High-tech sails for modern cargo ships

浙江 彭文國

這艘從新加坡到巴西的貨船成為第一艘嘗試一種新型帆的貨船。

主題語境：環保貨船 篇幅：350詞 建議用時：7分鐘

1On August 21, a cargo ship traveling from Singapore to Brazil became the first to try out a new kind of sail.The sail is expected to save fuel and cut pollution.If it works well,similar sails could become common on cargo ships over the next few years.

2The new sail is called WindWing.When the ship is at sea, the WindWing can be raised and turned to catch the wind, helping the ship move forward.When the ship is in port, or when the weather is rough, the WindWing can be folded down flat on the ship's deck.

3Cargill, a huge American food com?pany, had the idea of creating the sail.Be?cause it depends on ships to transport its food, Cargill was interested in finding ways to reduce pollution from its shipping operations.Shipping produces a huge amount of pollu?tion.About 2.1% of the world's CO2pollution comes from shipping.In recent years, that number has been increasing.So Cargill decided to try looking at how ships used to move,long before fossil fuels became common—wind power.

4Cargill asked the British company BAR Technologies to design a sail for cargo ships.And a company called Yara Marine built the WindWings,which were then put on the Pyxis Ocean—a cargo ship owned by Mitsubishi.In tests, the Pyxis Ocean was able to reach speeds of up to 10 kph using just the WindWings,and no fuel at all.

5Normally,the Pyxis Ocean will use fuel,but it aims to use far less by letting the wind help out.Cargill says computer studies show that each WindWing can save 1.65 tons of fuel every day.The Pyxis Ocean has two WindWings.Cargill says these should cut the ship's pollution by about 30%.

6The Pyxis Ocean will take six weeks to reach Brazil.Cargill plans to carefully study the results to learn how well the WindWing worked, and whether it can be improved.The exciting thing about WindWings is that, if they work well, they can be made to fit many cargo ships that are currently running on fossil fuels.

Reading Check

Inference1.Why was the WindWing created?

A.To provide a cheaper power source for cargo ships.

B.To increase the speed of cargo ships.

C.To reduce fuel consumption of cargo ships.

D.To improve the stability of cargo ships.

Detail2.Which company came up with the idea for the WindWing sail?

A.The Pyxis Ocean.B.Cargill.

C.BAR Technologies.D.Yara Marine.

Detail3.How much fuel can each WindWing save per day?

A.1.65 tons.B.2.1 tons.

C.10 tons.D.30 tons.

Detail4.What is the expected impact of WindWings on the Pyxis Ocean's pollution?

A.It will reduce pollution by nearly 10%.

B.It will reduce pollution by nearly 20%.

C.It will reduce pollution by nearly 30%.

D.It will reduce pollution by nearly 40%.

Language Study

Ⅰ.日積月累

commonadj.常見的

transportv.運輸

reducev.減少

producev.生產；制造

increasev.增加

speedn.速度

improvev.改進

currentlyadv.目前

cargo ship 貨船

wind power 風力

fossil fuel 化石燃料

Ⅱ.語法填空

A cargo ship traveling 1.________Singapore to Brazil tested a new kind of sail called WindWing, 2.________was designed to save fuel and reduce pollution.Developed by Cargill, 3.________food company, in partnership with BAR Technologies and Yara Marine, the WindWings can be raised and turned 4.________(catch) the wind, pushing the ship forward.In tests, the ship 5.________(reach) speeds of up to 10 kph using only the WindWings, without any fuel.Computer studies suggest that each WindWing can save 1.65 tons of fuel daily, 6.________(result) in a 30% reduction in pollution for the ship.If successful, WindWings could be fixed on many cargo 7.________(ship) currently using fossil fuels,providing a greener option 8.________the shipping industry.The results from the Pyxis Ocean's journey will be 9.________(careful) studied for potential improvements.John Cooper, 10.________runs BAR, says that by 2025, he expects half of new cargo ships to come with some sort of wind power.