Intheearlydaysofnuclearpower,theUnitedStatesmakemoneyonit.Buttodayopponents(反对者)havesocomplicateditsdevelopmentthatnonuclearplantshavebeenorderedorbuiltherein12years.
Thegreatestfearofnuclearpoweropponentshasalwaysbeenareactor"meltdown".Today,thechancesofameltdownthatwouldthreatenU.S.publichealthareverylittle.Buttoevenfurtherreducethepossibility,engineersaretestingnewreactorsthatrelynotonhumanjudgmenttoshutthemdownbutonthelawsofnature.NowGeneralElectricisalreadybuildingtwoadvancedreactorsinJapan.Butdon'texpectthemevenonU.S.shoresunlessthingschangeinWashington.
Theprocedureforlicensingnuclearpowerplantsisabaddream.Anytimeduring,orevenafter,construction,anobjectionbyanygrouporindividualcanbringeverythingtoahaltwhilethematterisinvestigatedortakentocourt.Meanwhile,thebuildermustaddnice-but-not-necessaryimprovements,someofwhichforcehimtoknockdownwallsandstartover.Ineverycasewhenaplanthasbeenopposed,theNuclearRegulationCommissionhasultimatelygrantedalicensetoconstructoroperate.Butthevictoryoftencostssomuchthattheutilityendsupabandoningtheplantanyway.
AcaseinpointistheShorehamplantonNewYork'sLongIsland.ShorehamwasavirtualtwintotheMillstoneplantinConnecticut,bothorderedinthemid-60's.Millstone,completedfor$101million,hasbeengeneratingelectricityfortwodecades.Shoreham,however,wassingledoutbyantinuclearactivistswho,bysendinginendlessprotests,drovethecostover$5billionanddelayeditsuseformanyyears.
Shorehamfinallywonitsoperationlicense.Buttheplanthasneverproducedawattpower.GovernorMarioCuomo,anopponentofaShorehamstartup,usedhispowertoforceNewYork'spublic-utilitiescommissiontoacceptthefollowingsettlement:thepowercompanycouldpassthecostofShorehamalongtoitsconsumersonlyifitagreednottooperatetheplant.I'oday,aperfectlygoodfacility,capableofservicinghundredsofthousandsofhomes,sitsrusting.
21.Theauthor'sattitudetowardthedevelopmentofnuclearpoweris______.
22.Whathasmadetheprocedureforlicensingnuclearpowerplantsabaddream?
A.TheinefficiencyoftheNuclearRegulationCommission.B.Theenormouscostofconstructionandoperation.
C.Thelengthoftimeittakestomakeinvestigations.
D.Theobjectionoftheopponentsofnuclearpower.
23.ItcanbeinferredfromParagraph2that______.
A.therearenotenoughsafetymeasuresintheU.S.forrunningnewnuclearpowerplants
B.itisnottechnicaldifficultiesthatpreventthebuildingofnuclearpowerplantsintheU.S.
C.therearealreadymorenuclearpowerplantsthannecessaryintheU.S.
D.theAmericangovernmentwillnotallowJapanesenuclearreactorstobeinstalledintheU.S.
24.GovernorMarioCuomo'schiefintentioninproposingthesettlementwasto_______.
A.stoptheShorehamplantfromgoingintooperation
B.urgethepowercompanytofurtherincreaseitspowersupply
C.permittheShorehamplanttooperateundercertainconditions
D.helpthepowercompanytosolveitsfinancialproblems
25.Thephrase"singleout"isclosestinmeaningto_______.
