世界上第一艘零排放货船

甘肃 田静

主题语境：零排放货船 篇幅：337词 建议用时：6分钟

1A Norwegian company has created what it calls the world's first zero-emission,autonomous cargo ship.Developed by chemical company Yara International,the ship was designed to reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases,and move freight（货运）away from roads to the sea.

2The shipping industry accounts for between 2.5% and 3%of global greenhouse gas emissions,according to the International Maritime Organization.Nearly all of Norway's electricity is generated by hydroelectric power（水力发电）,which is generally considered to have much lower carbon emissions than burning fossil fuels,although it still produces greenhouse gases.

3Capable of carrying 103 containers and with a top speed of 13 knots,it will use a 7 MWh battery,with about a thousand times the capacity of one electrical car.The ship will be charged near the port before sailing to container harbors along the coast and then back again,replacing 40,000 truck journeys a year.

4As well as providing a greener option compared to conventional cargo ships,there is no crewman,which means it will be more cost-effective to operate.Initially,loading and unloading the ship will require humans,but gradually,all loading,discharging（卸货）,and some other operations will also be eventually operated using autonomous technology.That will involve developing autonomous cranes and carriers,which are the vehicles that place containers onto ships.

5According to researchers,fully autonomous vessels are the future.But there are many challenges to overcome before autonomous ships can be used for commercial long sea journeys.Navigating traffic in large ports could be a major obstacle.

6Without a crew onboard to carry out maintenance checks,autonomous ships would need built-in self-diagnosing systems with the ability to detect and fix problems,or call for human assistance.

7Although Yara International has no plans to add more autonomous ships to its operations,we may see more elements of AI technology used on commercial ships in the future.Elements are already being used in shipping today when it comes to the voyage and we'll see more partly autonomous elements added.

Reading Check

Detail1.Why did the Norwegian company design the new ship?

A.To improve sea journeys.

B.To replace truck journeys.

C.To reduce air pollution.

D.To test autonomous technology.

Detail2.What do we know about the new ship?

A.It is only powered by water.

B.It is able to hold 103 containers.

C.It can save a great deal of time.

D.It only requires humans to operate.

Detail3.What is regarded as the most difficult thing for the new ship's application?

A.Navigating traffic in large ports.

B.Mending problems.

C.Applying AI technology.

D.Calling for human help.

Inference4.What's the purpose of the text?

A.To introduce a new ship.

B.To compare different ships.

C.To advertise a new ship.

D.To advocate autonomous technology.

Language Study

Ⅰ.Difficult sentences in the text

1.Developed by chemical company Yara International,the ship was designed to reduce emissions of pollutants and greenhouse gases,and move freight away from roads to the sea.该船由雅拉国际化工公司开发，旨在减少污染物和温室气体的排放，并将货物从公路转移到海上。

【点石成金】本句中，Developed by chemical company Yara International为过去分词短语作状语，逻辑主语the ship和develop之间是动宾关系。

2.That will involve developing autonomous cranes and carriers,which are the vehicles that place containers onto ships.那将涉及开发自动化的起重机和运载工具，它们是将集装箱装载到船上的运输工具。

【点石成金】本句有两个that，第一个that作代词，指代前面提到的一件事情；第二个that引导的是定语从句，that在从句中作主语，从句修饰先行词the vehicles；which引导的是一个非限制性定语从句，在从句中作主语。

Ⅱ.Text-centered chunks

be designed to do为做……而设计的

account for（数量上、比例上）占……

be generated by由……生产

compare to与……相比较

call for要求；需要

add...to把……加到……中去