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Bringing Electricity to Africa's Underserved

Lack of inexpensive, reliable energy delivery is one of the chief obstacles to growth and development in much of Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Yet today, nearly seventy percent of sub-Saharan Africans lack access to electricity. This, despite the fact that the region has tremendous energy resources, ranging from geothermal, solar, wind and hydro power to significant reserves of natural gas.

That is why last year, President Barack Obama announced Power Africa – a public-private initiative, led by the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, that will significantly increase generation and distribution of power in Sub-Saharan Africa.

“In the 16 months since its launch, Power Africa’s partnerships with African governments, private investors, other donors, and developers have already begun to bring benefits to the people of Africa,” said USAID’s Eric Postel, Assistant to the Administrator for Africa.

The Power Africa initiative helps governments identify the reasons why projects to improve electricity generation and distribution are lagging, and works with them to remove the obstacles as they are identified. Power Africa also works with the private sector to help companies invest in power generation and distribution.

“Power Africa has already helped to financially close deals that will generate more than 3,000 Megawats, which has the potential to provide power for more than 5 million African homes, service providers, and businesses,” said Mr. Postel.

Generating sufficient power is one part of the equation. Delivering it to those who need it is another. Only 18.3 percent of people living in rural communities in sub-Saharan Africa have access to electricity, compared to 55.5 percent of urban dwellers.

That is why Power Africa launched Beyond the Grid, a competition for innovative solutions that develop, scale-up or extend the use of proven technologies for off-grid energy.

“Today, 600 million Africans do not have access to electricity. Hospitals cannot function optimally. Businesses cannot open and children cannot read after dark. Food rots before it makes it to market,” said Mr. Postel. “But it does not have to be this way. Together with our partners in [the U.S.] Congress, Africa, other donor nations, and private businesses, Power Africa is working to greatly increase access to reliable, cleaner energy in Africa.”

詞匯解析

decade

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.十年

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

Prices have risen steadily during the past decade.

在過去十年里，物價一直在上漲。

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wagon

難度：3星常用詞匯，屬常用6000詞

英漢解釋

n.四輪馬車；貨車

v.用四輪馬車運

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

He harnessed the horse to a wagon.

他把馬套到四輪馬車上。

用作動詞 (v.)

They wagoned the goods to the market.

他們用四輪馬車把貨物運到市常

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dozen

難度：3星常用詞匯，屬常用6000詞

英漢解釋

n.(一)打；十二個

adj.一打的；十二個的

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

How much are those apples a dozen?

那些蘋果一打多少錢？

用作形容詞 (adj.)

My mother bought a dozen eggs.

我媽媽買了一打雞蛋。

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greatly

英漢解釋

adv.很；非常；大大地

參考例句

用作副詞 (adv.)

His writing has improved greatly in this semester.

這學期他的寫作有了很大進步。

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deadly

難度：3星常用詞匯，屬常用6000詞

英漢解釋

adj.致命的；如死一樣的

adv.非常地；如死一般地

參考例句

用作形容詞 (adj.)

His face had a deadly paleness after the accident.

事故發生以后，他的臉死一般蒼白。

用作副詞 (adv.)

The good knub will not hurt you deadly.

良性腫瘤不會對你有致命的傷害。

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budget

難度：4星核心詞匯，屬常用3000詞

英漢解釋

n.預算

vt.編預算；為 ... 做預算

vi.節省開支

adj.廉價的；不貴的

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

Congress has approved the new educational budget.

國會通過了新的教育預算。

用作及物動詞 (vt.)

The government has budgeted 10000000 pounds for education spending.

政府將10000000英鎊編入教育預算。

用作不及物動詞 (vi.)

If we budget carefully, we'll be able to afford a new house.

如果我們精打細算就能買一座新房子了。

用作形容詞 (adj.)

You can buy high-quality goods at budget prices there.

你可以在那買到物美價廉的商品。

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spacecraft

難度：2星擴展詞匯，屬常用10000詞

英漢解釋

n.宇宙飛船

參考例句

用作名詞 (n.)

Spacecraft have already traveled to other planets.

宇宙飛船已游覽了別的行星。

The spacecraft is orbiting the moon.

宇宙飛船正繞月球飛行。

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