Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite e

Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, thatsolar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British company by CambridgeUniversity, has, however, invented a novel way to get round this. Inreturn for a deposit of around $10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with asolar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity, a battery that candeliver a three amp（安培） current to store this electricity, and alamp whose bulb is a light-emitting diode（二极管）. Thefirm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough tolight two small rooms and to power a mobile-phone charger for seven hours.Then, next day, it can be put outside and charged back up again.

The trick is that, to be able to use the electricity,the system's keeper must buy a scratch card—for as little as a dollar—on whichis printed a reference number. The keeper sends this reference, plus the serialnumber of the household solar unit, by SMS to Eight19. The company's serverwill respond automatically with an access code to the unit. 

Users may consider that they are paying an hourly ratefor their electricity. In fact, they are paying off the cost of the unit. Afterbuying around $80 worth of scratch cards—which Eight19 expects would take theaverage family around 18 months—the user will own it. He will then have theoption of continuing to use it for nothing, or of trading it in for a biggerone, perhaps driven by a 10-watt solar cell. 

In that case, he would go then through the sameprocess again, paying off the additional cost of the upgraded kit at a slightlyhigher rate. Users would therefore increase their electricity supply steadilyand affordably.

According to Eight19's figures, this looks like a gooddeal for customers. The firm believes the average energy-starved Kenyan spendsaround $10 a month on oil—enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps—plus $2 oncharging his mobile phone in the market-place. Regular users of one ofEight19's basic solar units will spend around half that, before owning itcompletely. Meanwhile, as the cost of solar technology falls, it should geteven cheaper.

1.The underlined word “get round” in the firstparagraph can be replaced by _______ .

A．make use of       B．come up with       C．look into          D．deal with

2.What should the user do when the electricity in thebattery is used up?

A．Buy a scratchcard.                      B．Recharge itoutside.

C．Buy anothersolar cell.                    D．Return it tothe company.

3.How much would users pay for the cell and scratchcards before they own a 2.5-watt solar cell?

A．Around $10.       B．Around $80.       C．Around $90.       D．Around $180.

4.It can be inferred from the last paragraphthat  ____________.

A．Kenyanfamilies would find it difficult to afford the solar cell

B．using thesolar cell would help Kenyan families save money

C．few Kenyanfamilies use mobile phones for lack of electricity

D．the companywill make a great profit from selling solar cells

5.What might be the most suitable title for thepassage?

A．Solar Energy:Starting from Scratch.

B．Eight19: acreative British Company.

C．KenyanFamilies: Using Solar Energy for Free.

D．PoorCountries: Beginning to Use Solar Energy.

试题答案

【答案】

1.D

2.B

3.C

4.B

5.A  

【解析】

试题