The forces that make Japan one of the world’s most earthquake­prone(有地震倾向的)countries could become part of its long­term energy solution.
　　Water from deep below the ground at Japan’s tens of thousands of hot springs could be used to produce electricity.
　　Although Japanese high­tech companies are leaders in geothermal(地热的)technology and export it，its use is limited in the nation.
　　“Japan should no doubt make use of its resources of geothermal energy，”said Yoshiyasu Takefuji，a leading researcher of thermal­electric power production.
　　The disastrous earthquake and tsunami on March 11,2011 caused a reaction against atomic power，which previously made up 30 percent of Japan’s energy needs，and increased interest in alternative energies，which accounted for only 8 percent.
　　Artist Yoko Ono has called on Japan to explore its natural energy，following the example of Iceland which uses renewable energy for more than 80 percent of its needs.
　　For now，geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan，which has for decades relied heavily on fossil fuels and atomic power.
　　The biggest problem to geothermal energy is the high initial cost of the exploration and constructing the factories.Another problem is that Japan’s potentially best sites are already being developed for tourism or are located within national parks where construction is forbidden.
　　“We can’t even dig 10 cm inside national parks.”said Shigeto Yamada of Fuji Electric，adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow.
　　Researcher Hideaki Matsui said，“Producing electricity using hot springs is a decades­long project.We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term.”
　　The Earth Policy Institute in Washington，US，believed Japan could produce 80 000 megawatts(兆瓦)and meet more than half its electricity needs with geothermal technology.
　　Japanese giants such as Toshiba are already global leaders in geothermal technology，with a 70 percent market share.In 2010，Fuji Electric built the world’s largest geothermal factory in New Zealand.
　　1、Geothermal energy is considered as a long­term program by________.
　　A.Yoshiyasu Takefuji
　　B.Hideaki Matsui
　　C.Shigeto Yamada
　　D.Yoko Ono
　　参考答案：B
　　参考解析：细节理解题。根据文章倒数第三段“Researcher Hideaki Matsui said，Producing electricity using hot springs is a decades­long project...”可知，答案B符合文意。
　　2、What would be the best title for the text?
　　A.Alternative energies in Japan
　　B.World’s largest geothermal plant
　　C.Japan takes the lead in geothermal technology
　　D.Japan thinks of geothermal energy
　　参考答案：D
　　参考解析：标题概括题。根据文章第三段的导入和倒数第三段最后一句“We also have to think about what to do for now as energy supplies will decline in the short term”，以及对全文的整体理解可知，本文主要讲的“日本正在考虑如何使用地热”的问题，所以D项最适合做文章的标题。
　　3、It can be learned from the last two paragraphs that________.
　　A.the world’s biggest geothermal plant was built by America
　　B.Japan will not export its geothermal technology
　　C.the potential of Japan’s geothermal energy is great
　　D.it is hard to find geothermal energy in Japan
　　参考答案：C
　　参考解析：推理判断题。根据对文章最后两段的整体理解可知，日本的地热能源潜力巨大。
　　4、What percentage of Japan’s energy needs is geothermal energy?
　　A.About 8%.
　　B.Below 1%.
　　C.Around 30%.
　　D.Over 80%.
　　参考答案：B
　　参考解析：细节理解题。根据文章第七段“For now，geothermal energy makes up less than 1 percent of the energy needs in Japan...”可知，答案B符合文意。
　　5、According to Shigeto Yamada，the growth of geothermal power in Japan needs________.
　　A.a change of rules
　　B.financial support
　　C.local people’s help
　　D.high technology
　　参考答案：A
　　参考解析：推理判断题。根据文章倒数第四段中的“adding that regulations protecting nature would need to be relaxed for geothermal energy to grow”可推知，答案A符合文意。
　　参考译文：
　　易发国家可能成为其长期能源解决方案的一部分。
　　来自日本数万个温泉地下深处的水可以用来发电。
　　尽管日本的高科技公司在地热（地热）技术和出口方面处于领先地位，但其在国内的使用是有限的。
　　“毫无疑问，日本应该利用它的地热资源，”一位领先的热电生产研究人员YoshiyasuTakefuji说。
　　2011年3月11日的灾难性地震和海啸导致了对原子能的反应，原子能以前占日本能源需求的30%，并且增加了对替代能源的兴趣，替代能源只占8%。
　　艺术家小野洋子呼吁日本探索其自然能源，以冰岛为例，该国80%以上的需求都使用可再生能源。
　　目前，地热能还不到日本能源需求的1%，日本几十年来严重依赖化石燃料和原子能。
　　地热能最大的问题是，开发和建造这些工厂的初期成本很高。另一个问题是，日本潜在的最好的旅游景点已经在开发中，或者位于禁止建设的国家公园内。
　　“我们甚至不能在国家公园里挖10厘米深的坑。”富士电气的山田志（Shigeto Yamada）说，他补充说，保护自然的法规需要放宽，地热能才能生长。
　　研究人员松井（Hideaki Matsui）说：“利用温泉发电是一个长达数十年的项目。我们还必须考虑现在该怎么做，因为短期内能源供应将下降。”
　　位于美国华盛顿的地球政策研究所认为，日本可以生产8万兆瓦，并通过地热技术满足一半以上的电力需求。
　　像东芝这样的日本巨头已经是地热技术的全球领导者，占有70%的市场份额。2010年，富士电气在新西兰建造了世界上最大的地热工厂。