There are critics who claim that SPS is unrealistic-because launch costs are much too high today; or because microwave beams will set fire to cities; or because its too futuristic3. So why do we believe that it is important to continue to do research on SPS? The reason is very simple.
Humans are going to need enormous amounts of electric power in coming decades. Within 50 years the world population is expected to double, while economic growth will continue around the world, especially in the poorer countries. But existing energy sources already face serious problems. Theyre limited; theyre polluting; theyre dangerous. So 50 years from now, 100 years from now, where is our power going to come from? Nobody knows. And so we believe that new largescale possibilities should be studied further.
We must remember that humans have some choice concerning our future. To some extent we can choose the direction in which our civilization develops. And choices that are made in the coming decades-such as the energy sources that we will or will not use-will have major, longterm implications4 for human life on Earth. We believe that, provided that research continues to show that SPS is environmentally and economically attractive, SPS will open the door to a much more attractive future for human civilization than any groundbased energy source; and one that the public will support; and that young people will find challenging and exciting. Furthermore energy from SPS can be readily used in developing countries, as the SPS 2000 project will demonstrate, thereby aiding economic development worldwide. In addition, by creating large commercial revenues for space engineering, SPS will open the frontier5 of space to economic development, thereby creating a limitless new field for growth of the world economy.
【生词注释】
1. approximatelyadv. 近似地；大约2. subsidizevt. 给……津贴或补贴
3. futuristicadj. 想象的，幻想的4. implicationn. 含义；暗示；暗指
5. frontiern. 前沿；尖端；新领域
1. Which of the following statements about SPS is TRUE?
A. The research on SPS started in the 1960s is still not understood by the public.
B. The research is showing SPS can benefit environment and economy at present.
C. The energy from SPS is now being used in some developing countries.
D. The public dont know about SPS because of spending little time on SPS research.
2. Those who dont agree to do research on SPS have their reasons EXCEPT .
A. we have many other choices to make
B. the cost of sending satellites is too high
C. microwave beams will make cities on fire
D. it will take an extremely long time to realize it
3. Whats the main idea of the third paragraph?
A. Present energy sources face serious problems.
B. Where to get energy sources in the future.
C. The importance of controlling the world population.
D. The importance of exploring new energy sources.
4. Whats the authors attitude toward the research on SPS?
A. Critical.
B. Negative.
C. Neutral.
D. Positive.
More than two million people in Europe now have fiber broadband1 direct to their home, suggests a survey.
The latest figures on superfast broadband delivered by fiber to the home （FTTH） shows 18% growth over the last survey done in late 2008.
The continued growth suggests that the global economic downturn has not hit plans to build a fiber infrastructure2.
Karel Helsen, president of Europes FiberToTheHome Council, said the growth matched predictions that were revised when the credit crunch3 started to make itself felt.
“The numbers in 2009 are in line with the latest forecasts,” said Mr Helsen.
By 2012, the FTTH Council expects that 13 million people across 35 European nations will have their broadband delivered by fiber. Such services would start at speeds of 100 megabits4 per second （mbps）, said Mr Helsen.
Around Europe more than 233 projects were underway5 to lay the fibers that would connect homes or buildings to the net, said Mr Helsen. Many of those, he said, were being operated by local governments or smaller net firms.
Local governments were interested in FTTH because of the economic and social benefits it brought, said Mr Helsen.
The low latency6 or delay inherence7 in highspeed fiber networks made possible novel uses of broadband, he said.
“No delay is very important,” he said, “specifically if you talk about applications that are time dependent such as personal communications, conference calls or video calls where delays cause a lot of interference8.”
While early FTTH services were concentrated in cities, said Mr Helsen, many more were reaching out to rural areas for ehealth and elearning projects.
Separate studies show that an FTTH infrastructure can have a direct impact on local economic output, said Mr Helsen.
The UK, France and Germany have yet to break into the list of top ten FTTH nations.
【生词注释】
1. broadbandn. 宽带
2. infrastructuren. 基础设施；基础结构
3. crunchn. 关键时刻；艰难局面
4. megabitn. 兆位
5. underwayadj. 在进行中的
6. latencyn. 潜伏；潜伏物
7. inherencen. （性质等的）内在；固有；固有性
8. interferencen. 干涉；阻碍；干扰
1. What does the underlined phrase probably mean?
A. Agree with.
B. Pass beyond.
C. Fall behind.
D. Keep up with.
2. It can be inferred from the passage that .
A. some experts had predicted the rapid growth of the fiber broadband
B. some specialists had expected the number of FTTH customers would decline
C. few governments are interested in developing FTTH technology
D. nobody had expected FTTH would develop at such a high speed
3. Developing FTTH services will .
A. have active effect on economic development
B. increase the cost of running Internet companies
C. turn rural areas into developed big cities
D. contribute a lot to the development of hospitals
4. According to the last sentence we can also infer that .
A. FTTH service will have further development
B. developed countries pay little attention to FTTH
C. FTTH service can bring in much money for the government
D. Sweden will not top the list of FTTH nations in the future
5. Which is probably the best title for the passage?
A. Economic crisis and superfast broadband
B. Fiber broadband is increasing rapidly
C. The changing fiber broadband
D. A world of superfast fiber broadband
