Section A In this section, there is a short passage with 5
questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the
questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words.
Questions 47 to 51 are based on the following passage.
When Toyota Motor Corp. moved one of its divisions
into an environmentally friendly, or“green”, building in Torrance three years
ago, it expected to save on its energy bills. The building offered natural
lighting, electricity-generating rooftop solar panels and water recycling.
But something else also happened. Employee morale jumped
while absenteeism(旷工) fell. The overall energy and worker productivity savings
more than offset the added cost of making the facility environmentally friendly.
“The lighting is easier on the eyes and on the nerves, ”Toyota employee Mary Jo
Moutsios said. “I take a sense of pride in working in this building. It’s
pleasant and feels more productive. ” Results like Toyota’s are
helping to spark a budding“green revolution”in American workplaces. The movement
is starting to change how office buildings are designed and could render
thousands of existing offices obsolete. Employers
including Goldman, Sachs&Co. , Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and Harley-Davidson
Inc. are starting to ask for buildings with more natural light, fresher air and
fewer toxic materials in the paint, carpeting and other finishes. Los Angeles,
Salt Lake City and Chicago are among many cities requiring new public buildings
to be green. Municipalities are offering incentives, such as faster construction
approvals and reduced permit fees, to get the private sector to follow suit.
Although the green movement is in its infancy, its
endorsement(认可) by a growing number of prestigious employers, developers and
cities is seen as giving a shot in the arm to the nation’s environmental
movement as concern about the effects of global warming and environmental
pollution spread. More than $7.7 billion of office
buildings nationwide are up for official green certification, versus about $790
million in 2000．Among the more notable new green towers is World Trade Center in
New York. a 52-storey skyscraper that replaced a building at the same address
that was destroyed in the 2001 terrorist attacks. Although the green movement is still in its early age, it has been______.