雅思阅读真题（Part 3）
给气候变化踩刹车：氢燃料电池汽车
本篇也叫：给气候变化踩刹车、氢燃料电池汽车、燃料电池车、环保汽车、福特氢燃料车、气候变化与汽车
Part 3 · 考频：中频 · 最近考试：2018.6.2
本篇为雅思阅读真题（Part 3）《Putting the brakes on climate change》，共 14 题，2018.6.2雅思考试真题回忆，页面提供完整原文、题目、答案与解析，并支持在线机考模式免费练习。本页同时提供 Markdown 版本 供 AI 助手与搜索引擎直接读取。
文章讨论气候变化与交通污染的关系，指出减少温室气体需寻找替代能源，重点介绍氢燃料电池技术：它通过氢氧反应发电，只排放水，福特已造出原型车，被视为让汽车气候友好的最有潜力方案。
A
It is tempting to think that the conservation of coral reefs and rainforests is a separate issue from traffic and air pollution. But it is not. Scientists are now confident that rapid changes in the Earth’s climate are already disrupting and altering many wildlife habitats. Pollution from vehicles is a big part of the problem.
B
The United Nation’s Climate Change Panel has estimated that the global average temperature rise expected by the year 2100 could be as much as 6°C, causing forest fires and dieback on land and coral bleaching in the ocean. Few species, if any, will be immune from the changes in temperature, rainfall and sea levels. The panel believes that if such catastrophic temperature rises are to be avoided, the quantity of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide, being released into the atmosphere must be reduced. That will depend on slowing the rate of deforestation and, more crucially, finding alternatives to coal, oil and gas as our principal energy sources.
C
Technologies do exist to reduce or eliminate carbon dioxide as a waste product of our energy consumption. Wind power and solar power are both spreading fast, but what are we doing about traffic? Electric cars are one possible option, but their range and the time it takes to charge their batteries pose serious limitations. However, the technology that shows the most potential to make cars climate-friendly is fuel-cell technology. This was actually invented in the late nineteenth century, but because the world’s motor industry put its effort into developing the combustion engine, it was never refined for mass production. One of the first prototype fuel-cell-powered vehicles have been built by the Ford Motor Company. It is like a conventional car, only with better acceleration and a smoother ride. Ford engineers expect to be able to produce a virtually silent vehicle in the future.
D
So what’s the process involved – and is there a catch? Hydrogen goes into the fuel tank, producing electricity. The only emission from the exhaust pipe is water. The fuel-cell is, in some ways similar to a battery, but unlike a battery, it does not run down. As long as hydrogen and oxygen are supplied to the cell, it will keep on generating electricity. Some cells work off methane and a few use liquid fuels such as methanol, but fuel-ceils using hydrogen probably have the most potential. Furthermore, they need not be limited to transport. Fuel-cells can be made in a huge range of size, small enough for portable computers or large enough for power stations. They have no moving parts and therefore need no oil. They just need a supply of hydrogen. The big question, then, is where to get it from.
E
One source of hydrogen is water. But to exploit the abundant resource, electricity is needed, and if the electricity is produced by a coal-fired power station or other fossil fuel, then the overall carbon reduction benefit of the fuel cell disappears. Renewable sources, such as wind and solar power, do not produce enough energy for it to be economically viable to use them in the ‘manufacture’ of hydrogen as a transport fuel. Another source of hydrogen is, however, available and could provide a supply pending the development of more efficient and cheaper renewable energy technologies. By splitting natural gas (methane) into its constituent parts, hydrogen and carbon dioxide are produced. One way round the problem of what to do with the carbon dioxide could be to store it back below ground – so-called geological sequestration. Oil companies, such as Norway’s Statoil, are experimenting with storing carbon dioxide below ground in oil and gas wells.
F
With freak weather conditions, arguably caused by global warming, frequently in the headlines, the urgent need to get fuel-cell vehicles will be available in most showrooms. Even now, fuel-cell buses are operating in the US, while in Germany a courier company is planning to take delivery of fuel-cell-powered vans in the near future. The fact that centrally-run fleets of buses and vans are the first fuel-cell vehicles identifies another challenge – fuel distribution. The refueling facilities necessary to top up hydrogen-powered vehicles are available only in a very few places at present. Public transport and delivery firms are logical places to start since their vehicles are operated from central depots.
G
Fuel-cell technology is being developed right across the automotive industry. This technology could have a major impact in slowing down climate change, but further investment is needed if the industry – and the world’s wildlife – is to have a long-term future.
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答案：a holistic view of climatic change
原文定位：It is tempting to think that the conservation of coral reefs and rainforests is a separate issue from traffic and air pollution. But it is not. Scientists are now confident that rapid changes in the Earth’s climate are already disrupting and altering many wildlife habitats
答案：some negative predictions from one group of experts
原文定位：The United Nation’s Climate Change Panel has estimated that the global average temperature rise expected by the year 2100 could be as much as 6°C, causing forest fires and dieback on land and coral bleaching in the ocean
同义替换：「one group of experts」↔「United Nation’s Climate Change Panel」
答案：the history of fuel-cell technology
原文定位：This was actually invented in the late nineteenth century, but because the world’s motor industry put its effort into developing the combustion engine, it was never refined for mass production
答案：how the new vehicle technology works
原文定位：Hydrogen goes into the fuel tank, producing electricity. The only emission from the exhaust pipe is water. The fuel-cell is, in some ways similar to a battery
答案：locating the essential ingredient
原文定位：One source of hydrogen is water;Another source of hydrogen is;The big question, then, is where to get it from
同义替换：「essential ingredient」↔「hydrogen」
答案：making the new technology available worldwide
原文定位：Even now, fuel-cell buses are operating in the US, while in Germany a courier company is planning to take delivery of fuel-cell-powered vans in the near future. The refueling facilities necessary to top up hydrogen-powered vehicles are available only in a very few places at present
答案：combustion engine
原文定位：This was actually invented in the late nineteenth century, but because the world’s motor industry put its effort into developing the combustion engine, it was never refined for mass production
同义替换：「car」↔「motor」，「invested in the development of」↔「put its effort into developing」
答案：silent
原文定位：Ford engineers expect to be able to produce a virtually silent vehicle in the future
同义替换：「predict」↔「expect」，「eventually」↔「in the future」，「almost」↔「virtually」
答案：battery
原文定位：The fuel-cell is, in some ways similar to a battery, but unlike a battery, it does not run down
同义替换：「comparable to」↔「similar to」，「lasts longer」↔「does not run down」
答案：portable computers
原文定位：Fuel-cells can be made in a huge range of size, small enough for portable computers or large enough for power stations
同义替换：「many」↔「a huge range of」
答案：FALSE
原文定位：But to exploit the abundant resource, electricity is needed, and if the electricity is produced by a coal-fired power station or other fossil fuel, then the overall carbon reduction benefit of the fuel cell disappears
同义替换：「burning fossil fuels」↔「coal-fired power station or other fossil fuel」，「positive effect」↔「benefit」
答案：NOT GIVEN
原文定位：Oil companies, such as Norway’s Statoil, are experimenting with storing carbon dioxide below ground in oil and gas wells
答案：TRUE
原文定位：Even now, fuel-cell buses are operating in the US, while in Germany a courier company is planning to take delivery of fuel-cell-powered vans in the near future. The fact that centrally-run fleets of buses and vans are the first fuel-cell vehicles
同义替换：「Public transport」↔「buses」
答案：TRUE
原文定位：This technology could have a major impact in slowing down climate change, but further investment is needed if the industry – and the world’s wildlife – is to have a long-term future
同义替换：「More funding」↔「further investment」，「necessary」↔「is needed」