科学美国人60秒 SSS 2013-09-05
时间：2019-01-20 作者：英语课 分类：Scientific American(九)月
英语课
Using less energy saves money and lowers greenhouse gas emissions 1. And various studies have looked at ways to get households to use less energy. Now there’s evidence that people in such a study use less energy…because they’re in a study.
The general phenomenon is called the Hawthorne effect: study subjects change their behavior because they’re being observed. So researchers collaborated 2 with a utility to test for the Hawthorne effect in electricity use.
They monitored almost 5,600 randomly 3 selected households. Half received a postcard saying that their energy use would be monitored for a month for research purposes. They also got four follow-up reminder 4 postcards over the month. They received no other information, instructions or incentives 5.
The control group monitored for the study got no notifications. That group continued using the same amount of electricity. But the families being tracked reduced energy use 2.7 percent. And when the study period ended, their energy use shot back up. The report is in the Proceedings 6 of the National Academy of Sciences. [Daniel Schwartz et al., The Hawthorne effect and energy awareness]
Clearly, mindful consumers can find ways to easily lower their energy consumption. Perhaps policy makers 7 can find a way to use the Hawthorne effect to everyone’s advantage.
排放物( emission的名词复数 )； 散发物（尤指气体）
- Most scientists accept that climate change is linked to carbon emissions. 大多数科学家都相信气候变化与排放的含碳气体有关。
- Dangerous emissions radiate from plutonium. 危险的辐射物从钚放散出来。
合作( collaborate的过去式和过去分词 )； 勾结叛国
- We have collaborated on many projects over the years. 这些年来我们合作搞了许多项目。
- We have collaborated closely with the university on this project. 我们与大学在这个专案上紧密合作。
adv.随便地，未加计划地
- Within the hot gas chamber, molecules are moving randomly in all directions. 在灼热的气体燃烧室内，分子在各个方向上作无规运动。 来自辞典例句
- Transformed cells are loosely attached, rounded and randomly oriented. 转化细胞则不大贴壁、圆缩并呈杂乱分布。 来自辞典例句
n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示
- I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
- It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。
激励某人做某事的事物( incentive的名词复数 )； 刺激； 诱因； 动机
- tax incentives to encourage savings 鼓励储蓄的税收措施
- Furthermore, subsidies provide incentives only for investments in equipment. 更有甚者，提供津贴仅是为鼓励增添设备的投资。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
- He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
- to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼