2007年12月大学英语六级考试真题(A卷)CollegeEnglishTest—BandSix—PartⅠWriting(30minutes)Directions:Forthispart,youareallowed30minutestowriteashortessayentitledTheDigitalAge.Youshouldwriteatleast150wordsfollowingtheoutlinegivenbelow.1.如今数字化产品得到越来越广泛的使用,例如…2.数字化产品的使用对人们工作、学习和生活产生的影响TheDigitalAgePartⅡReadingComprehension(SkimmingandScanning)(15minutes)本题客观选择题共计7分,每小题1分。SevenWaystoSavetheWorldForgettheoldideathatconservingenergyisaformofself-denial—ridingbicycles,dimmingthelights,andtakingfewershowers.Thesedaysconservationisallaboutefficiency:gettingthesame—orbetter—resultsfromjustafractionoftheenergy.WhenaslumpinbusinesstravelforcedUlrichRomertocutcostsathisfamily-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,theEuropeanUnionunveiledaplantocutenergyuseacrossthecontinentby20percentby2020.LastMarch,Chinaimposeda20percentincreaseinenergyefficiencyby2020.EvenGreorgeW.Bush,theTexasoilman,isexpectedtotalkaboutenergyconservationinhisStateoftheUnionspeechthisweek.Thegoodnewsisthattheworldisfullofproven,cheapwaystosaveenergy.Herearetheseventhatcouldhavethebiggestimpact:InsulateSpaceheatingandcoolingeatsup36percentofalltheworld’senergy.There’svirtuallynolimittohowmuchofthatcanbesaved,asprototype“zero-energyhomes”inSwitzerlandandGermanyhaveshown.There’sbeenasurgeinnewwaysofkeepingheatinandcoldout(orviceversa).Themostadvancedinsulationfollowsthelawofincreasingreturns:ifyouaddenough,youcanscaledownoreveneliminateheatingandair-conditioningequipment,loweringcostsevenbeforeyoustartsavingonutilitybills.Studieshaveshownthatgreenworkplaces(onesthatdon’tconstantlyneedtohavetheheatorair-conditionerrunning)havehigherworkerproductivityandlowersickrates.ChangeBulbsLightingeatsup20percentoftheworld’selectricity,ortheequivalentofroughly600,000tonsofcoaladay.Fortypercentofthatpowersold-fashionedincandescentlightbulbs—a19th-centurytechnologythatwastesmostofthepoweritconsumesonunwantedheat.Compactfluorescentlamps,orCFLs,notonlyuse75to80percentlesselectricitythanincandescentbulbstogeneratethesameamountoflight,buttheyalsolast10timeslonger.Phasingoldbulbsoutby2030wouldsavetheoutputof650powerplantsandavoidthereleaseof700milliontonsofcarbonintotheatmosphereeachyear.ComfortZoneWaterboilers,spaceheatersandairconditionershavebeennotoriouslyinefficient.Theheatpumphasalteredthatequation.Itremovesheatfromtheairoutsideorthegroundbelowandusesittosupplyheattoabuildingoritswatersupply.Inthesummerthesystemcanbereversedtocoolbuildingsaswell.MostnewresidentialbuildingsinSwedenarealreadyheatedwithground-sourceheatpumps.Suchsystemsconsumealmostnoconventionalfuelatall.Severalcountrieshaveusedsubsidiestojump-startthemarket,includingJapan,wherealmost1millionheatpumpshavebeeninstalledinthepasttwoyearstoheatwaterforshowersandhottubs.RemakeFactoriesFromsteelmillstopaperfactories,industryeatsupaboutathirdoftheworld’senergy.Theopportunitiestosavearevast.InLudwigshafen,GermanchemicalsgiantBASFrunsaninterconnectedcomplexofmorethan€200chemicalfactories,whereheatproducedbyonechemicalprocessisusedtopowerthenext.AttheLudwigshafensitealone,suchrecyclingofheatandenergysavesthecompany200millionayearandalmosthalfitsCO2emissions.NowBASFisdoingthesamefornewplantsinChina.“Optimizing(优化)energyefficiencyisadecisivecompetitiveadvantage,”saysBASFCEOJürgenHambrecht.GreenDrivingAquarteroftheworld’senergy—includingtwothirdsoftheannualproductionofoil—isusedfortransportation.Somesavingscomefreeofcharge:youcanboostfuelefficiencyby6percentsimplybykeepingyourcar’stiresproperlyinflated(充气).Gasoline-electrichybrid(混合型的)modelsliketheToyotaPriusimprovemileagebyafurther20percentoverconventionalmodels.ABetterFridgeMorethanhalfofallresidentialpowergoesintorunninghouseholdappliances,producingafifthoftheworld’scarbonemissions.Andthat’strueeventhoughmanufacturershavealreadyhikedtheefficiencyofrefrigeratorsandotherwhitegoodsbyasmuchas70percentsincethe1980s.AccordingtoanlnternationalEnergyAgencystudy,ifconsumerschosethosemodelsthatwouldsavethemthemostmoneyoverthelifeoftheappliance,they’dcutglobalresidentialpowerconsumption(andtheirutilitybills)by43percent.FlexiblePaymentWhosaysyouhavetopayforallyourconservationinvestments?“Energyservicecontractors”willpayforretrofitting(翻新改造)inreturnforashareoftheclient’sannualutility-billsavings.InBeijing,ShenwuTh