At one time a traveler could learn

一次，旅行者可以通过查看房屋来了解某个地区。例如，他可以了解可用的建筑材料。在有许多木屋的地区，旅行者会猜到附近有森林。石头房子会表明石头很容易拿到。再仔细看看房屋，便会告诉旅行者更多有关该地区的信息。<br><br> <br><br>人们过去常常建造适合其所在地区气候的房屋。例如，在沙漠地区，白天和晚上的温度之间存在很大差异。因此，许多沙漠人建造的房屋墙壁很厚。这些厚实的墙壁在房屋中起到了有用的作用。在冬天，厚厚的墙壁吸收了白天的阳光，并在晚上散发出热量。沙漠人在任何时候都相对舒适，因为他们为适应沙漠气候而建造了房屋。<br><br> <br><br>后来，电力燃料的供应变得既便宜又容易获得。对住房的影响是立竿见影的。人们开始按照时尚而非实用来建造房屋。在那段时间里，建筑材料在各大洲间移动，人们不必担心自己用来加热和冷却房屋的燃料量。房屋不再反映建筑材料的可用性或气候。<br><br> <br><br>即使在地球上温暖的地区也可以找到带有陡峭屋顶的房屋，即使这些尖屋顶起源于世界上的冰雪地区。大雪从陡峭的屋顶上掉下来。另一个例子是玻璃的使用。在非常寒冷的地方可能会发现几乎完全由玻璃制成的房屋。但是普通玻璃不能很好地绝缘，因为它既不能保持冷空气，也不能保持热空气。只要燃料便宜且容易获得，人们就可以在任何地方建造任何类型的房屋。

一次，旅行者可以通过看房子来了解一个地区。例如，他可以理解哪些建筑材料可用。在有许多木屋的地区，旅行者会猜到附近有森林。石屋会表示石头很容易得到。仔细看看房子会告诉旅行者更多关于这个地区。<br><br>人们过去常建造适合他们地区气候的房屋。例如，在沙漠地区，白天和夜间温度之间差别很大。因此，许多沙漠人建造了用非常厚墙的房子。这些厚墙在房屋中起到了有益的作用。在冬天，厚厚的墙壁吸收了白天太阳的温暖，在夜晚散发着热量。沙漠人在家里一直比较舒服，因为他们建造这些房子是为了适应沙漠气候。<br><br>后来，电力燃料的供应变得既便宜又容易获得。对住房的影响是立竿见影的。人们开始按照时尚而不是实用来建造家园。在那段时间里，建筑材料被移遍了各大洲，人们并不担心他们用多少燃料来加热和冷却他们的家园。房屋不再反映建筑材料或气候的可得性。<br><br>有陡峭屋顶的房屋可以在地球的温暖地区找到，尽管这些尖顶起源于世界上的雪区。大雪从陡峭的屋顶上落下。另一个例子是玻璃的使用。在非常寒冷的地方，几乎可以找到完全用玻璃做的房子。然而，普通玻璃不能很好地隔热，因为它既不能防止冷空气，也不能保持温暖的空气。只要燃料便宜，容易得到，人们可以建立任何类型的房子任何地方。

At one time a traveler could learn about a region by looking at the houses. For example, he could understand what building materials were available. In areas with many wood houses, the traveler would have guessed that there were forests nearby. Stone houses would have indicated that stones were easy to get. And a closer look at the houses would have told the traveler even more about the area. People used to build houses that fitted the climate of their areas. For example, in desert regions there is a big difference between daytime and nighttime temperatures. Therefore, many desert people built houses with very thick walls. These thick walls served a useful purpose in the houses. In the winter the thick walls absorbed the sun’s warmth during the day and radiated the heat at night. Desert people were relatively comfortable in their homes at all times because they built them to fit the desert climate. Later, the supply of fuel for electricity became both cheap and easy to get. The effect on housing was immediate. People began to build their homes according to fashion instead of utility. During that time, building materials were moved across continents, and people did not worry about how much fuel they used to heat and cool their homes. Houses no longer reflected the availability of building materials or climate. Houses with steep roofs could be found in the warm regions of the earth, even though these pointed roofs originated (起源于) in snowy regions of the world. Heavy snow falls off a steep roof. Another example is the use of glass. Houses made almost completely of glass could be found in very cold places. Yet ordinary glass does not insulate (绝缘) well because it neither keeps out cold air nor keeps in warm air. As long as fuel was cheap and easy to get, people could build any type of house any place.<br>