2014年英语专业四级听力真题 短文3

Less than 20 miles from Singapore's skyscrapers is a completely different set of high-rise towers.

在距离新加坡的摩天大楼建筑群体不到20英里的地方，有一处截然不同的高塔建筑群。

Much smaller in scale but with a big ambition, over 100 nine-meter-tall towers at Sky Greens vertical farm offer a new vision of urban sustainability.它们在规模上要小许多，却有着宏伟的目标。这就是由100多座高9米的高塔构成的Sky Greens垂直农场，它们为城市的可持续发展打开了一扇全新的大门。

Green vegetables like Chinese cabbage are grown, stacked in greenhouses, and sold at local supermarkets.农场里种植有绿色蔬菜，比如大白菜，它们整齐地堆放在温室里，等待着在当地超市出售。

The farm was built in 2009 and since October this year the fully operating farm has been supplying one of the city's supermarkets with weekly deliveries of its greens.农场建于2009年，从今年10月开始，农场已全面投入运营，每周都会为市区的一家超市供应绿色蔬菜。

The Sky Greens produce costs around 40% more than an imported equivalent.与同等进口产品相比，Sky Greens产品的成本要高出40%左右。

However, the small amount of energy and water needed to grow the vegetables, and the close proximity to the consumer, means that carbon dioxide emitted in production and transportation is kept to a minimum.但是，其蔬菜种植所需的能量和水量都很小，而且农场靠近顾客，这意味着生产和运输过程中释放的二氧化碳可降至最低限度。

The Sky Greens venture is supported by the Singaporean government and has another advantage over other urban farms around the world: abundant natural heating and light.Sky Greens公司受到新加坡政府的鼎力支持，此外，它还享有全世界的城市农场都不具有的得天独厚的优势，即丰富的自然供暖和光照。

Singapore has year-round temperatures of around 30℃。新加坡全年气温在30摄氏度左右。

The farm is set in an open area designated by the government as an agro-technology park, miles away from the shadow of city skyscrapers.农场位于政府指定为农业科技园区的一片开阔区域内，与市区摩天大楼相隔数英里。

And there are plans for the current site to expand to produce up to two tons of greens a week next year and build over 2,000 towers in the next few years.农场计划在现有场址上将明年的产量扩大至一周两吨，并在未来几年里建造两千座以上的高塔。