A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask the

A few years ago, Paul Gerner began to gather a group of architects in Las Vegas to ask them what it would take to design a public school that used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,” Gerner says.
Gerner manages school facilities (设施)for Clark County, Nevada, a district roughly the size of Massachusetts. By 2018, 143,000 additional students will enter the already crowded public-education system. Gerner needs 73 new schools to house them. Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes (样品); they plan to construct their schools starting in 2009. The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.
Green schools are appearing all over, but in Clark County, which stands out for its vastness, such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate. “One of the biggest challenges is getting the right site orientation(朝向),” Mark. McGinty, a director at SH Architecture, says. His firm recently completed a high school in Las Vegas. “You have the same building, same set of windows, but if its orientation is incorrect and it faces the sun, it will be really expensive to cool.”
Surprisingly, the man responsible for one of re most progressive green-design competitions has doubts about ideas of eco-friendly buildings. “I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical. I’m interested in those that work.” But he wouldn’t mind if some green features inspire students. He says he hopes to set up green energy systems that allow them to learn about the process of harvesting wind and solar power. “You never know what’s going to start the interest of a child to study math and science,” he says.
【小题1】How did the architects react to Gerner’s design requirements?A．They lost balance in excitement.B．they showed strong disbelief.C．they expressed little interest.D．they burst into cheers.【小题2】Which order of steps is followed in carrying out the project?A．Assessment－Prototype－Design－Construction. B．Assessment－Design－Prototype－Construction.C．Design－Assessment－Prototype－Construction.D．Design－Prototype－Assessment－Construction.【小题3】What makes it difficult to build green schools in Clark County?A．The large size.B．Limited facilities.C．The desert climate.D．Poor natural resources.【小题4】What dose Gerner think of the ideas of green schools?A．They are questionable.B．They are out of date.C．They are advanced.D．They are practical.B

(答案→)B 解析：几年以前，Paul Gerner开始在拉斯维加斯召集一个建筑家小组，讨论在低成本下如何建一所好的公立学校。这个想法让在场的建筑专家都感到吃惊。【小题1】根据第一段“used 50 percent less energy, cost much less to build and obviously improved student learning. “I think half of them fell off their chairs,””可知，减少建筑成本还要保证提高学生的学习，有一半的建筑专家都被吓到了，也就是说，建筑专家不相信能够做到这样。故选B。【小题2】根据第二段“Four architecture teams have nearly finished designing primary school prototypes ...The district will then assess how well the schools perform, and three winners will copy those designs in 50 to 70 new buildings.”可知，首先是设计房子的原型，经过有关部门的评估之后，进入建造阶段，故选D。【小题3】根据第三段“such aggressive targets are difficult because design requirements like more natural light for students go against the realities of a desert climate.”可知，在克拉克郡建绿色学校是困难的，因为需要更多的自然光来应对沙漠气候。故选C。【小题4】根据最后一段““I don’t believe in the new green religion,” Gerner says. “Some of the building technologies that you get are impractical.”可知，Gerner对green schools持怀疑态度，故选A。

好好学习下