首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
(1)All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Mart to buy everything from socks to sofa beds. In McKinney, Texas, they come for
(1)All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Mart to buy everything from socks to sofa beds. In McKinney, Texas, they come for
admin
2019-05-24
31
问题
(1)All around the world, shoppers flock to Wal-Mart to buy everything from socks to sofa beds. In McKinney, Texas, they come for another reason: to see the wind turbine. Rising 120 ft. above the ground, it’s the tallest structure in town and supplies 5% of the store’s electricity. It’s not the only thing that makes this Wal-Mart a green giant. There are photovoltaic shingles on the roof, exterior walls coated with heat- reflective paint and a high-tech system that automatically dims or raises the lights depending on whether it’s sunny or overcast. Brent Allen, who manages the experimental store, says customers tell him all the time that "they drove out of their way to shop at this Wal-Mart." Which makes you wonder: If folks drive farther man they have to, aren’t they burning extra gasoline in their pickups and SUVs? And isn’t that offsetting the store’s energy savings?
(2)The laws of unintended consequences can be cruel for companies trying to do the right thing. The laws of economics suggest that Wal-Mart is so big, with 5,200 stores worldwide, that it influences everything from the price of lumber to the size of the container your laundry detergent comes in. And if this retailing giant throws its weight behind environmental responsibility, the impact could be profound: less air pollution at factories in China, mass-market sales of organic products, cereal boxes that aren’t half filled with air. "One little change in product packaging could save 1,500 trees," says Wal-Mart CEO Lee Scott. "If everybody saves 1,500 trees or 50 barrels of oil, at the end of the day you have made a huge difference."
(3)Scott wants Wal-Mart to do its part too. He has promised to cut greenhouse-gas emissions at existing stores 20% over the next few years and pledged to construct new stores that are 25% to 30% more efficient. He wants Wal-Mart’s fleet of more than 7,000 trucks to get twice as many miles per gallon by 2015. Factories that show Wal-Mart they’re cutting air pollution—even those in China—will get preferential treatment in the supply chain. Wal-Mart says it’s working with consumer-product manufacturers to trim their packaging and will reward those that do so with prime real estate on the shelves. Scott has pledged to enlist Wal-Mart’s army of lobbyists to push for pro-environmental policy changes in Washington, including incentives for utilities to cut greenhouse gases.
(4)Cynics might call it a "greenwash", a bid to deflect attention from Wal-Mart’s controversial labor and health-insurance practices. But it’s not just window dressing, because Wal-Mart sees profit in going green. "We are not being altruistic," says Scott. "This is a business philosophy, not a social philosophy." Some top environmentalists seem convinced he’s serious, including Amory Lovins, head of the Rocky Mountain Institute, who is a paid adviser. "We don’t go where we don’t think there’s a genuine interest in change," says Lovins.
(5)There’s no question that soaring energy costs are fueling Wal-Mart’s conservation drive. The company now insists that truckers shut off their engines when stopping for a break, yielding estimated savings of $25 million a year. By doubling the gas mileage of the fleet through better aerodynamics and lower-friction tires, Wal-Mart expects to pocket $310 million a year. One of the biggest items on its energy bill is lighting. Instead of going with the cheapest bulbs, the company is experimenting with costlier LED strips for refrigeration units that last longer and use less energy. Scott also wants to sell more organically grown food and cotton clothing, partly because it’s good for the planet, partly because he believes he can get prices down and boost sales to low-income customers.
(6)Like Bill Gates, who started his charitable foundation shortly after Microsoft’s antitrust trial, Scott happens to be burnishing Wal-Mart’s image at a time when his company’s reputation is under siege. He acknowledges that he launched the plan partly to shield Wal-Mart from bad press about its contribution to global warming. "By doing what we’re doing today you avoid the headline risks that are going to come for people who did not do anything," he says. "At some point businesses will be held accountable for the actions they take." Meanwhile, should Wal-Mart succeed at shrinking its environmental footprint and lowering prices for green products, both the planet and the company will profit. Sam Walton would have liked that.
What’s the main idea of the last paragraph?
选项
答案
It elaborates the purpose of Wal—Mart’s greening plan.
解析
最后一段第1句以Bill Gates为例,引出后面关于沃尔玛发起绿色行动计划的目的,所以本段的主要内容就是阐释沃尔玛该项绿色行动的目的。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/FdEK777K
0
专业英语八级
相关试题推荐
Educationgivesustheknowledgeoftheworldaroundus.Itdevelopswithusaperspectiveoflookingatlife.Ithelpsusbuild
Educationgivesustheknowledgeoftheworldaroundus.Itdevelopswithusaperspectiveoflookingatlife.Ithelpsusbuild
Thoseofusinvolvedintheinternationalizationofhighereducationrelyonaseriesofassumptionsthatareoftennotsupport
Thoseofusinvolvedintheinternationalizationofhighereducationrelyonaseriesofassumptionsthatareoftennotsupport
(1)Theblind,overweightpatientinthewheelchairhasterriblepaininherbackandburningpaininherlegs.Shealsohasadva
A、Peoplebecomingmoreaggressiveandruder.B、Thedeclineofpeople’smoralquality.C、Thelackofpatiencewithothers.D、Alo
GlobalLanguageI.WHAT?Learnedandspokeninternationally【T1】______:【T1】______-thenumberofnativeandsecondlang
GlobalLanguageI.WHAT?Learnedandspokeninternationally【T1】______:【T1】______-thenumberofnativeandsecondlang
Morethan2,000yearsago,thephilosopherSocrateswanderedaroundAthensaskingquestions,anapproachtofind【M1】______truth
随机试题
跖跗关节脱位的常见类型是
测定SO2的质量分数,得到下列数据(%)28.62,28.59,28.51,28.52,28.61;则置信度为95%时平均值的置信区间为()。(已知置信度为95%,n=5,t=2.776)
A、足少阴肾经B、手太阴肺经C、手少阴心经D、足阳明胃经E、手少阳三焦经走行于上肢内侧前缘的经脉是
根据工程造价的特点,工程造价的计价特征有()①单件性;②大额性;③组合性;④兼容性;⑤多次性
《建设工程委托监理合同(示范文本)》规定,监理人承担违约责任的原则是( )。
消费者协会对消费者合法利益的保护不受行业范围和地域限制,也不受单一职能的局限,是一个极有力的保护消费者合法权益的机构。()
一般资料:求助者,女性,32岁,博士,某公司职员。案例介绍:求助者的父母长期感情不和,后来父亲因病去世了。求助者认为父母感情不和的原因主要是母亲过于强势,因此对母亲颇有微词。后来在国外留学时不遂心愿,认为母亲自私不帮助自己。回国后与母亲生活在一起,
下列属于条件反射的现象是()。
了解学生是备课的基础性工作,应包括的内容有()。
InalargeroominsidetheForeignandCommonwealthOffice,Jameswasintroducedtoatall,affableman.
最新回复
(
0
)