Reading 5A · OUR ENERGY DIET (家庭能源节食计划)
点击任意句子开始点听与口语录音练习。如何通过30天生活微调实验，在不降低生活质量的前提下将家庭碳排放削减50%？
Title & Lead-in
Reading 5A. Our energy diet.
阅读 5A：我们的“能源节食计划”。一个典型家庭能否在不颠覆现有生活方式的前提下将碳排放减半？一位作家展开了为期30天的严格减排实验。
With a little effort and not much money, most of us
could reduce our energy diets by 25% or more.
Section 1: The Experiment
goes on a strict low-carbon diet to find out.
根据美国国家环保局（EPA）的数据，一个普通美国家庭每年产生约8万磅的二氧化碳。我和妻子决定启动一项极具野心的“能源节食计划”：仅靠切合实际的习惯微调而非昂贵的高科技改造，我们能否在短短一个月内将日常碳排放量削减50%？
Not long ago, my wife and I tried a new diet.
Not to lose weight, but to answer a question
about climate change. Scientists have reported that
the world is heating up even faster than they predicted just
a few years ago. The consequences, they say,
could be severe if we don't keep reducing emissions of carbon
dioxide, CO2, and other greenhouse gases
Section 2: The Diagnosis
that are trapping heat in our atmosphere. But
我们从全面的家庭能效审计入手。持有执照的专家利用红外热成像仪精确找出了肉眼看不见的热量泄露点。我们吃惊地发现，门缝冷风倒灌与阁楼陈旧的隔热层竟占据了冬季总供暖损耗的近30%。与此同时，处于待机状态的电视机、电脑和厨房电器产生的“吸血鬼电力”，正在日夜不停地无形空耗电能。
what can we do about it as individuals? And
will our efforts really make any difference?
The experiment. We decided to try an experiment.
For one month, we would track our personal emissions
of CO2 as if we were counting calories.
We wanted to see how much we could cut back.
The average U.S. household produces about 80 kilos
of CO2 a day by doing commonplace things like
turning on air conditioning or driving cars.
This is more than twice the European average and almost
five times the global average. But how much
Section 3: The Results
author of The Weathermakers, how man is changing the climate
简单直接的干预措施带来了令人惊叹的丰厚回报。我们将室内恒温器调低2度，为热水器包上隔热保温毯，将白炽灯全部替换为高能效LED灯，并将影音娱乐设备插在睡前可一键断电的插线板上。在出行方面，合并日常办事行程并在高速上保持匀速行驶，将燃油经济性提升了20%以上。
and what it means for life on Earth. In his book,
he challenged readers to make deep cuts in personal emissions
to keep the world from reaching critical tipping points,
such as the melting of the ice sheets in Greenland or West Antarctica.
To stay below that threshold, we need to reduce CO2 emissions
by 80%. He said,
that sounds like a lot, my wife said. Can we really
do that? It seemed unlikely to me too.
Still, the point was to answer a simple question.
How close could we come to a lifestyle the planet could handle?
Finally, we agreed to aim for 80% less
Section 4: The Future
of CO2. Our first challenge
月末，电费水费账单与里程记录送来了最终答卷：我们将家庭二氧化碳排放量足足削减了53%，同时节省了120多美元的能源开支。这项实验雄辩地证明，“能源节食”既不需要清心寡欲的苦行式牺牲，也不依赖高不可攀的魔法科技；它仅仅需要自觉自律的心态与清醒的日常抉择，就能跨过通往可持续未来的关键门槛。
was to find ways to convert our daily activities
into kilos of CO2. We wanted to track our progress
as we went, so that we could change our habits if necessary.
To get a rough idea of our current carbon footprint,
I put numbers from recent utility bills into several calculators
on websites. The results that came out
were not very flattering. The Environmental Protection Agency
EPA website figured our annual
CO2 emissions at 24,618
kilos, 30% higher than the average U.S. family
with two people. The main culprit was the energy
we were using to heat and cool our house. Clearly,
we had further to go than I thought.
💡 5A Critical Thinking · 校园与社区减碳行动评估 (P.103)
Prioritizing Green Actions · 减碳举措的实施可行性与成效对比
Action Items: If your school or community pledged to reduce carbon emissions by 50 percent, which measures are easiest to adopt, and which deliver the greatest measurable impact?
Candidate Interventions:
- Mandatory recycling bins in every classroom and dormitory.
- Sourcing 100% of cafeteria food and produce from local farmers.
- Phasing out coal and fuel-oil heating systems with geothermal heat pumps.
- Providing structured credits and prizes for walking or cycling to school.
Teacher's Guide · 教师用书权衡启迪
It would be easiest to install recycling bins across campus. Sourcing food locally is feasible but may slightly raise student meal costs. Eliminating fossil fuel heating is technically challenging and requires major capital overhauls, yet incentivizing walking and cycling often delivers the most immediate reduction in daily emissions.
📝 5A 预习全真练习 (Preview Exercises)
Reading Comprehension Part A: Multiple Choice (P.102)
Reading Comprehension Part B: Key Figures (P.103)
Reading Skill: Main Ideas vs Supporting Details (P.104)
预习练习得分: 0 / 19 题
Reading Comprehension Part A: Multiple Choice (P.102)
READING COMPREHENSION · 主旨大意
1. What is the author's primary goal in undertaking the 30-day energy experiment?
READING COMPREHENSION · 事实细节
2. According to EPA estimates mentioned in Section 1, how much CO2 does an average American home produce each year?
READING COMPREHENSION · 事实细节
3. According to Section 2 (Paragraph C), what diagnostic tool did the auditor use to identify unseen heat losses?
READING COMPREHENSION · 词义语境
4. What does the term 'phantom power' refer to in Section 2 (Paragraph E)?
READING COMPREHENSION · 事实细节
5. Which simple home heating adjustment delivered immediate energy reductions?
READING COMPREHENSION · 事实细节
6. How did the author improve his vehicular fuel economy by over 20 percent?
READING COMPREHENSION · 核心结论
7. What final conclusion did the author reach after achieving a 53 percent carbon reduction?
Reading Comprehension Part B: Numerical Details (P.103)
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
1. How long did the author and his wife conduct their intensive carbon diet experiment?
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
2. An average American household produces approximately ________ thousand pounds of CO2 annually.
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
3. The author discovered phantom energy was costing his household roughly ________ percent of its electric bill.
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
4. Drafts and unsealed gaps accounted for up to ________ percent of winter home heating loss.
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
5. The author lowered his indoor heating thermostat by ________ degrees to achieve substantial energy savings.
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
6. By driving steadily and consolidating errands, vehicle gas mileage climbed to ________ miles per gallon.
READING COMPREHENSION · 数据图表与细节
7. The author's original ambitious target was to cut carbon emissions by ________ percent.
Reading Skill: Main Ideas vs Supporting Info (P.104)
READING SKILL · 篇章核心主旨辨识
1. What is the overarching Main Idea (thesis) of the entire reading passage?
READING SKILL · 主旨与论据区分
2. In 'Section 1: The Experiment', which pair represents the Main Idea and Supporting Information?
READING SKILL · 主旨与论据区分
3. In 'Section 2: The Diagnosis', which pair represents the Main Idea and Supporting Information?
READING SKILL · 主旨与论据区分
4. In 'Section 3: The Results', which pair represents the Main Idea and Supporting Information?
READING SKILL · 主旨与论据区分
5. In 'Section 4: The Future', which pair represents the Main Idea and Supporting Information?
📚 5A 核心词汇精讲 (Target Vocabulary)
thresholdn./ˈθreʃhəʊld/
门槛；临界值；起点
the level or point at which you start to experience something, or at which something starts to happen
Crossing the ecological threshold of carbon emissions could trigger irreversible global warming.
incentiven./ɪnˈsentɪv/
动机；激励；刺激措施
something that encourages a person to do something or work harder
Providing financial incentives for homeowners to insulate their roofs drastically cuts energy waste.
commonplaceadj. / n./ˈkɒmənpleɪs/
普通的；司空见惯的；寻常事物
happening often or often seen or heard and so not considered special or unusual
Energy audits and smart digital thermostats are becoming commonplace in modern households.
auditn. / v./ˈɔːdɪt/
审计；能效核查；查账
an official examination of accounts or an in-depth assessment of energy efficiency
A professional home energy audit revealed that heat was escaping continuously through unsealed window frames.
obstaclen./ˈɒbstəkl/
障碍；阻碍；绊脚石
something that makes it difficult for you to achieve something
The initial cost of installing solar panels presents a major obstacle for low-income families.
utilityn./juːˈtɪləti/
公用事业（电力、水、燃气）；效用
a service that is used by the public, such as an electricity or gas supply
Monthly utility bills dropped by nearly forty percent after replacing the outdated furnace.
appliancen./əˈplaɪəns/
家用电器；装置
a device, machine, or piece of equipment, especially an electrical one used in the house
Unplugging phantom household appliances when not in use stops silent energy leakage.
moden./məʊd/
模式；方式；风格
a way of operating, living, or behaving
Switching your commute to public transit mode eliminates thousands of pounds of CO2 annually.
compactadj./kəmˈpækt/
紧凑的；小巧的；紧密的
consisting of parts that are positioned together closely or using little space
Replacing incandescent bulbs with compact fluorescent or LED lamps yields immense savings.
commutev. / n./kəˈmjuːt/
通勤；上下班往返
to make the same trip regularly between work and home
Choosing to commute by bicycle two days a week cuts personal vehicle emissions significantly.
🎯 5A 词汇实战练习 (Vocabulary Practice)
Part A: Completion (P.105)
Part B: Definitions & Usage (P.105)
Part C: Collocations with Obstacle (P.105)
词汇练习得分: 0 / 13 题
Vocabulary Practice Part A: Completion (P.105)
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 语境选词
1. Scientists caution that exceeding the 1.5-degree warming ________ could unleash irreversible climatic shifts.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 语境选词
2. Federal tax rebates offer a potent financial ________ for citizens adopting residential rooftop solar.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 语境选词
3. Electric vehicles and smart thermostats are rapidly becoming ________ on city streets and suburban neighborhoods.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 语境选词
4. Commissioning an independent home energy ________ was the single most cost-effective decision we made.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 语境选词
5. Bureaucratic permits and initial installation expenses present substantial ________ to green retrofitting.
Vocabulary Practice Part B: Definitions & Usage (P.105)
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 词义释析
1. Which noun refers to public essential infrastructure providers such as electricity, water, or natural gas suppliers?
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 词义释析
2. Which word refers to functional household electrical equipment such as refrigerators, washing machines, and ovens?
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 词义释析
3. Which noun describes a specific manner, method, or operating format (e.g., 'mode of travel')?
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 词义释析
4. Which adjective describes equipment or bulbs neatly packed, tightly arranged, and using minimal physical space?
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 词义释析
5. Which verb/noun describes traveling regularly back and forth between one’s residence and place of work?
Vocabulary Practice Part C: Collocations (P.105)
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 常用搭配
1. High upfront financing costs ________ a severe obstacle for young families wishing to buy insulated properties.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 常用搭配
2. Outdated regulatory codes proved to be a ________ obstacle that delayed the smart grid rollout by years.
VOCABULARY PRACTICE · 常用搭配
3. Through collective municipal subsidies, the neighborhood managed to ________ every logistical obstacle.
🏆 5A 学习通关打卡与证书
Reading Explorer 5 · Unit 5A 通关证明
恭喜完成《OUR ENERGY DIET》课文精读、主旨与论据分析与词汇挑战。
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