【正确答案】Topic: Ways to Save Energy
Conversation
A: Efficiency has moved to the top of the political agenda. Many governments make plans to cut energy use or impose more money to increase in energy efficiency.
B: In fact, there are some cheap ways to save energy. Among the seven ways that could have the biggest impact, I think the most efficient is to remake factories. From steel mills to paper factories, industry eats up about a third of the world's energy. The opportunities to save energy are vast.
A: I agree with you. Remaking factories is very significant to save energy. If the heat produced by one chemical process can be used to power the next, such recycling of heat and energy can save a great amount of money and almost half its CO₂ emissions. And, optimizing energy efficiency is a decisive competitive advantage for companies.
B: To save energy, green driving is also important. According to the statistics, a quarter of the world's energy — including two thirds of the annual production of oil — is used for transportation. Therefore, if green driving can be popularized, much energy will be saved.
A: It's true. Green driving should be popularized. Some savings come free of charge. People can boost fuel efficiency by 6 percent simply by keeping your car's tires properly inflated. Gasoline-electric hybrid models like the Toyota Prius improve mileage by a further 20 percent over conventional models.
B: The third important one is a better fridge. More than half of all residential power goes into running household appliances, producing a fifth of the world's carbon emissions. However, manufacturers have already hiked the efficiency of refrigerators and other white goods by a lot since the 1980s. If consumers chose those models that would save them the most money over the life of the appliance, they'd cut global residential power consumption.
A: But I think the use of heat pump is also important in the aspect of saving energy. Water boilers, space heaters and air conditioners have been notoriously inefficient while the heat pump removes heat from the air outside or the ground below and uses it to supply heat to a building or its water supply. In the summer, the system can be reversed to cool buildings as well. Such systems consume almost no conventional fuel at all.
B: The heat pump sounds efficient. It should be installed in buildings to heat water for showers and hot tubs.
A&B: It's the end of the conversation.