Experts Call for Local and Regional Control of Sites for Radioactive Waste

The withdrawal of Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a potential nuclear waste repository¹ has reopened the debate over how and where to dispose of spent nuclear fuel and high-level nuclear waste. In an article in the July 10 issue of Science, University of Michigan² geologist Rodney Ewing and Princeton University³ nuclear physicist Frank von Hippel argue that, although federal agencies should set standards and issue licenses for the approval of nuclear facilities, local communities and states should have the final approval on the siting of these facilities. The authors propose the development of multiple sites that would service the regions where nuclear reactors are located.

“The main goal…, should be to provide the United States with multiple alternatives and substantial public involvement in an open siting and design process that requires acceptance by host communities and states,”the authors write.

Ewing and von Hippel also analyze the reasons why Yucca Mountain, selected by Congress⁴ in 1987 as the only site to be investigated for long-term nuclear waste disposal, finally was shelved⁵ after more than three decades of often controversial debate. The reasons include the site’s geological problems, management problems, important changes in the Environmental Protection Agency’s standard, unreliable funding and the failure to involve local communities in the decision-making process.

Going forward, efforts should be directed at locating storage facilities in the nation’s northeastern, southeastern, midwestern and western regions, and states within a given region should be responsible for developing solutions that suit their particular circumstances. Transportation of nuclear waste over long distances, which was a concern with the Yucca Mountain site, would be less of a problem because temporary storage or geological disposal sites could be located closer to reactors.

“This regional approach would be similar to the current approach in Europe, where spent nuclear fuel⁶ and high-level nuclear waste⁷ from about 150 reactors and reprocessing plants is to be moved to a number of geological repositories in a variety of rock types⁸,”said Rodney Ewing, who has written extensively about the impact of nuclear waste management on the environment and who has analyzed safety assessment criteria for the controversial Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository.

 

词汇:

radioactive adj.放射性的   

geologist n.地质学家

shelve v.搁置      

reactor n.反应堆，反应器

repository n.储藏地，储藏室   

geological adj. 地质的

controversial adj. 有争议的     

 

注释:    

1. The withdrawal of Nevada’s Yucca Mountain as a potential nuclear waste repository: Nevada’s Yucca Mountain:美国境内的内华达州尤卡山。 nuclear waste repository:核废物处理库。美国能源部部长朱棣文 2009年 3月 5日表示，拟在内华达州尤卡山建设的核废物昀终处理库将不再是美国储存高放废物的一个选项。

2. University of Michigan:美国密歇根大学，建于 1817年。

3. Princeton University:美国普林斯顿大学，建于 1746年。

4. Congress:美国国会，美国昀高立法机关，由参议院 (Senate)和众议院(House of Representatives)组成。

5.…was shelved: ……被束之高阁。 6. spent nuclear fuel:也叫做 used nuclear fuel，一般译为“乏核燃料”。

7. high-level nuclear waste:高（强度）放（射性）核废物。

8. geological repositories in a variety of rock types:各种不同岩层中的地质处置库。 geological repositories指的是地表以下 300~1500米的稳定的地质体中建造的用于昀终处置高放废物和乏核燃料的工程设施。处置库是一个多重屏障系统，工程屏障由废物体、废物罐、外包装和缓冲回填材料组成，而天然屏障则是能有效阻滞放射性核素迁移的地质体，包括花岗岩、粘土岩、凝灰岩和岩盐等。许多专家认为地质处置是安全的，技术上是可行的，对环境是无害的。

What is NOT true about the 1987 decision by Congress concerning siting of nuclear waste disposal?

A:Yucca Mountain was selected as the only site for a nuclear waste repository. B:The selection of Yucca Mountain for nuclear waste disposal caused much controversy. C:The decision by Congress was put aside due to a number of problems. D:

The decision by Congress was accepted by local communities.

In a traditionally drawn decision tree, a circle represents （）.

A:a chance to which no estimated monetary value can be assigned so that a likely pay-off can not be shown B:a decision to which no estimated monetary value can be assigned so that a likely pay-off can not be shown C:a chance to which an estimated monetary value may be assigned to calculate the most likely pay-off D:a decision to which an estimated monetary value may be assigned to calculate the most likely pay-off

In a traditionally drawn decision tree，a circle represents （）．

A:a chance to which no estimated monetary value can be assigned so that a likely pay-off can not be shown B:a decision to which no estimated monetary value can be assigned so that a likely pay-off can not be shown C:a chance to which an estimated monetary value may be assigned to calculate the most likely pay-off D:a decision to which an estimated monetary value may be assigned to calculate the most likely pay-off

Yamato, the ancient name of Japan, essentially means "big harmony". To achieve such balance, Japanese society has refined a plethora of cultural traits: humility, loyalty, respect and consensus. In the field of business, however, this often results in a lack of leaders who are willing to stand out from the crowd, promote themselves and act decisively. "The nail that sticks up gets hammered down" is a common Japanese refrain; "the hawk with talent hides his talons" is another. Whereas American and European bosses like to appear on the covers of global business magazines, their Japanese counterparts are comfortable in their obscurity. Business in Japan is generally run as a group endeavor.
Such democratic virtues served the country well in the post-war period. But today they hold too many Japanese firms back. Japan boasts some of the best companies in the world: Toyota, Canon and Nintendo are the envy of their industries. But they operate on a global scale and have tentatively embraced some unconsensual American methods. In much of the Japanese economy-especially its huge domestic services sector-managers are in something of a funk. Firms do not give promising youngsters responsibility early on, but allocate jobs by age. Unnecessarily long working hours are the norm, sapping productivity. And there are few women and foreigners in senior roles, which narrows the talent pool.
So how pleasing it is to be able to report the success of a business leader who breaks the mould. Young, dynamic and clever, he is not afraid to push aside old, conservative know- nothings. He disdains corporate politics and promotes people based on merit rather than seniority. He can make mistakes (he got involved in a questionable takeover-defence scheme), but he is wildly popular with salarymen: his every move is chronicled weekly. In June he was given the top job at one of Japan’s biggest firms. Kosaku Shima of Hatsushiba Goyo Holdings has only one serious shortcoming: he is not a real person, but a manga, or cartoon, character. For many critics of Japan, that says it all: Mr. Shima could exist only in fiction. In fact there is room for the country’s managers and even its politicians to learn from him.
Most of the lessons are for Japan’s managers. At present, bosses rarely say what they think because it might disrupt the harmony, or be seen as immodest. Their subordinates are reluctant to challenge ideas because that would cause the boss to lose face. So daft strategies fester rather than getting culled quickly. There is little risk-taking or initiative. The crux of the problem is Japanese companies’ culture of consensus-based decision-making. Called nemawashi ( literally, "going around the roots" ) or ringi ( bottom-up decisions), it helped to establish an egalitarian workplace. In the 1980s Western management consultants cooed that it was the source of Japan’s competitive strength. Sometimes it can be, as in periods of crisis when an entire firm needs to accept new marching orders quickly. But most of the time it strangles a company.
Relying on consensus means that decisions are made slowly, if at all. With so many people to please, the result is often a mediocre morass of compromises. And with so many hands involved, there is no accountability; no reason for individuals to excel; no sanction against bad decisions so that there are fewer of them in future. Of course, sometimes the consensus of the Japanese workplace is just a veneer and decisions are still made from on high. But then why persist with the pretence, particularly if it drains a company’s efficiency
Which of the following best illustrates the meaning of nemawashi

A:An important decision is made by the boss himself. B:An important decision is made by the boss and senior managers. C:An important decision is made by all the salarymen in the company. D:An important decision is made by the boss with the points of view of all the members being directed into consensus.

Text 3

Which of the following best illustrates the meaning of nemawashi

A:An important decision is made by the boss himself. B:An important decision is made by the boss and senior managers. C:An important decision is made by all the salarymen in the company. D:An important decision is made by the boss with the points of view of all the members being directed into consensus.

Muhammad All is probably the most famous sports figure on earth: he is recognized on every continent and by all generations. The (51) of his illness as Parkinson’s disease after his retirement fuelled the debate about the dangers of boxing and criticism (52) the sport. That, plus his outspoken opposition (53) women’s boxing, made people wonder how he would react when one of his daughters decided to (54) up the sport. His presence at Laila’s first professional fight, however, seemed to broadcast a father’s support. Of course Muhammad All wanted to (55) his daughter fight. The ring announcer introduced him as the "the greatest" and as he sat down at the ringside the crowd chanted.
Twenty-one-year-old Laila’s debut fight(首次亮相) was a huge success and there was as much publicity for the (56) as her father’s fights once attracted. (57) , Laila’s opponent was much weaker than she was and the fight lasted just 31 seconds. Since then, Laila has won most of her fights by knocking out her opponent. "She knows (58) she’s doing," said one referee about her. "She knows about moving well. You can see some of her dad’s moves. "
Laila Ali would rather not (59) herself to her father. She prefers to make her own (60) . Her father supports her decision to enter the sport but he has not spared her the details of what can hap pen. Laila (61) that her father wants her to understand the worst possible scenario(局面)to see (62) she still wants to go forward with it. She knows she’s going to get hit hard at times, that she may get a broken nose or a swollen(肿胀的)face, but at least she is prepared for it.
Laila’s decision to start boxing despite her father’s (63) with the symptoms of Parkinson’s disease has of course sparked a mixture of praise and (64) . But Laila is a determined individual and it is her famous last name that has made her a magnet for worldwide media attention. Of course, the (65) on the boxing scene of a woman with her family history attracts even more questions about whether women’s boxing is sport or spectacle.

A:argument B:quarrel C:criticism D:decision

Traditional network layer packet forwarding relies on the information provided by network layer  (1) protocols, or static routing, to make an independent (2) decision at each hop within the network. The forwarding  (3) is based solely on the destination  (4) IP address. All packets for the same destination follow the same path across the network if no other equal-cost paths exist. Whenever a router has two equal-cost  (5) toward a destination, the packets toward the destination might take one or both of them, resulting in

空白（3）处应选择（）

A:connection B:window C:decision D:destination