Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

The term“environmentalist” can mean different things. It used to refer to people trying to protect wildlife and natural ecosystems. In the 21st century, the term has evolved to capture the need to combat human-made climate change.

The distinction between these two strands of environmentalism is the cause of a split within the scientific community about nuclear energy

On one side are purists who believe nuclear power isn't worth the risk and the exclusive solution to the climate crisis is renewable energy. The opposing side agrees that renewables are crucial, but says society needs an amount of power available to meet consumers' basic demands when the sun isn't shining and the wind isn't blowing. Nuclear energy, being far cleaner than oil, gas and coal, is a natural option, especially where hydroelectric capacity is limited

Leon Clarke, who helped author reports for the UN's Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, isn't an uncritical supporter of nuclear energy, but says it's a valuable option to have if we' re serious about reaching carbon neutrality.

“Core to all of this is the degree to which you think we can actually meet climate goals with 100% renewables, "he said. "If you don't believe we can do it, and you care about the climate, you are forced to think about something like nuclear.”

The achievability of universal 100% renewability is similarly contentious. Cities such as Burlington, Vermont, have been“100% renewable” for years. But these cities often have small populations, occasionally still rely on fossil fuel energy and have significant renewable resources at their immediate disposal. Meanwhile, countries that manage to run off renewables typically do so thanks to extraordinary hydroelectric capabilities.

Germany stands as the best case study for a large, industrialized country pushing into green energy Chancellor Angela Merkel in 2011 announced Energiewende, an energy transition that would phase out nuclear and coal while phasing in renewables. Wind and solar power generation has increased over 400% since 2010, and renewables provided 46% of the country's electricity in 2019.

But progress has halted in recent years. The instability of renewables doesn't just mean energy is often not produced at night, but also that solar and wind can overwhelm the grid during the day, forcing utilities to pay customers to use their electricity. Lagging grid infrastructure struggles to transport this overabundance of green energy from Germany's north to its industrial south, meaning many factories still run on coal and gas. The political limit has also been reached in some places, with citizens meeting the construction of new wind turbines with loud protests.

The result is that Germany's greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by around 11.5% since 2010— slower than the EU average of 13.5%.

51. What accounts for the divide within the scientific community about nuclear energy?

A) attention to combating human-made climate change.

B) Emphasis on protecting wildlife and natural ecosystems.

C) Evolution of the term‘green energy' over the last century

D) Adherence to different interpretations of environmentalism.

52. What is the solution to energy shortage proposed by purists' opponents?

A) Relying on renewables firmly and exclusively.

B) Using fossil fuel and green energy alternately.

C) Opting for nuclear energy when necessary.

D) Limiting people's non-basic consumption.

53. What point does the author want to make with cities like Burlington as an example?

A) It is controversial whether the goal of the whole world's exclusive dependence on renewables is attainable.

B) It is contentious whether cities with large populations have renewable resources at their immediate disposal.

C) It is arguable whether cities that manage to run off renewables have sustainable hydroelectric capabilities.

D) It is debatable whether traditional fossil fuel energy can be done away with entirely throughout the world.

54. What do we learn about Germany regarding renewable energy?

A) It has increased its wind and solar power generation four times over the last two decades.

B) It represents a good example of a major industrialized country promoting green energy.

C) It relies on renewable energy to generate more than half of its electricity.

D) It has succeeded in reaching the goal of energy transition set by Merkel.

55. What may be one of the reasons for Germany's progress having halted in recent years?

A) Its grid infrastructure's capacity has fallen behind its development of greenenergy

B) Its overabundance of green energy has forced power plants to suspend operation during daytime.

C) Its industrial south is used to running factories on conventional energy supplies

D) Its renewable energy supplies are unstable both at night and during the day.

答案解析：

51. 由题干中的关键词 divide (分歧) 和 nuclear energy 定位到 第二段。第二段提到，The distinction between these two strands of environmentalism is the cause of a split within the scientific community about nuclear energy (这两种环保主义流派之间的区别是科学界在核能问题上产生分歧的原因)，所以选 D。更多真题请微信搜索英语巴士小程序。

52. 由题干中的关键词 purists' opponents (纯粹主义者的反对者) 定位到 第三段。第三段提到，反对者认为社会需要在没有阳光和风时满足基本需求，而 Nuclear energy... is a natural option (核能是一个自然的选择)，所以选 C。

53. 由题干中的关键词 cities like Burlington 定位到 第六段。第六段提到，这些城市虽然实现了“100%可再生”，但有其特殊性，然后引出德国的例子，这说明 The achievability of universal 100% renewability is similarly contentious (实现普遍100%可再生同样是有争议的)，所以选 A。

54. 由题干中的关键词 Germany 定位到 第七段。第七段开头就说，Germany stands as the best case study for a large, industrialized country pushing into green energy (德国作为一个大力推广绿色能源的大型工业化国家，是最好的案例研究)，所以选 B。

55. 由题干中的关键词 progress having halted (进展停滞) 定位到 第八段。第八段提到，Lagging grid infrastructure struggles to transport this overabundance of green energy... meaning many factories still run on coal and gas (滞后的电网基础设施难以输送这些过剩的绿色能源……这意味着许多工厂仍在使用煤炭和天然气)，所以选 A。