，各個國家都在投入大量時間和金錢研究氫能源。

1.根據“Hydrogen creates electricity, and is also created by it. With dual use fuel cells, everyone who consumes energy could also produce it.”可知，每一個消耗電能的人也可以生產電能。故選C。

2.根據第三段“The problem is that hydrogen is everywhere and nowhere at the same time. It does not exist as a material on its own, but is always part of something else. So it has to be separated before it can be used.”可知，氫氣不單獨存在，而是依附于其它物質，要想使用氫氣，必須先分離出氫氣。故選B。

3.氫氣產生電能，同時電能也可以產生氫氣。根據倒數第二段“Late at night, a man drives home in London and connects his car into the “world-wide hydrogen web,” which it supplies with electricity. A few hours later, a man in Beijing uses that electricity to power the hydrogen cell in his car.”可知，電能和氫氣之間可以相互轉化。故選A。

4.根據最后一段可知，中東戰爭與恐怖主義使越來越多的國家認識到應該終止對石油的依賴，轉而投入時間和金錢研究氫能源，這對于人類的未來而言，戰爭和恐怖主義也許并非一無是處。作者對氫能源抱有積極的態度。故選D。

5.文章主要講的是能源問題。氫氣普遍存在，每個地方的人們都有權使用它，而且氫氣不會產生污染。文章還講到氫能源與電能的相互轉換，各個國家都在投入大量時間和金錢研究氫能源。因此，B項“氫氣作為一種能源的未來”最符合題意。故選B。

考點：科技類短文閱讀