纯正英语一分钟-Electricity

Electricity is one of the most important inventions ever. It is the thing that powers the Earth. If there was no electricity, we’d be back in the dark ages. Few people stop and think just how amazing electricity is. With the flick¹ of a switch², you can power almost anything. Think about what would happen if there was no electricity. We’d have no TV, no computers, no traffic signals³. It would be like going back to living in caves. There are a few negative points about electricity, of course. Number one, it’s dangerous. Thousands of people die each year from electrocuting themselves or in electrical fires. And number two, it isn’t good for the environment. Most electricity comes from burning coal and that creates greenhouse⁴ gasses.

1 flick   

n.快速的轻打，轻打声，弹开；v.轻弹，轻轻拂去，忽然摇动

参考例句：

• He gave a flick of the whip.他轻抽一下鞭子。
• By a flick of his whip,he drove the fly from the horse's head.他用鞭子轻抽了一下，将马头上的苍蝇驱走。

2 switch   

n.开关，电闸，转换，软枝；vt.转变，切换，摆动，转换，使转轨；vi.转换，变换，摆动

参考例句：

• The switch on the wall was beyond the baby's reach.墙上的开关小孩子是够不到的。
• There's been a switch in our plans.我们的计划改变了。

3 signals   

n.信号( signal的名词复数 )；（无线电或电视所传送的）讯号；标志；（尤指铁路和公路上的）指示灯v.发信号，用信号传达，用信号通讯( signal的第三人称单数 )；发暗号；示意

参考例句：

• signals transmitted from a satellite 从卫星传送来的信号
• This metal tower is used to relay television signals to distant villages. 这个金属塔是用于向遥远的村子转播电视讯号的。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 greenhouse   

n.花房，温室，玻璃暖房

参考例句：

• Behind the green house was a greenhouse.在那所绿房子后面是一个花房。
• The tomatoes were grown in the greenhouse.这些西红柿是在温室栽培的。