The Energy Footprint of the Digital World 数字产品耗电量超乎想象
- 详细资料
- 创建于 2013年11月16日
- 最后更新于 2023年12月18日
- 发布于 2013年11月16日
- 作者：Mike Lee
- 点击数：217
课文朗读
It might sound impossible, but an iPhone could use as much power in one year as a mid-size refrigerator. The average iPhone uses about 361 kilowatt-hours each year. That includes the phone’s data usage, wireless connections, and charging, said the CEO of the Digital Power Group, Mark Mills. A typical fridge uses about 322 kilowatt-hours per year.
听起来有些不可能，但一支iPhone一年的用电量可能与一台中型冰箱相同。市场研究公司数字电力集团的执行长马克．米尔斯提到：一般iPhone每年耗电量为361度，包含手机上网流量、无线网络联机以及电池充电等，而一般冰箱每年耗电量则为322度。
All wireless data that smartphones use pass through data centers, known as the “cloud.” Digital devices consume the most energy through this process. The cloud requires rows of computers that save everything we do online and they are always on. As a result, it’s estimated that all this digital consumption uses ten percent of the world’s electricity.
智能型手机的所有无线传输都会经过数据处理中心，也就是所谓的「云端」，数字装置在此过程中会消耗掉最多的能源。云端的运作需要无数列能够储存所有网络信息的计算机，而它们永远处于启动的状态。因此，据估计所有数字耗能达到了全世界用电量的10%。
As more people buy wireless devices, the cloud will keep growing and gobbling up more electricity. However, tech companies are using green energy to combat this problem. All of Apple’s data centers are powered entirely by solar energy, for example. Since our digital world isn’t going away any time soon, more tech companies are using alternative energy that is better for the environment.
在越来越多人购买无线装置产品的同时，云端将会持续成长并消耗更多电量。而各家科技公司也正使用绿色能源来遏止此问题，举例来说：苹果公司的所有数据处理中心就完成以太阳能发电。由于我们的数字生活短期之内并不会消逝，因此越来越多的科技公司也都将改用对环境更好的替代能源。
－by Bryan Shettig
Vocabulary
data usage [ˋjusɪdʒ] (上网)流量
connection [kəˋnɛkʃən] n. 联机; 连接
data center 数据处理中心
cloud [klaʊd] n. 云端(经网络取得由远程主机提供的服务)
estimate [ˋɛstə͵met] v. 估计
consumption [kənˋsʌmpʃən] n. 消耗量
gobble [ˋgɑb!] up 狼作虎咽地吃完
combat [ˋkɑmbæt] v. 防止，抵制
alternative [ɔlˋtɝnətɪv] adj. 替代的
Reading Comprehension
1. What is the main idea of this article?
(A) We need to stop buying smartphones.
(B) Our digital devices use lots of power.
(C) Data centers help the environment.
(D) Fridges are not good for the planet.
2. Which of the following DON'T data centers do?
(A) Sell digital devices to the public.
(B) Save data about our online activity.
(C) Use a large amount of electricity.
(D) Use many rows of computers.
3. What do we learn about smartphones?
(A) They are streaming too little data.
(B) They only need to use solar energy.
(C) They use most of the world's power.
(D) All their data go through the cloud.
Answer
|
1. ( B ) |
2. ( A ) |
3. ( D ) |
|
|