To appreciate Dubai, you could start by going skiing. The ski resort, located inside one of the city’s shopping malls, looks from the outside like a silver spaceship. You put on a thick coat, pull on your gloves and then marvel at what strong air-conditioning can do. At the exit, you can buy a souvenir T-shirt. A cartoon thermometer in Celsius announces: “I went from +50 to minus 8!”
Indoor skiing in the desert has become a symbol of Dubai’s status as a wealthy, modem metropolis. This small fishing village, Dubai’s fortunes changed forever with the discovery of oil in the 1960s. Since then. it has evolved to become the largest city. But the rapid growth has come at a price. To power its cars and air-conditioning, the city has produced large amounts of carbon dioxide (CO. ) from fossil fuels. Now it is making some big changes.
To reduce its dependence on cars and lower its emissions, Dubai has invested in solar energy, green buildings, and a comprehensive public transportation system. In addition, all new buildings must meet strict energy regulations.
The most striking development can be found where the city’s suburbs meet the desert. Unlike much of Dubai, the Sustainable City to the south feels more like a close-knit-village community. About five hundred low-rise houses are distributed along attractive, tree-lined streets. They all face north, away from direct sunlight, and are close together to provide natural shade. Each building has reflective windows and wall paint, which reduce the heat absorbed from the sun. Rooftop solar panels and energy-saving lights contribute to the community’s energy efficiency. As a result, residents of the Sustainable City now consume 50 percent less energy than people living in other parts of Dubai.
By 2050, the government intends to obtain 75 percent of the city’s energy from renewable sources-mainly solar. It also wants to have the smallest ecological footprint in the world. The plan is ambitious. But if successful, even guilt-free skiing in the desert could become an reality.
【小题1】Why does the writer start the passage by describing a ski resort?| A．To demonstrate the problems of living near a desert. |
| B．To describe an expensive and unsuccessful building project. |
| C．To give an example of how Dubai is a wealthy modern city. |
| D．To provide a warning of what Dubai might be like in the future. |
| A．distinctive | B．isolated | C．massive | D．uniform |
| A．Installation of energy-efficient lights. | B．Avoidance of the sunlight from north. |
| C．Placement of solar panels on rooftops. | D．Arrangement to allow natural cooling. |
| A．How Oil Has Changed Dubai. | B．Dubai’s Economic Future. |
| C．The Costs of Green Living. | D．Building a Sustainable City. |
