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①Looking at wind turbines(涡轮机), you might wonder, “Where does all the energy go?” You might think it’s used immediately, or stored away until needed. However, the reality might surprise you. Because of being short of long-term storage choices, most energy from wind farms is lost. In fact, during 2020, electricity that could have powered two million homes was wasted for this reason!

②Wind power depends heavily on the weather. This causes problems when the wind isn’t blowing. If the need for energy exceeds the supply of wind power, electricity may be cut off. Conversely, power may be wasted when it cannot be stored over the long term.

③Ocean Grazer, a Dutch company, is suggesting a new solution for this problem—an underwater storage system! Called the Ocean Battery, this system’s purpose is to collect and store electricity in an environmentally-friendly manner using a system of pumps(泵) and turbines.

④During low demand(需求), the electricity from wind farms will pump water from underground pools into expandable bladders(囊状物) on the seafloor. When power is needed, the water runs back down into the pools through a turbine, creating energy. This idea is similar to how hydroelectric(水力发电的) dams work.

⑤What changes will the Ocean Battery bring? It can be used with solar farms, tidal energy farms, and any other off-shore electricity producers.

⑥This new solution can have a 70%~80% efficiency(效率) rate, and since it can run a countless number of cycles in its lifetime(around 20 years), it is cost-efficient and dependable. Its many-sided use as well as its high efficiency makes it a great way for energy storage! It can be used almost everywhere.

⑦An example for the Ocean Battery is already being tested in the Netherlands and several other areas. Underwater storage of electricity causes greater challenges compared to storage on land, and we may see newer and more helpful designs as technology continues to advance.

1．According to Paragraph 1, the underlined words “the reality” refer to the fact that ________.

A．only a small part of the energy from wind farms is used

B．wind power depends heavily on the weather

C．problems happen when the wind isn’t blowing

D．wind power can’t meet the demand for electricity

2．What does the underlined word “exceeds” mean in Chinese?

A．低于

B．超过

C．满足

D．配对

3．Which paragraphs show how the new solution works?

A．Paragraphs 2 and 3.	B．Paragraphs 3 and 4.
C．Paragraphs 4 and 5.	D．Paragraphs 5 and 6.

4．What does the writer think of the new solution in Paragraph 6?

A．Expensive.

B．Impossible.

C．Hopeless.

D．Useful.

5．What’s the best title for the passage?

A．Wind power comes from windy weather

B．More helpful designs continue to appear

C．An underwater battery to store wind

D．Most energy from wind farms wasted