reading1016.docx

reading1016.docx

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reading1016

Heritageorthreat?

加入收藏  【大中小】  [2010-10-7]

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生活在南亚的大象对人类而言究竟是怎样的角色?

数量正急剧减少的大象是人类应该立法保护的对象，但也是每年造成人类伤亡的元凶之一。

要想与大象和平共处，保护大象免遭灭绝的厄运，人类应该采取更多有效措施。

　　TWOfarmersinAnekal,aforestedbitofthesouthIndianstateofKarnataka,wereintheirfieldsthissummerwhenapairofcowelephantsandacalfemergedfromthetrees.Protectiveofthecalf,theanimalschasedandtrampledthemen.Suchdeathsarenotunusual:

eachyearsome400Indiansarefatallystomped,andkillingsaregettingmorecommon,saysanewreportbyIndia’sElephantTaskForce,agovernment-backedpanel.

　　Thatisbadbothforhumansandjumbos.AfterthedeathsinAnekal,villagersangrilydemandedthatofficialscontroltheelephants.Othersaretakingdirectaction:

around100oftheanimalsarebeingkilledeachyear,accordingto“SecuringtheFutureforElephantsinIndia”,publishedonAugust31st.Aboominghumanpopulationandrapideconomicdevelopmentareshrinkingtheelephants’habitat.InAnekalfarmersencroachontheforest,disruptingamigratoryroute.Thisishappeningacross90suchcorridors,leavingtheanimalpopulationsisolated.

　　Indiahasdoneareasonablejobofprotectingitselephants.Ithassome60%oftheremainingtotalof44,000-56,000Asianones.WhereasinIndiathepopulationisstable,elsewherenumbershaveslumped.Laos,oncedubbed“thelandofamillionelephants”,mayhaveonly1,000left.Indiansaregenerallykeenontheanimalinwhoseformismanifestedapopulargod,Ganesh.Buteventhatfondnesscancausemisery:

some3,500elephantsarekeptcaptivefortemplerituals,politicalprocessionsandspoiltchildren’sbirthdayparties.

　　TheIndianelephants’goodhealthisnotassured.Manyarehitbytrainsorcars,orelectrocutedbylow-hangingpowerlines.Othersfalltoivorypoachers.UnlikeAfricanelephants,onlythemaleshavetusks,whichhasskewedthegenderratioinsomeplacestoonemaleforevery100females.

　　Thereportsuggestsforminganelephant-conservationbodyandlegalprotectionforthemigratorycorridors.Thegovernmentwillnametheelephanta“nationalheritageanimal”,givingitthesameprotectionasthetiger.Butthatshouldreallyworryjumbo.FourdecadesafterthemuchtrumpetedsettingupofProjectTiger,thebig-catpopulationhascontinueditsdisastrousfallfrom40,000acenturyagoto1,400now.

HowtorentaTuscanvilla,orsomethinglikeit

加入收藏  【大中小】  [2010-10-7]

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　意大利的托斯卡纳地区风光秀丽、处处洋溢意大利式浪漫风情，每年都吸引众多游人前往游览。

但租一个托斯卡纳别墅并非人人都负担得起。

　　Forsome,itseemstheimpossibledream.Adistantplaygroundforrichsnobs,（successful）travelwriters,Merchant&Ivoryfilmsettings,andyourluckyUncleToddwhooncehadaFlorentinegirlfriend.

　　ItisavillainTuscany.

　　But,really,youcanhaveoneforaweekorso-andsettlingintotherollinghillsofruralTuscanlifeforabitmaychangehowyoutravelforsometimetocome.Hereishowtostartthedream:

　　Bookinadvance

　　Obvious,butithastobesaid.Villasgetbookedoutinadvance,particularlyinTuscanyinsummer.Manyagentshavedozensofmouth-wateringoptionsonwebsites.StartyoursearchatCuendet（）,InvitationtoTuscany（）orTraditionalTuscany（www.traditionaltuscany.co.uk）.

　　Thinkspringandautumn,notJulyorAugust

　　Insummerpeakseason,availabilityistrickierandpricespredictablyhigher.Still,youcanfindnicevillas,oftenwithpools,thatsleepsixfrom$3,050perweek-orabout$70perpersonpernight.Butthatsamevillaisoftenhalfpricefrommid-Apriltomid-MayorOctobertomid-December.

　　Bookbytheweek,notbytheday

　　Youwilllooksillytryingtogetonefortwodays.Pricesaresetbytheweek.

　　IfnotTuscany,Umbria

　　Slower-goingthanTuscany,Umbriahasfewervisitorsandmanyvillarentalchoicestoo,anditshilltownsmakegreatback-updaytripfodder,likeatStFrancisofAssisi'sbirthplacewithmile-longwalkstosanctuariesbetweenolivetrees,orthecliff-sideOrvietoanditswondrous13th-centuryRomanesquecathedral（andsomegreatItalianwines）.

　　IfnotUmbria,LeMarche

　　JessicaSpiegelofwww.Isays,"Umbria'sbecomingincreasinglypopularaspeoplespilloverfromTuscany-ifyou'rereallytryingtogetawayfromthat,keepgoingeasttoLeMarche."Itisagreatarea,withmountainsandhilltownslikethelivelylittleUrbino,aWorldHeritagesite.（ThereistheAdriaticcoastlinetoo,thoughmuchofitislinedwithunflatteringhigh-risehotels.）

Ifnotavilla,agroturismo

　　Snatchingaruralbaseonaworkingfarmisaniceback-uptoavilla-somearesimple,rusticaffairs,othermoreluxurious.Also,informationcentrescanhelptrackdowntheselastminute.OnefarmthatcomeswithhighrecommendationsisUrbino'sLocandadellaValleNuov,inLeMarche:

aworkingorganicfarmwithsixrooms,home-growntrufflesandhorserides.Countusin.

IsSpentNuclearFuelaWasteoraResource?

加入收藏  【大中小】  [2010-10-8]

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核能源的合理利用正成为许多掌握了核技术国家重点发展的项目，而如何安全的使用和回收核原料和废料则关系着许多人的生命健康和幸福。

　　OnSeptember15,theU.S.NuclearRegulatoryCommissionaffirmeditsexpertopinionthatspentnuclearfuelcouldbesafelystoredonnuclearpowerplantgrounds—whetherinpoolsordrycasks—for"atleast60yearsbeyondthelicensedlifeofanyreactor."Thatisgoodnews,becausethereisnowhereelseforsuchwastetogo.

　　AsPresidentObama'sBlueRibbonCommissiononAmerica'sNuclearFuturecontinuestoponderwhatrolenuclearpowermightplayintheU.S.electricitysupply,agroupofscientists,engineersandotherexpertsassembledbytheMassachusettsInstituteofTechnology（M.I.T.）releasedareportonthenuclearfuelcyclepaidforbythenuclearindustry.Inshort,thereportfindsthaturaniumresourcesarenotlikelytorunoutinthenextcentury,eveniftheU.S.alonebuildsasmanyas1,000nuclearreactors.Therefore,eitherreprocessingorrecyclingspentnuclearfuel,astheFrenchandJapanesedo,islikelytobeawasteofmoneybetterspentonimprovingthelight-waterreactorspresentlyinuse.Thefundscouldalsobeusedtocreatea$670-million-per-yearresearchanddevelopmentprogramfornuclearpoweraswellastodeterminethebestfuelcycleoverthecourseofthenextseveraldecades.Finally,theglobalexpansionofnuclearpowerplantsshouldbeenabledbysomeformofleasingprogramfortheuraniumfuelrods—oneupforrenewaleverydecadeorso.

　　"ForthenextseveraldecadesintheU.S.theonce-throughfuelcycleusinglight-waterreactorsisthepreferredoption,"saidM.I.T.physicistandreportco-chairErnestMonizatitsreleaseonSeptember16inWashington,D.C."Light-waterreactorsaretheworkhorse,andthere'salotwecandotoimprove[them]."TheU.S.employs104light-waterreactorstogenerate20percentofitselectricitytoday;thereactorsmoderateuraniumfissionandtheheatitproduceswithwater,whichisalsoboiledintosteamtoturnanelectricity-generatingturbine.

M.I.T.nuclearengineerCharlesForsberg,anotherco-chairofthereport,notedthatatypicallight-waterreactorintheU.S.needs200metrictonsofmineduraniumresultingin20metrictonsofuraniumfuelperyear.Allthisuraniumrepresentsaslittleas2percentofthefinalcostoftheelectricityfromthatnuclearpowerplant.Therefore,evenifuraniumpricesdoubledormore,theimpactonelectricitypriceswouldbeminimal.

　　TheM.I.T.reportpredictsthateveniftheworld'sfleetofmorethan400nuclearpowerplantsgrewtobe4,000suchplantsthatthenoperatedforacentury,thecostoftheelectricityfromthosefacilitieswouldrisebyamere1percentasaresultoftheincreaseddemandforuranium."There'snoshortageofuraniumthatmightconstrainfuturecommitmentstobuildnewnuclearplantsformuchofthecentury,"Forsbergsaid.Thisalsoarguesagainstalternatefissilefuelssuchasthorium."Whatdoyougetbycomplicatingthefuelcyclebylookingatthoriumwhenwehaveplentyofuranium?

"askedM.I.T.nuclearengineerandreportco-chairMujidKazimi.

　　Thequestionthenbecomeswhattodowiththatabundanturaniumonceit'sbeenfissionedinanuclearreactor.Afterall,thespentnuclearfuelstillcontainsfissionableuranium235andplutonium239."Today,wedon'tknowwhetherspentnuclearfuelfromlight-waterreactorsiswasteoraresource,"Moniznoted.ForsbergaddedthatthespentnuclearfuelcurrentlyawaitingahomeintheU.S.couldbecomparedwith"asuper-strategicpetroleumreserve.Weshouldbecautiousbeforewethrowitaway."

　　Butaplacetothrowsuchradioactivewasteremainsnecessary.EventhoughthespentnuclearfuelfromtheentireU.S.fleetofreactors—roughly2,000metrictonsperyear—requiresjusttwohectaresoflandtobestoredindrycasks,someformofgeologicisolation—suchastheproposedrepositoryatYuccaMountaininNevada—willbeneededultimately.Butratherthanchoosingasiteforpoliticalreasons,asinthecaseofYucca,theM.I.T.reportauthorsargueforselectingasitebasedonthetypeofwastetobeplacedthere,thegeologythatthenbestshieldsthattypeofwaste,andeventheinitialreactordesignasaresult（tomakesuretherightkindofwasteismade）.Forexample,anentirenuclearcycleinvolvinglight-waterreactors,reprocessingofthespentfuel,anddisposalofsmall"packages"ofhighlyradioactivenuclearwasteindeepboreholescouldproveanattractiveoption,Moniznoted.

　Suchreprocessing—orevenfast-neutronreactorsthatdon'tusewatertomoderatefissionandcanpotentiallycreatemorefuelthantheyconsume—remainadistantprospect.Sincethe1950sroughly$100billionhasbeenspentontheresearchanddevelopmentofsuchreactorsaroundtheworld,yetthereiscurrentlyo