The exploitation of the power in the Sun's rays is a form. of alternative energy now showing new commercial promise.
In the US, manufacturers have made important 【C1】______ in the development of the technology to bring down the cost of solar conversion systems 【C2】______ improving their reliability.
The direct conversion of solar 【C3】______ electrical energy, using photovoltaic cells 【C4】______ distinct advantages as an alternative energy option.
【C5】______ other forms of renewable energy, photovoltaic is based on modular solid state devices which can be mass 【C6】______ at a relatively low cost.
Here wafers of silicon—not dissimilar 【C7】______ ones which are turned into silicon chips— 【C8】______ an electric current when light falls upon them.
When built into panels or modules where each cell interconnects, the amount of electricity generated can be large enough to 【C9】______ a home or even a community.
Over the past 10 years, 【C10】______ extensive research and substantial Government and private industry funding, the price of photovoltaic modules has dropped 【C11】______ .
【C12】______ in 1973-74 the price per peak watt was between US $100 and $150, commercial prices for small array system now vary between $6.50 and $7 per watt.
This rapid price reduction has been accompanied by a 400 per cent jump in the 【C13】______ efficiency of photovoltaic modules.
【C14】______ solar cells are poor converters of sunlight to electricity. Early cells could only manage to mm about five per cent of the incident rays into electricity, but recent development have increased 【C15】______ to more than 10 percent.
【C1】
A. strides
B. background
C. investments
D. strategy
听力原文:M: Can I help you, Madam?
W: How much is this hat?
M: 1,000 pounds, Madam.
W: That's so expensive. What's it made of?
M: It's made of real fur. Those hats are cheaper. This one here costs only 500 pounds. Who is it for?
W: It's for my mother-in-law as her birthday gift.
M: Probably too small for your mother-in-law. How about this one? It's bigger.
W: What size is it?
M: It's size sixty.
W: Yes, it's big enough. It's the right size for my mother-in-law. What's it made of?
M: It's made of wool. And the price is 750 pounds.
W: What do you think of it?
M: Well, it looks perfect on you, Madam. But will your mother-in-law like it?
W: Perhaps not. It's the fight size and it's not too expensive. But my mother-in-law prefers very deep colors.
M: Ah! That far hat is dark brown, Madam, and it's the right size. What do you think of it?
W: It's quite nice. I'll take it. How much does it cost?
M: 800 pounds. You may pay it by cash, check or credit card?
W: Hero is my credit card.
Who is the hat for?
A. The customer herself.
B. The customer's husband.
C. The customer's father-in-law.
D. The customer's mother-in-law.
Finally, the customer chose the hat made of ______.
A. nylon
B. wool
C. fur
D. leather
SECTION B PASSAGES
Directions: In this section, you will hear several passages. Listen to the passages carefully and then answer the questions that follow.
听力原文: Today, air travel is far safer than driving a car on a busy motorway. Bur there is the danger that grows every year. From the moment the airplane takes off to the moment it lands, every moment is watched on radar screens. Air traffic controllers tell the pilot exactly when to turn, when to climb and when to come down. The air traffic controllers around the busy airport' may handle 1,000 planes a day. Any plane that flies near the airport comes under the orders of the controllers there. Even a small mistake on their part could cause a disaster. Recently, such a disaster almost happened. Two large jets were flying towards the airport. One was carrying 69 passengers and had come from Toronto; the other was carrying 176 passengers from Chicago. An air traffic controller noticed on his radar screen that the two planes were too close to each other. He ordered one to turn to the right to climb, but he made a mistake. He ordered the wrong plane to do this. So, instead of turning away from the second plane, the first plane turned towards it. 15 seconds later, it flew directly in front of the second plane. They avoided each other by the smallest part of a second. The distance between them was less than that of a large swimming pool. This is an example of the danger that grows every year.
What happened to the two large jets?
A. They bumped into each other over a swimming pool.
B. They avoided each other by turning in different direction.
C. They narrowly escaped crashing into each other.
D. One plane climbed above the other at the critical moment.