【英语趣味课堂】能源选择-Energy Options

 Matthew: Hey Kat, you were just telling me about all the pros¹ and cons² of different renewable energies and you just got me thinking we're going to run outof oil in the next couple of decades. There's reports that say we're going to run out of oil in the next twenty years, but I'm guessing that in fifty years or a hundred years we really will run out and we'll need some sort of other energy source. What do you think's going to happen?

Kat: I think it's going to be a combination³ of all the renewable energy sources we have right now, but there's a lot of development going on especially into solar energy. Solar panels⁴ are becoming more and more efficient. There's now solar panels that are flexible and you can actually bend them around objects and the newest ones are actually made by biodegradable materials and they start to be see-through so you can actually apply solar energy harvesting tools to windows and I think that might be the future of renewable energy.

 

Matthew: What about as far as cost performance goes and sustainability?

 

Kat: Well when it comes to sustainability, I think these new forms of solar panels that are made of biodegradable material, I think they are definitely⁵ going to be the future.

 

Matthew: It seems like it's a lot of resources. We use a lot of energy every day. Every person uses a lot of energy every day. Do you think that there's going to be a time where all houses are run by renewable energy? Do we have the space, the capacity⁶ on this planet⁷ to actually fit every household with solar panels or wind energies?

 

Kat: Well as far as the resources go as how much solar energy actually hits our planet, we can provide energy for the world a thousand times over. That is not a problem but I think financially it's going to be very difficult. At the situation we are at right now, I think it won't be possible.

 

Matthew: I'm sure that scientists are going to figure out something but I just think solar panels, wind turbines⁸, everything, they actually use plastics and metals and in order to produce those you need oil. Now if you have zero oil, how are you going to produce these renewable energy resource products?

 

Kat: I have been trying to explain that earlier with biodegradable materials. There's actually solar panels being built from renewable materials themselves.

 

Matthew: You're in the industry, you've been working there for a while and I am just wanting to ask you do you think that it's going to be successful? Will there be renewable energy throughout the globe or are people going to be too stubborn⁹?

 

Kat: Well as the situation stands right now, renewable energy will not be able to take care of our energy needs and I truly hope that there will be scientific discoveries in the next fifty years because as it is right now we will not be able to go on as we are just supported by renewable energy.

 

重点词汇：

 

Learn Vocabulary from the lesson

run out

 

We're going to run out of oil in the next couple of decades.

 

When we run out of something that means there is nothing left. Notice the following:

 

If I don't find a job, I'll soon run out of money.

Time ran out before he finished the test.

more and more

 

Solar panels are becoming more and more efficient.

 

The term more and more is used to describe an amount that is slowly increasing. Notice the following:

 

More and more people are working from home.

Cars are becoming more and more fuel efficient.

sustainability

 

What about as far as cost performance goes and sustainability?

 

Sustainability means we are able to use something over a long period of time. Notice the following:

 

Sustainability was the main topic at the energy conference.

The current energy policy is not sustainable.

zero

 

Now if you have zero oil, how are you going to produce these renewable energy resource products?

 

Here, we use the number zero to express that there is nothing left of something. It's very informal. Notice the following:

 

There is zero time left.

He has zero support from the working class.

as the situation stands

 

Well, as the situation stands right now, renewable energy will not be able to take care of our energy needs

 

The phrase 'as the situation stands' is used to describe or give an update on a current situation. Notice the following:

 

As the situation stands, she's sure to win the election¹⁰.

As the situation stands, we'll have to cancel the meeting.

1 pros   

abbr.prosecuting 起诉；prosecutor 起诉人；professionals 自由职业者；proscenium （舞台）前部n.赞成的意见( pro的名词复数 )；赞成的理由；抵偿物；交换物

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 cons   

n.欺骗，骗局( con的名词复数 )v.诈骗，哄骗( con的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• The pros and cons cancel out. 正反两种意见抵消。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• We should hear all the pros and cons of the matter before we make a decision. 我们在对这事做出决定之前，应该先听取正反两方面的意见。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 combination   

n.组合，合并，联合；

参考例句：

• He carried on the business in combination with his friends.他与朋友们合伙做生意。
• The materials can be used singly or in combination.这些材料可以单独使用也可以混合用。

4 panels   

镶板( panel的名词复数 )； 面； （门、墙等上面的）嵌板； 控制板

参考例句：

• One of the glass panels in the front door was cracked. 前门的一块方玻璃破裂了。
• Make sure the panels are treated with a wood preservative. 确保镶板用木材防腐剂处理过。

5 definitely   

adv.一定地，肯定地；明确地，确切地

参考例句：

• The team will definitely lose if he doesn't play.如果他不参加比赛，这个队肯定会输。
• I shall definitely be home before six o'clock.6点以前，我一定回家。

6 capacity   

n.能力，力量，接受力；容量，能量，容积

参考例句：

• She is employed by the president in an advisory capacity.她被总裁聘为顾问。
• This carriage has a seating capacity of 120 people.这节车厢定员120人。

7 planet   

n.行星

参考例句：

• Neptune is the furthest planet from the sun. 海王星是离太阳最远的行星。
• Rubbish, however, is only part of the problem of polluting our planet. 然而, 垃圾只是我们这个星球的污染问题的一个方面。

8 turbines   

涡轮机( turbine的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• These turbines can be broadly split into two basic types, the impulse and the reaction turbines. 这些汽轮机可大致分为两种基本类型，即冲动式和反动式。
• The steam is carried through pipes to steam turbines which drive the electric generators. 蒸汽经过输送管进入汽轮机，汽轮机再带动发电机。

9 stubborn   

adj.难以移动，去除的，固执的，顽固的

参考例句：

• I can not cope with that boy;he is stubborn.我对付不了那个孩子，他很固执。
• When he's in his stubborn mood,he isn't easily talked round.他那股牛劲上来了，一时不容易说服。

10 election   

n.选举，选择权；当选

参考例句：

• There is no doubt but that he will win the election.毫无疑问，他将在竞选中获胜。
• The government will probably fall at the coming election.在即将到来的大选中，该政府很可能要垮台。