$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$$\quad$Text 2
$\quad$$\quad$A deal is a deal—except, apparently, when Entergy is involved. The company, a major energy supplier in New England, provoked justified outrage in Vermont last week when it announced it was reneging on a longstanding commitment to abide by the strict nuclear regulations.
$\quad$$\quad$一笔交易就是一笔交易——显然,Entergy除外。该公司是新英格兰地区的主要能源供应商,上周宣布违背长期以来遵守严格核规定的承诺时,在佛蒙特州引发了众怒。
$\quad$$\quad$Instead, the company has done precisely what it had long promised it would not: challenge the constitutionality of Vermont’s rules in the federal court, as part of a desperate effort to keep its Vermont Yankee nuclear power plant running. It’s a stunning move.
$\quad$$\quad$取而代之的是,该公司做了它一直承诺不会做的事:在联邦法庭上挑战佛蒙特州的规则的合宪性,作为保持佛蒙特州扬基核电站运行的一部分。这是一个惊人的举动。
$\quad$$\quad$The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon. As a condition of receiving state approval for the sale, the company agreed to seek permission from state regulators to operate past 2012. In 2006, the state went a step further, requiring that any extension of the plant’s license be subject to Vermont legislature’s approval. Then, too, the company went along.
$\quad$$\quad$这冲突在2002年就爆发了,当时该公司买下了佛蒙特州唯一的核电站,位于弗农的一座老化的反应堆。作为州政府支持这笔交易进行的条件之一,该公司同意向州监管机构申请2012年之后的运营许可。在2006年,州政府更进一步,要求工厂许可证的任何延期申请都必须得到Vermont州立法机构的批准。该公司也同意了这些。
$\quad$$\quad$Either Entergy never really intended to live by those commitments, or it simply didn’t foresee what would happen next. A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 2007 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management— especially after the company made misleading statements about the pipe. Enraged by Entergy’s behavior, the Vermont Senate voted 26 to 4 last year against allowing an extension.
$\quad$$\quad$要么是Entergy从未真正打算遵守这些承诺,要么就是它根本没有预见到接下来会发生什么。一系列的事故,包括2007年冷却塔的部分倒塌和发现地下管道系统泄漏,使人们对佛蒙特州扬基核电站的安全性和Entergy公司的管理提出了严重的质疑——尤其是在该公司就管道发表了误导性声明之后。被Entergy的行为激怒的佛蒙特州参议院去年以26票对4票否决了延期。
$\quad$$\quad$Now the company is suddenly claiming that the 2002 agreement is invalid because of the 2006 legislation, and that only the federal government has regulatory power over nuclear issues. The legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say the that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend. Certainly, there are valid concerns about the patchwork regulations that could result if every state sets its own rules. But had Entergy kept its word, that debate would be beside the point.
$\quad$$\quad$现在,该公司突然声称,由于2006年的立法,2002年的协议无效,而且只有联邦政府对核问题有监管权力。这一案件中的法律问题是模糊的:虽然最高法院已经裁定各州对核能有一定的监管权力,但法律学者说,佛蒙特州的案件将为这些权力的延伸提供一个先例。当然,如果每个州都制定自己的规则,就会产生拼凑起来的法规,对此的担忧不无道理。但如果Entergy信守诺言,这场争论就无关紧要了。
$\quad$$\quad$The company seems to have concluded that its reputation in Vermont is already so damaged that it has nothing left to lose by going to war with the state. But there should be consequences. Permission to run a nuclear plant is a public trust. Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth.
$\quad$$\quad$该公司似乎已经得出结论,它在佛蒙特州的声誉已经严重受损,与该州开战已经没有什么可失去的了。但这应该是有后果的。核电站的运营许可是一种公众信任。Entergy在美国运营着其他11个反应堆,包括普利茅斯的清教徒核电站。为了保证Pilgrim的安全运营,该公司已经向联邦政府申请了再开放20年的许可。但是当核管理委员会(NRC)审查该公司的申请时,它应该记住Entergy的承诺值多少钱。
26 The phrase “reneging on” (Line 3.para.1) is closest in meaning to .
[A] condemning
谴责
[B] reaffirming
重申
[C] dishonoring
羞耻 、不遵守、不履行 正确
[D] securing
保卫、抵押
27 By entering into the 2002 agreement, Entergy intended to .
[A] obtain protection from Vermont regulators
获得佛蒙特州监管机构的保护
[B] seek favor from the federal legislature
向联邦立法机关寻求帮助
[C] acquire an extension of its business license
获得营业执照的延期
[D] get permission to purchase a power plant
获得购买发电厂的许可 正确
答案定位:{The conflict has been surfacing since 2002, when the corporation bought Vermont’s only nuclear power plant, an aging reactor in Vernon.}
28 According to Paragraph 4, Entergy seems to have problems with its _____.
[A] managerial practices
管理方式 正确
[B] technical innovativeness
技术革新
[C] financial goals
财政收入
[D] business vision
商业视野
答案定位:{A string of accidents, including the partial collapse of a cooling tower in 2007 and the discovery of an underground pipe system leakage, raised serious questions about both Vermont Yankee’s safety and Entergy’s management}
29 In the author’s view, the Vermont case will test _____.
[A] Entergy’s capacity to fulfill all its promises
Entergy履行承诺的能力
[B] the mature of states’ patchwork regulations
各州零散规定的的成熟度
[C] the federal authority over nuclear issues
联邦政府在核问题上的权威性
[D] the limits of states’ power over nuclear issues
各州对核问题权力的限制性 正确
答案定位:{he legal issues in the case are obscure: whereas the Supreme Court has ruled that states do have some regulatory authority over nuclear power, legal scholars say the that Vermont case will offer a precedent-setting test of how far those powers extend.}
30 It can be inferred from the last paragraph that ______.
[A] Entergy’s business elsewhere might be affected
Entergy其他地方的业务也可能会受到影响 正确
[B] the authority of the NRC will be defied
NRC的权威会受到蔑视
[C] Entergy will withdraw its Plymouth application
Entergy会撤回其在Plymouth的申请
[D] Vermont’s reputation might be damaged
Vermont的声誉会遭到破坏
答案定位:{Entergy runs 11 other reactors in the United States, including Pilgrim Nuclear station in Plymouth. Pledging to run Pilgrim safely, the company has applied for federal permission to keep it open for another 20 years. But as the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) reviews the company’s application, it should keep it mind what promises from Entergy are worth. }
12年的英语一
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