Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British pany by Cambridge University, has, however, invented a novel way to get round this. In return for a deposit of around $10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with a solar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity, a battery that can deliver a three amp（安培） current to store this electricity, and a lamp whose bulb is a light-emitting diode（二极管）. The firm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough to light 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 which is printed a reference number. The keeper sends this reference, plus the serial number of the household solar unit, by SMS to Eight19. The pany's server will respond automatically with an access code to the unit.
Users may consider that they are paying an hourly rate for their electricity. In fact, they are paying off the cost of the unit. After buying around $80 worth of scratch cards—which Eight19 expects would take the average family around 18 months—the user will own it. He will then have the option of continuing to use it for nothing, or of trading it in for a bigger one, perhaps driven by a 10-watt solar cell.
In that case, he would go then through the same process again, paying off the additional cost of the upgraded kit at a slightly higher rate. Users would therefore increase their electricity supply steadily and affordably.
According to Eight19's figures, this looks like a good deal for customers. The firm believes the average energy-starved Kenyan spends around $10 a month on oil—enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps—plus $2 on charging his mobile phone in the market-place. Regular users of one of Eight19's basic solar units will spend around half that, before owning it pletely. Meanwhile, as the cost of solar technology falls, it should get even cheaper.
【小题1】The underlined word “get round” in the first paragraph can be replaced by .A．make use of B．e up withC．look intoD．deal with【小题2】What should the user do when the electricity in the battery is used up?A．Buy a scratch card. B．Recharge it outside.C．Buy another solar cell.D．Return it to the pany.【小题3】How much would users pay for the cell and scratch cards before they own a 2.5-watt solar cell?A．Around $10.B．Around $80.C．Around $90.D．Around $180.【小题4】It can be inferred from the last paragraph that .A．Kenyan families would find it difficult to afford the solar cellB．using the solar cell would help Kenyan families save money C．few Kenyan families use mobile phones for lack of electricityD．the pany will make a great profit from selling solar cells【小题5】What might be the most suitable title for the passage?A．Solar Energy: Starting from Scratch.B．Eight19: a creative British Company.C．Kenyan Families: Using Solar Energy for Free.D．Poor Countries: Beginning to Use Solar Energy.D
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(答案→)D
解析：本文主要讨论的是英国的一家公司对太阳能的一种新的运作的方法。
【小题1】D 推理题。根据文章1,2行Sunny countries are often poor. A shame, then, that solar power is still quite expensive. Eight19, a British pany by Cambridge University, has, however, invented a novel way to get round this.可知这些有阳光的国家通常都比较贫穷，现在英国的这家公司找到一个方法来处理这一问题，故D项正确。
【小题2】B 细节题。根据第一段最后3行The firm thinks that this system, once the battery is fully charged, is enough to light 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.可知可以重新充电，故B正确。
【小题3】C 细节题。根据文章1,3段In return for a deposit of around $10 it is supplying poor Kenyan families with a solar cell able to generate 2.5 watts of electricity,和After buying around $80 worth of scratch cards—which Eight19 expects would take the average family around 18 months—the user will own it.说明一共要付90美元，故C正确。
【小题4】B 推断题。根据文章最后一段According to Eight19's figures, this looks like a good deal for customers. The firm believes the average energy-starved Kenyan spends around $10 a month on oil—enough to fuel a couple of smoky lamps—plus $2 on charging his mobile phone in the market-place.说明肯尼亚人也可以从中获益，故B正确。
【小题5】A 主旨大意题。本文主要讨论的是英国的一家公司对太阳能的一种新的运作的方法，故A正确。