篇章阅读26：能源问题
It is often claimed that nuclear energy is something we cannot do without. We live in a consumer society where there is an enormous demand for commercial products of all kinds. Moreover. an increase in industrial production is considered to be one solution to the problem of mass unemployment. Such an increase presumes an abundant and cheap energy supply. Many people believe that nuclear energy provides an inexhaustible and economical source of power and chat it is therefore essential for an industrially developing society. There are a number of other advantages in the use of nuclear energy. Firstly, nuclear power. except for accidents, is clean. A further advantage is that a nuclear power station can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staff. The nuclear reactor represents an enormous step in our scientific evolution and, whatever the anti-nuclear group says, it is wrong to expect a return to more primitive sources of fuel. However, opponents of nuclear energy point out that nuclear power stations bring a direct threat not only to the environment but also to civil liberties.
Furthermore, it is questionable whether ultimately nuclear power is a cheap source of energy. There have. for example. been very costly accidents in America, in Britain and, of course. in Russia. The possibility of increases in the cost of uranium in addition to the cost of greater safety provisions could price nuclear power out of the market. In the long run, environmentalists argue, nuclear energy wastes valuable resources and disturbs the ecology to an extent which could bring about the destruction of the human race. Thus, if we wish to survive. we cannot afford nuclear energy. In spice of the case against nuclear energy outlined above. nuclear energy programmes are expanding. Such an expansion assumes a continual growth in industrial production and consumer demands. However, it is doubtful whether this growth will or can continue Having weighed up the arguments on both sides, it seems there are good economic and ecological reasons for sources of energy other than nuclear power.
参考译文
常有人声称核能是我们不可或缺的能源。我们生活在一个消费社会中，这个社会对于各种商业产品的需求量极大。此外，工业生产的增长也被视为是解决大规模失业问题的一个途径。这种增长需要充足和廉价的能源供应。许多人相信核能提供了一种取之不尽且便宜的能源，因此为工业发展社会所必需。使用核能还有很多其他的优点。首先，除非发生事故，核能是很清洁的。它的另一个好处是经营和维持一个核电站需要相对较少的技术扣管理人员。核反应技术代表着科学发展的一大进步，无论反核能论者怎么说，指望人们重新使用比较原始的燃料作能源都是错误的。然而，核能反对者们指出，核电站不仅对环境，而且对公民自由都是一种直接的威胁。
此外，核能最终是否是一种廉价的能源还值得商榷。比如说，在美国、英国、当然还有俄罗斯，都发生了代价高昂的事故。铀的成本有可能提高，加上更加安全的防范设施所需的巨大成本会使核能的价格超出市场接受能力。环境保护论者宣称，从长远角度看，核能浪费了宝贵的资源，对生态的破坏甚至会达到毁灭人类的地步。因此，如果我们想继续生存下去，我们就不能使用核能。尽管有上述种种反对使用核能的理由，核能的开发计划还在扩大。这种扩大以工业生产和消费需求的继续增长为前提。但是，这种增长是否能够持续，这令人怀疑。权衡了两个方面的意见，我们似乎有很好的经济和生态环境方面的理由来利用其他形式的能源，而不是核能。
测试题
1. The writers attitude toward nuclear energy is______________.
A) indifferent B) tolerant C) favorable D) negative
2. According to the opponents of nuclear energy, nuclear energy is________________.
A) primitive B) cheap C) exhaustible D) unsafe
3. Some people claim that nuclear energy is essential because____________________.
A) it provides a perfect solution to mass unemployment
B) it represents an enormous step forward in our scientific evolution
C) it can meet the growing demand of an industrially developing society
D) nuclear power stations can be run and maintained by relatively few technical and administrative staff
4. Which of the following statements does the writer support?
A) The demand for commercial products will not necessarily keep increasing.
B) Nuclear energy is something we cannot do without.
C) Uranium is a good source of energy for economic and ecological reasons.
D) Greater safety provisions can bring about the expansion of nuclear energy programmes.
5. The function of the last sentence is to___________________.
A) advance the final argument
B) reflect the writers attitude
C) reverse previously expressed thoughts
D) show the disadvantages of nuclear power
选项翻译与答案详解
1.作者对于核能的看法是____。
A)漠然的 B)容忍的 C)赞成的 D)否定的
从文章首段第1句、第2段第1句，尤其是第2段末句，可以看出，作者对核能持否定的态度，D正确。
2.反对核能的人认为核能是________________。
A)原始的 B)便宜的 C)会枯竭的 D)不安全的
首段末句提到，核能反对者认为核电站不仅对环境，而且对公民自由都是一种直接的威胁，即核能不安全，D正确。B是支持使用核能者的观点，而非作者的观点。
3.一些人声称核能是很重要的，因为_______________。
A)它为大规模失业问题提供了一个完美的解决方案
B)它代表了科学革命迈向前方的一大步
C)它可以满足工业发展社会不断增加的需求
D)核电站可以由相对少量的技求人员和管理人员所控制和维护
首段第5句提到，许多人认为核能报重要，因为它是社会工业发展所必需的，可以提供取之不尽且便宜的能源，C正确。解决大规模失业问题的一个途径是提高工业生产，而不是核能，因此A错。C、D是支持使用核能者认为的核能的优点，与题干不构成因果关系，由此可排除。
4.作者会支持下列哪一种说法?
A)对商业产品的需求不一定会不断上升。
B)核能是我们一定需要的东西。
C)铀是一种很好的能源，有着经济和生态价值。
D)更好的安全条款可以带来更多的核能项目。
第2段倒数第2、3句提到，核能开发计划的扩大以工业生产和消费需求的继续增长为前提。但是，这种增长是否能够持续，这令人怀疑，可见A正确。B是支持使用核能者的观点。第2段提到，铀的成本有可能提高，加上安全防范设施需要投入巨大成本，会使核能的价格超出市场承受能力，由此可同时排除C、D。
5.最后一句话的作用是______________。
A)推进最后的论点 B)反应了作者的态度
C)推翻了之前的想法 D)显示出核能的弊端
文章最后一句表明了作者的观点，即作者认为从经济和生态环境方面来考虑。可以利用其他形式的能源，而非核能，B正确。