Question

【題目】Directions: Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main point(s)of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as possible.

Building a Greener Future

Year after year, Earth's precious resources are becoming increasingly scarce. Still people need materials to build new houses, office buildings and schools. There's only one solution to this problem: do more with less. That's what sustainable construction is all about. Advocates of sustainable construction believe the entire building process can be done without harming the environment, and by doing so, the earth is kept sustainable for future generations. To make these green buildings possible, however, the process must be implemented from the beginning.

Picture a city government that wants to build a green office building. The first thing these city planners would do is select a site with a small environmental impact. Ideally, they would choose a site that had already been developed, thus keeping the forests and grasslands protected.

Next, city planners would turn their attention toward the construction process. Only green materials could be used to build their office towers. These include wood, steel, and other materials that have been recycled from destroyed buildings. If possible, they have been manufactured, recovered, or resourced locally. The closer that these green materials are to the construction site, the less energy is wasted getting them to where they're needed.

Maintenance costs are the next important factors that need to be considered. City planners would design heating and cooling systems that use as little energy as possible. They would fit solar roof panels that will absorb the heat from the sun to power the building. Toilets and sinks designed to minimize water waste would be fitted throughout the building. These efficiencies don't just help to protect the environment; they can save money over the long run as well.

After all this was finished, the city planners would relax and maybe even throw a party. They have designed a building that was green at every step--the golden rule of sustainable construction.

Answer 1

【答案】Sustainable construction is the solution to scarce resources and helps protect the environment. First, it means choosing a site which produces minimal environmental impact. It also involves using green recyclable and locally produced materials. Lastly, it is important to take measures like using sustainable energy to reduce maintenance cost. Therefore, sustainable construction focuses on making the whole building process green.

【解析】

這是一篇概要寫作。文章是說明文，介紹如何建設(shè)綠色未來。

根據(jù)第一段中That's what sustainable construction is all about. Advocates of sustainable construction believe the entire building process can be done without harming the environment, and by doing so, the earth is kept sustainable for future generations. “這就是可持續(xù)建設(shè)的意義所在�？沙掷m(xù)建設(shè)的倡導(dǎo)者認(rèn)為，整個(gè)建設(shè)過程可以不損害環(huán)境，這樣做，地球是可持續(xù)的子孫后代。”可知，Sustainable construction is the solution to scarce resources and helps protect the environment.（可持續(xù)建設(shè)是解決稀缺資源和保護(hù)環(huán)境的有效途徑）；根據(jù)第二段中The first thing these city planners would do is select a site with a small environmental impact.“這些城市規(guī)劃者要做的第一件事就是選擇一個(gè)對環(huán)境影響小的地點(diǎn)。”可知，First, it means choosing a site which produces minimal environmental impact.（首先，這意味著選擇一個(gè)對環(huán)境影響最小的地點(diǎn)）；根據(jù)第三段中Only green materials could be used to build their office towers. These include wood, steel, and other materials that have been recycled from destroyed buildings.“只有綠色材料才能用來建造他們的辦公大樓。這些材料包括木材、鋼鐵和其他從被摧毀的建筑物中回收的材料。”可知，It also involves using green recyclable and locally produced materials.（它還包括使用綠色可回收和本地生產(chǎn)的材料）；根據(jù)第四段第一句Maintenance costs are the next important factors that need to be considered.“維護(hù)成本是下一個(gè)需要考慮的重要因素。”可知，Lastly, it is important to take measures like using sustainable energy to reduce maintenance cost.（最后，采取可持續(xù)能源等措施，降低維修成本）；根據(jù)最后一段After all this was finished, the city planners would relax and maybe even throw a party. They have designed a building that was green at every step--the golden rule of sustainable construction.“在所有這些都完成后，城市規(guī)劃者會(huì)放松下來，甚至可能會(huì)舉辦一場派對。他們設(shè)計(jì)的建筑每一步都是綠色的——這是可持續(xù)建設(shè)的黃金法則。”可知，因此，可持續(xù)建設(shè)的重點(diǎn)是使整個(gè)建筑過程綠色。