资源描述：
《全新版大学进阶英语综合教程(二)课文+翻译.doc》由会员上传分享，免费在线阅读，更多相关内容在教育资源-天天文库。
1、Unit1Afterlivinginthe 24-hourcityofLasVegas,Nevadafornearlytenyears,myfamilyandIdecidedto slowthingsdown. Mydaughterwantedahorse. Myhusbandwanted property. Mysonwanteda dirtbike. Iwantedourfamilytobemore self-sufficient.Noneofusfeltthatthiscouldbe accomplished wherewewerelivingandwe
2、allagreedthatamovetothecountrywouldbegreatforeveryone.Beforelongwe setabout lookingforahomeinYucca,Arizona,averysmalltownoflessthan1,000people. ItwaswhileIwasscanninglistingsfromourrealestate agent thatIfirst learnedof it. Therewasahomeforsalethereon40acres. WhenIcalledto inquire ab
3、outtheproperty,Iwasinformedthattherewasnoelectricity available inthearea. What?Noelectricity?Ialmostdismissedtheideaimmediately.Thepropertywasoffthegrid. Itwasnotconnected whatsoever toany utilities —power,waterorsewer. Powerwassuppliedbyawindturbineandsolarpanels. Waterhadtobe haul
4、ed inandstoredintwotanks located ontheproperty. Fortyacreswouldgiveusplentyofroomforallofouranimalsandgivemyhusbandandsonspacetoridetheir ATVs. Besides,whatbetterwayistheretobecomemoreself-sustainable? Aftergivingitsomethought,wedecidedto putin anoffer andmovedinon ThanksgivingDay.W
5、henwefirstmovedtotheproperty,wedidsomeremodelingandstayedinourmotorhome. Wewereconfrontedwithrealchallengesatthetime. Thepowerkept goingout,themainwaterlinetothehousebroke, theplumbingbackedupintothefrontyard andthegeneratordied.Butthe setbacks justmadeusworkharder. Weslowlygotthing
6、sfixedandmovedintothehouseafter38daysinthe RV. Thenextchallengewasto becomefamiliarwith yourpower system,and tolearnthe insandouts ofhaulingyourownwaterand generating yourownpower.Ouroff-the-gridsystem consistsof eightsolarpanels(1,000watts)thataremountedonasuntrackerrack. Wealsohav
7、eawindturbinethatgenerates3,000wattsin24mphwinds. Theenergygeneratedbythewindandsunisstoredin166vgolfcartbatteries. Wealsohavetwo2,500-gallonabove-groundwatertanksanda250-gallonpropanetank. Everyweekend,wehaultwo275-gallonwatertankstothenearbytownofYuccaandfillthemwithwater,whichwet
8、henpumpintoourbigwa
