With the Tesla Roadster and other plugin (插入式) electric vehicles hitting the road, demand is
growing for accessible refueling points to recharge them. Carbon Day Automotive, a Chicagobased
company, has now demonstrated a solarpowered recharging point, known as the Solar PlugIn Station,
which lets motorists easily charge their cars using electricity that has been produced without any
environmental damage.
The Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show in Chicago as part of the city's bid to host the 2016
Olympic Games. According to Carbon Day Automotive, the Solar PlugIn Station on show in Chicago is
part of the vital infrastructure(基础设施) required for electric vehicles in Chicago and was the focus of
a recent visit by the International Olympic Committee.
These solarpowered electricity points will be used daily to fuel the city's electric vehicles with power
from the sun. By producing the electricity from pollutionfree solar cell, the CO2 emissions are reduced to
zero. "Solar energy and electric vehicles are a partnership that is one more step to reducing our
dependence on foreign oil," says Richard Lowenthal, CEO of Coulomb Technologies. Coulomb
Technologies recently developed the components (部件) required for individual recharging stations,
marketed as ChargePoint Networked Charging Stations. Carbon Day Automotive is the Midwest
distributor for the ChargePoint stations. The Solar PlugIn Station consists of giant solar panels (电池板)
that shade the tiny ChargePoint Networked Charging Station.The solar panel is connected to an
underground battery pack, ready for everyday refueling.
"Without these stations it would be like driving around in a traditional car without the availability of
gas stations," says Scott Emalfarb, CEO at Carbon Day. "The day of true plugin electric vehicles will be
here sooner than most people realize and the world needs to be ready to accommodate them."
1. The Solar PlugIn Station is used as part of the bid to host the Olympics mainly because ________.
A. it's environmentally friendly
B. it makes up for the lack of electricity
C. it’s a new idea and attracts people's attention
D. it brings convenience to electric vehicle users
2. We can learn from the passage that ________.
A. to recharge the electric vehicles takes a long time
B. the Solar PlugIn Station will come into use in 2016
C. the Solar PlugIn Station has gone on show internationally
D. Chicago is promoting the use of electric vehicles
3. According to the passage，how many of the following statements are TRUE?
a. Tesla Roadster is a kind of plugin electric vehicle.
b. The Solar PlugIn Station uses solar power to charge all of the cars.
c. Chicago is a city, which is rich in oil.
d. The Solar PlugIn Station consists of underground battery packs.
e. Scott Emalfarb is optimistic about the future of plugin electric vehicles.
A. 2.
B. 3.
C. 4.
D. 5.
4. The passage implies that when the Solar PlugIn Station becomes popular，________.
A. more visitors will come to Chicago
B. the citizens of Chicago will be able to go to work faster
C. more space for electric vehicles will be needed
D. the cost of electric vehicles will be lower than traditional cars
5. What would be the best title for the passage?
A. Chicago Will Soon Be Full of Electric Vehicles
B. Chicago Calls on People to Buy Electric Vehicles
C. Chicago Fights for Its Bid to Host the 2016 Olympics
D. Chicago Shows Its Solarpowered Recharging Stations
