Admittedly， minor accidents and sup-ups continue to shake public confidence in nuclear power.Given the unquantifiable risks that nuclear power carries，it is only right that the industry be subjected to the test of public opinion and due political process. However，this argues for exceptional vigilance，regulatory scrutiny and accountability——and not for bans or shut downs.

Those nuclear operators with a good safety record deserve to have their licenses renewed，so that existing plants may run to the end of their useful lives.The Bush administration‘s enthusiastic support goes a lot further than this，however.It also wants to see new plants.Proponents of new nuclear power stations make three arguments in their favor.They will enhance energy security by lessening dependence on fossil fuels;far from being environmentally harmful，they will be beneficial because they will reduce the output of greenhouse gases;and，most crucially，the economics of nuclear power has improved from the days when it was wholly dependent on bail out and subsidy.

Yet these arguments do not stand up to scrutiny.The claim that governments should support nuclear power to reduce their vulnerability to the OPEC oil cartel is doubly absurd.Little oil is used in power generation：what nuclear power displaces is mostly natural gas and coal，which are not only more plentiful than o订but also geographically better distributed.Security is enhanced not by seeking energy self sufficiency but through diversification of supplies.Creating lots of fissile material that might be pinched by terrorists is an odd way to look for security anyway.What about the argument that climate change might be the great savior of nuclear power? Global warming is indeed a risk that should be taken more seriously than the Bush administration has so far done.Nuclear plants do not produce any carbon dioxide，which is the principal greenhouse gas.However，rushing in response to build dozens of new nuclear plants would be both needlessly expensive and environmentally unsound.It would make far more sense to adopt a carbon tax， which would put clean energy sources such as solar and wind on an equal footing with nuclear，whose waste poses an undeniable(if remote)environmental threat of its own for aeons to come.Governments should also dismantle all subsidies on fossil fuels——especially for coal，the dirtiest of a11.They should adopt reforms that send proper price signals to those who use power，and so reduce emissions.Global warming certainly provides one argument in favor of nuclear power，but it is not sufficient on its own to justify a nuclear renaissance.

1.What’s the public‘s opinion about nuclear industry?

[A]People have little confidence in nuclear power for the potential disaster of nuclear accidents.

[B]People think it important to exercise strict monitoring and effective management of the existing plants.

[C]People believe the best way to avoid nuclear disaster is to shut down all the nuclear power stations.

[D]People agree to prohibit the existing nuclear plants from running to the end of their useful lives.

2.The most important reason why the Bush administration support more new nuclear power plants is that—————————

[A] they will increase energy security

[B]they help lessen dependence on fossil fuels

[C]they are environmentally friendly

[D] they need little government financial support

3.According to the author energy security can only be achieved by———————。

[A]using less oil in power generation

[B]replacing fossil fuels with more nuclear power

[C] seeking energy self sufficiency

[D] expanding the sources of power supply

4.According to the passage，which of the following measures is the least helpful in protecting the environment?

[A]Encouraging the use of clean energy sources.

[B]Cutting off subsidies on all fossil fuels.

[C]Adopting price reform to reduce emission.

[D]Promoting the resurgence of nuclear power.

5.It‘s implied that——。

[A]nuclear power stations may become the targets of terrorist attack

[B]the Bush administration doesn‘t give due weight to environment protection

[C]carbon dioxide is the principal source of greenhouse gas

[D]nuclear waste will turn to be all environmental threat in the long-run term

核心词汇

slip vi.犯错误，滑倒 scrutiny n.详细审查 subsidy n.补助金

pinch vt.偷窃

难句点津

Given the unquantifiable risks that nuclear power carries，it is only right that the industry be subjected to the test of public opinion and due political process.

[点津]该句包含一个让步状语从句，句子的主干是It is right that…。第一个that 引导的是以

risks为先行词的定语从句;第二个that引导的是主语从句，其中and连接的是介词to的并列短语。

不可否认，一些小事故和疏忽一直在动摇着公众对核能的信心。就核能具有难以估量的潜在风险来说，核工业应该受到公众意见的考验和适当的政治进程的影响。无论如何，这都要求格外谨慎小心，制定详细的审查规章和责任制度，而不是下达禁令或责令关闭。

那些具有良好安全记录的核电站应该有权利续签他们的许可证，以便现在的工厂可以运转到有效期结束。但是，布什政府的热情支持者要求更多。他们还希望看到新的核电厂。新核电厂的支持者提出了三条有利于自己的意见。他们将通过减少对矿物燃料的依赖来加强能源安全;核电站非但不会造成环境危害，而且是非常有益的，因为它们减少了温室气体的排放;最具决定性的是，核电站的经济状况已经有了改善，那些完全依靠补助和津贴的日子已经过去了。

然而这些论证经不住仔细推敲。政府应该支持核电站的建设从而减少对石油输出国组织的依赖，这种要求是双重荒谬的。石油很少用于发电：核能所替代的主要是天然气和煤炭，而天然气和煤炭不仅比石油充裕，而且在地理分布上也更合理。能源安全不是通过寻求能源的自足来加强的，而是通过供应的多元化来实现的。不管怎么说，制造大量可能会被恐怖分子偷窃的核燃料是寻求能源安全的蹩脚办法。那种认为气候变化可能是核能的大救星的观点又如何呢?全球变暖确实是一个需要布什政府更严肃地对待的风险。核电站不制造任何作为主要温室气体的二氧化碳。但是，对此作出仓促回应，建立许多新的核电站，不仅是不必要的花费，对环境来说也是不安全的。采取一种对碳燃料进行征税的办法，会将清洁的能源如太阳能和风能放到与核能(其废料将对未来造成不可否认的环境威胁)同样重要的地位，这将会更有意义。政府也应当废除所有对矿物燃料的补助——尤其是煤炭这种最脏的燃料。他们应当采取一些改革措施，将适当的价格信号发送到使用此燃料者那里，从而减小排放量。全球变暖确实为核能的使用提供了有利的论据，但它自己并不足以证明核能应用的复兴是正当的。

1.B推断题。由题干关键词public‘s opinion定位文章第一段。该段着重描述了大众对核电技术的种种忧虑和看法，群众所要求的并非禁止或关闭所有核电站，而是强调“高度警惕”以及“定期检查评估”，对于运行安全的核反应堆可以续发执照，以便充分利用现有的核电资源，故正确答案为B.其余选项A(由于核事故的潜在危险，人们对核能几乎没有信心)与文中的shake public con6dence(动摇公众的信心)不相符，C(人们认为避免核灾难最好的方法是关闭所有的核电站)和D(人们同意禁止现有的核电厂运转到有效期结束)与文意相悖，故错误。

2.D细节题。由题干关键词But administration定位第二段。该段列举了布什政府支持建设更多核电站的三个主要原因。在提到第三个原因时，用了most crucially(最具决定性的)，表明现任政府支持核电发展最主要的原因是核电站的建设和运营已不再完全依赖政府的财政援助，故答案应为D.

3.D细节题。由题干关键词energy security时定位文章第三段。该段着重探讨了核电的发展是否有助于实现能源安全的问题。该段中有几处关键信息表明作者认为：能源安全不是通过寻求能源的自足来加强的，而是通过供应的多元化来实现的。由此可以排除选项c，确定D项为答案。

4.D推断题。最后一段中作者提出了几点有助于环保的建议：推广使用清洁能源，取消政府对化石燃料的补贴，以及通过价格改革控制废气排放;在最后重申全球气候变暖不足以成为大规模发展核电的理由，综合推断可知选项D正确。

5.B推断题。在第三段中作者借Global warming is indeed a risk t11at should be taken more seriously than the Bush administration has so far done含蓄批评了布什政府的环境政策，因此选项B正确。而选项A、c、D所涉及的内容，作者在文章中直截了当地阐述了，故不合题意。