空气发电

主题语境：科技创新 篇幅：351词建议用时：7分钟

Scientists at the University of MassachusettsAmherst have invented a new way to make electri?city. Their method uses super?tiny holes to makeelectricity from moisture （湿气） in the air. Thescientists hope the method will one day lead tocheap， clean electricity anywhere at any time.

Moisture in the air is what helps create electricity. Water droplets （小滴） in the aircarry an electric charge. In clouds， these water droplets build up large charges， which welater see as lightning. One of the researchers， Jun Yao， described the new invention as a“small?scale， man?made cloud”. Since the new device generates electricity from the air， thescientists call it“ Air?gen”

Currently， the device （设备） only makes a small amount of electricity—enough topower a small sensor （传感器）. But in lab tests， the Air?gen， which is a little bigger than afingernail， produced that electricity all day and all night for a week， powered by nothing butthe air.

The scientists have tried to make electricity from humidity （空气中的湿度） before，but those methods didnt work for long， or were expensive to make. But in 2020， Dr Yaoand his team found a way of getting electricity from humidity using special“ nanowires”made from bacteria （细菌）. In time， that research led the scientists to the key discovery ofthe Air?gen： almost any material can create electricity in this way as long as it has nano?pores of the right size. This is important because it means in the future， the devices can bemade very cheaply. The researchers are hopeful that the Air?gen will become an importantgreen energy source.

Many scientists are impressed with the ideas behind the Air?gen. But some scientistshave suggested that it might be hard for the Air?gen to create enough electricity to reallymake a difference—especially compared to power sources like solar energy. But Dr Yaoand his team are working on ways to make the Air?gen technology more powerful. Becausethe device is so thin， the scientists believe that many Air?gen layers could be stacked ontop of each other to create more electricity without taking up more space.

1. What is the main purpose of the Air?gen？

A. To produce electricity from water droplets in the air.

B. To generate electricity from nanowires made from bacteria.

C. To create a small?scale artificial cloud.

D. To provide electricity from moisture in the air.

2. How does the Air?gen device generate electricity？

A. By using nanowires made from bacteria.

B. By making use of the electric charge in water droplets.

C. By collecting sunlight and changing it into electricity.

D. By turning water into a usable energy source.

3. What is the advantage of the Air?gen device？

A. It is cheap to produce.

B. It lasts longer and is more reliable.

C. It uses special nanowires to improve electricity production.

D. It can produce much electricity without taking up much space.

4. What is one potential concern raised by scientists about the Air?gen？

A. It may not create enough electricity to make a significant impact.

B. It is less reliable than traditional power sources like solar energy.

C. It requires expensive materials to manufacture.

D. It has a negative impact on the environment.

LanguageStudy

Ⅰ. 日积月累

nanopore n. 纳米孔

generate v. 产生

harness v. 利用

electric charge 电荷

solar energy 太阳能

Ⅱ. 语法填空

Scientists at the University of Massachusetts Amherst have developed a new method of1. （generate） electricity using moisture in the air. Called“ Air?gen”， this device2. （use） super?tiny holes to harness the electric charge carried by water dropletsin the air. Unlike previous 3. （attempt） to generate electricity from humidity at ahigh cost， the Air?gen is 4. （expensive） and highly efficient. Lab tests have shownthat it can produce electricity 5. （continuous） for extended periods， making it areliable and sustainable energy source. The concept behind the Air?gen is based6. the discovery of nanowires made from bacteria， 7. can generateelectricity from humidity. This breakthrough paves the way for the mass production ofAir?gen devices at a low cost.

While some people doubt its development 8. （compare） to other cleanenergy sources like solar power， the researchers are working on improving the devicespower output. By stacking multiple 9. （layer） of the Air?gen， they hope to increaseelectricity production without requiring additional space. Further developments andimprovements could lead to widespread adoption of this innovative technology，10. （bring） us closer to a sustainable future.