Question

Recently, China announced it had achieved success in drilling fire ice or methane hydrate(天然气水合物,即可燃冰), from the seabed in the Shenhu area of the South China Sea. It produces high amount of energy when it is burned, leaving nothing but dioxide and water.

Many countries, including the United States and Japan, have long been doing research on methane hydrate, but taking it from bottom of the sea has been a common problem they are facing. According to reports, China succeeded in drilling methane hydrate for a number of days continuously and got an average of over 16,000 m³ daily. It is believed to be a big breakthrough.

Scientists say there is about 21,000 trillion (万亿 ) m³ of methane hydrate in the world. If we can use it, it can meet the world's energy need for 1,000 years. However, it is too early to say a new energy source (来源 ) has been found because we are still facing two main challenges ——environmental risk and economic (经济的) cost. When methane hydrate is taken from the seabed, it may go into the air easily. That's very bad for the environment because methane is one of the worst greenhouse gases. Besides, drilling methane hydrate is very expensive as well.

However, China's technology breakthrough is very important because it shows the way researchers across the world should take. It also raises hopes that one day we can drill methane hydrate as a source of energy.

1.What is Paragraph 1 mainly about?

A.China is producing a large amount of energy from fire ice.

B.China is making good use of fire ice throughout the country.

C.China has already succeeded in drilling fire ice from the seabed.

D.China has turned fire ice from the South China Sea into daily energy.

2.What's the common problem many countries are facing when doing research on fire ice?

A.How to take it out from the bottom of the sea.

B.How to turn it into useful energy at the lowest cost.

C.How to make it cheap on the future energy market.

D.How to change it into a traditional form of energy.

3.Why is it too early to say a new energy source has been found?

A.Because it's too difficult to find the place where the fire ice lies and how to drill it.

B.Because it's not easy for fire ice to go into the air and be good for the environment.

C.Because it’s quite impossible for fire ice to take the place of other sources of energy.

D.Because it's expensive to drill fire ice and it may do great harm to the environment.

4.Where can we probably read the article?

A.In a storybook. B.In a newspaper.

C.In a travel guide. D.In an advertisement.

Answer 1