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  3. Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ove

Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ove

admin2021-01-06  17
问题    Popping food into the microwave for a couple of minutes may seem utterly harmless, but Europe’s stock of these quick-cooking ovens emit as much carbon as nearly 7 million cars, a new study has found. And the problem is growing. With costs falling and kitchen appliances becoming "status" items, owners are throwing away microwaves after an average of eight years. This is pushing sales of new microwaves which are expected to reach 135 million annually in the EU by the end of the decade.
   A study by the University of Manchester calculated the emissions of CO2—the main greenhouse gas responsible for climate change—at every stage of microwaves, from manufacture to waste disposal. "It is electricity consumption by microwaves that has the biggest impact on the environment," say the authors. The authors also calculate that the emissions from using 19 microwaves over a year are the same as those from using a car. According to the same study, efforts to reduce consumption should focus on improving consumer awareness and behaviour. For example, consumers could use appliances in a more efficient way by adjusting the time of cooking to the type of food.
   However, David Reay, professor of carbon management, argues that, although microwaves use a great deal of energy, their emissions are minor compared to those from cars. In the UK alone, there are around 30 million cars. These cars emit more than all the microwaves in the EU. Backing this up, recent data show that passenger cars in the UK emitted 69 million tons of CO2 in 2015. This is 10 times the amount this new microwave oven study estimates for annual emissions for all the microwave ovens in the EU. Further, the energy used by microwaves is lower than any other form of cooking. Among common kitchen appliances used for cooking, microwaves are the most energy efficient, followed by a stove and finally a standard oven. Thus, rising microwave sales could be seen as a positive thing.
Why are the sales of microwaves expected to rise?
选项 A、They are becoming more affordable.
B、They have a shorter life cycle than other appliances.
C、They are getting much easier to operate.
D、They take less time to cook than other appliances.
答案A
解析 细节辨认题。定位句指出，这推动了新型微波炉的销量，预计到本年代结束前，欧盟每年的新型微波炉的销售量能达到1．35亿。而上一句指出了推动销量的主要原因：成本的降低和厨房用具变成体现“社会地位”的物品，在使用8年后，使用者们会扔掉微波炉。由此可知，其中一个原因是成本的降低，即微波炉价格的降低，故答案为A)“它们变得更容易让人们负担得起”。
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