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1、考研英语阅读题源文章Making Your Grass Greener 来源：智阅网考研英语阅读题源来源广泛，取自经济学人、纽约时报、新闻周刊、卫报、Nature、华盛顿邮报、The Scientist等等，因此考生可以多关注一下此类文章。下面我们分享一些考过的题源文章，并附上详细解析，本阶段复习，大家可以看看。Making Your Grass Greener From Newsweek. By Jane Bryant Quinn .Dec.4, 2006Kermit the frog should love it. Everybody wants to be green. Now its
2、the real-estate industry, out to save energy, save the planet and save money for their clients. With only a little effort, you can find green brokers, green homes, green contractors, even green mortgages. Top that off with green tax credits and you, too, might acquire a tint.Commerce follows the Zei
3、tgeist. Some greenies are moved by conscience, others by fears of rising energy costs. In numbers, theyre still a niche market, but their influence is pushing into the mainstream. Heres where the green grass grows:Real-estate firms. What happens when they go green? First, they advertise as pro-plane
4、t, to attract like-minded clients and stand out from the crowd. Second, theyre up on your issues: how to cut energy bills, find tax breaks or state grants for green remodeling, qualify for a green mortgage (more on this below) and connect with sympathetic architects and contractors. Theres even a ne
5、w designation-EcoBroker -for agents and brokers who take special online courses in environmental and energy issues. So far, nearly 250 people have qualified in 38 states, the District of Columbia and parts of Canada (listings at ). Some 500 more are in the pipeline. If energy prices keep rising, you
6、ll see a stampede.Ecobuilders. Various labeling programs exist for new houses built with energy savings in mind: Energy Star Home, Built Green, Build It Green and so on. To qualify, they have to be more efficient than homes built to ordinary building codes, You can expect tight construction, superio
7、r insulation, advanced heating and cooling equipment, high-performance windows, good ventilation and-for those who go further-recycled components and building materials containing fewer chemicals and less glue. More than 10 percent of new homes last year were labeled Energy Star, says Steve Baden, h
8、ead of the Residential Energy Services Network (RESNET). And theyre not just high-end. John Beldock, EcoBrokers CEO, says that green residential building now teaches almost every price range.Existing homes are getting greener, too. To help with energy improvements, your stare may offer low-interest
9、loans or grants. State and federal tax credits are on the table. To find a green builder or remodeler, click on Partner List at energystar.gov, Also, put build green and the name of your state into a search engine and see what comes up.Home energy ratings. Your utility may offer free or low-cost ene
10、rgy audits to suggest ways of cutting your heating and cooling bills. For more formal audits, green builders and lenders are turning to certified raters. Homes are awarded points on a scale of one to 100, depending on their energy efficiency. Each rating comes with a list of possible improvements yo
11、u might want to make, as well as an estimate of your savings in energy billsWhy would you pay $350 to $600 for a rating? Lenders might require it, if youre borrowing money to add energy-efficient systems to your home. States might require it for people applying to affordable-home lending programs. I
12、n bum real-estate markets, a good rating might help sell your house-especially if youre listing with with a green broker. For certified raters, go to resnet. us and energystar.gov(But try any freebie from your utility first.)Green mortgages-otherwise known as Energy Efficient Mortgages (EEMs). You u
13、sually qualify if youre buying a new Energy Star home or planning cost-efficient upgrades on an older home. Various types of loans exist; often, they let you borrow more money than would normally be the case. If the loan is done right, youll be able to handle the higher monthly payments because your
14、e saving so much on your energy bills. You might also get reduced closing costs. The largest program allows loans up to $417,000, depending on where you live, but its possible to borrow up to $1 million or more. If youre upgrading a home, part of the money goes into escrow until the job is done.In t
15、heory, any lender can offer EEMs. In practice, theyre hard to find. Few banks have bothered with the programs or trained lending officers to handle them. People dont know they exist, so theres slim demand. And besides, most buyers can already borrow as much as they need.But EEMs are good for extra f
16、inancing, and lenders should soon catch on to their value as marketing tools. To find these loans, its helpful to use a green mortgage broker. Look for the names of lenders and brokers on the Energy Star site. The Indigo Financial Croup serves five states and is preparing to go nationwide. Indigos Joel Wiese says his clients are saving 20 percent to 50 percent on their util
