海上風電，前景無限

劉同功

Offshore wind farm：Advantages and opportunities

風力發電是世界上發展最快的綠色能源技術。而海上豐富的風資源和當今技術的可行性，使海洋成為下一個迅速發展的風電市場。

While we may all have seen wind farms on grassy fields， the most likely place for wind farms to really come into their full efficiency is out to sea.

Offshore wind farms are becoming more common， and many experts predict they are the future of wind power. The reason for this is simple： Offshore， the wind is more powerful as it is not blocked by surface objects. Particularly in deep water， the resistance on the surface of the water is minimal， and the wind can be extremely powerful. This was， of course， once used by sailing ships before the days of the engine， and this wind power is now finding a new purpose.

Offshore wind farms are built， as the name would suggest， in the sea. Offshore wind farms turbines （渦輪機） that look exactly the same as the onshore ones are fixed in the sea bed， and rise above the water line， with their blades （扇葉） in the open air catching the powerful winds. The energy generated is then transported back to shore using undersea pipes. It is a simple case of more wind， more power generated.

These offshore wind farms are more expensive to construct than typical onshore wind farms， as they involve placing the base of the turbine in the sea bed. This initial cost and workload is， however， rewarded by increased efficiency. The job is also made easier by offshore wind farms being built on areas of ocean that have naturally raised sections of the sea bed.

Offshore wind farms also solve the associated humanist issues with turbines—such as noise levels， shadow flight and aesthetic （審美的） issues—and increase electricity production. Once more， man turns to the sea for further exploration.

1. What is the topic of the text？

A. The design of offshore wind farms.

B. The popularity of offshore wind farms.

C. The advantages of offshore wind farms.

D. The need to build more offshore wind farms.

2. What is the advantage of an offshore wind farm over its onshore counterpart？

A. Higher efficiency.

B. Cleaner energy.

C. Lower noise levels.

D. Lower building costs.

3. Where are offshore wind farms mostly built？

A. On the lower parts of the sea bed.

B. On the higher parts of the sea bed.

C. In the deep water near the land.

D. In the deep water far from the land.

4. Why is it more costly to build an offshore wind farm？

A. Because it needs to transport the blades.

B. Because it needs to fix the turbine in the sea bed.

C. Because it needs to lay the undersea pipes.

D. Because it needs to locate a place for the wind farm.

Ⅰ. Difficult sentence in the text

These offshore wind farms are more expensive to construct than typical onshore wind farms， as they involve placing the base of the turbine in the sea bed. 這些海上風電場的建造成本高于典型的陸上風電場，因為它們涉及將渦輪機的底座安置在海床中。

【點石成金】本句是一個主從復合句。主句是These offshore wind farms...onshore wind farms；主句中含有一個more...than...結構的比較狀語；as 引導原因狀語從句。

Ⅱ. Text?centered chunks

come into full efficiency 充分發揮效能

be blocked by 被……阻擋

on the surface of 在……的表面

turn to...for 轉向……以尋求……