Ⅰ.阅读理解
(2022重庆二模)
A race is on in solar engineering to create almost impossibly-thin,flexible solar panels.Stanford University researchers announced they have achieved record efficiencies in a promising class of new materials—which can be thinner than a piece of paper.
According to the study published in the journal NatureCommunications,it uses a new material called “transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDs)”.They absorb incredibly high volumes of sunlight that reach their surface compared to other solar materials.
“Imagine an autonomous drone(无人机) that powers itself with a solar panel atop its wing that is less than six micrometers thick,” said Koosha Nassiri Nazif,co-lead author of the study.
Slimming down is necessary because the king of solar materials,silicon,is much too heavy,large and rigid for applications where flexibility,lightweight and high power are important and excellent.
While TMDs hold great promise,research experiments to date have struggled to change more than 2% of the sunlight they absorb into electricity.But the scientists believe they could practically reach 27% efficiency with electrical improvements.That would be comparable with today’s top solar panels,silicon included.
Nazif told Forbes that the new materials are great candidates for next-generation electronics and solar cells.Chipmakers like Intel and the Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company are already considering TMDs for their future technology.They could be used in a variety of mobile applications,including self-powered wearable devices and sensors,as well as giving a boost to lightweight airplanes and electric cars.
The ultra-thinness does come with engineering challenges,primarily in mass production.When transferring such a layer of TMD to a flexible,supporting material,the TMD layer is frequently damaged.
But the team thinks it is possible to overcome these challenges.Should they succeed,it could change solar power as we know it.“Silicon makes up 95 percent of the solar market today,” Nazif told Forbes.“This is why we aren’t seeing these applications for solar cells today;TMDs are going to change the landscape.”
1.What is the biggest advantage of TMDs now?
A.They have the quality of remarkable thinness.
B.They can efficiently turn sunlight into energy.
C.They are comparable to top silicon panels.
D.They have excellent ability to reflect sunlight.
2.What does Nazif stress in paragraph 6?
A.The appeal of TMDs to chipmakers.
B.The expectation for future tech.
C.The wide applications of solar energy.
D.The future prospects of TMDs.
3.What can we expect of new solar panels in the future?
A.They could power all mobile devices.
B.They could be a competitive alternative.
C.They will revolutionize the energy market.
D.They will be produced on a large scale soon.
4.Which of the following is the best title of this passage?
A.Most Efficient Solar Panels Have Hit the Market
B.Stanford Scientists Develop a New Green Material
C.TMDs Could Be Used for Lightweight Solar Panels
D.Challenges Are to Be Overcome to Promote TMDs
