2011年12月英语四六级仔细阅读训练五：农业、动物世界与生态环保五篇阅读及解析.doc

纳斯达克国际英语 Passage One -Questions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.In the United States, the need to protect plant and animal species has become a highly controversial and sharply political issue since the passage of the Endangered Species Act in 1973, The act，designed to protect species living areas, and policies that preserve land and forests compete with economic interests. In the 1990s, for example，the woodcutters in the Western United States were challenged legally in their attempt to cut trees for timber in the Cascade Mountains. The challenge was mounted to protect the endangered spotted owl (猫头鹰），whose remaining population occupies these forests and requires the intact, ancient forest for survival. The problematic situation set the interests of environmentalists against those of corporations and of individuals who stood to lose jobs. After months of debate and legal battles, the fate of the woodcutters一 and the owls was still undecided in mid 1992. Similar tensionsexist between the developed and the developing nations. Many people in industrialized nations, for example, believe that developing nations in tropical regions should do more to protect their rainforests and other natural areas. But the developing countries may be impoverished (使穷困），with populations growing so rapidly that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation.Many of the changes to Earth that scientists concern have the potential to rob the planet of its biological richness. The destruction of Earths ozone layer (臭氧层），for example, could contribute to the general process of impoverishment by allowing ultra-violet rays to harm plants and animals. And global warming could wipe out species unable to quickly adapt to changing climates. Clearly, protecting Earths biological diversity is a complex problem. But solutions to humanitys current problems will come only through coordinated international efforts to control human population, stabilize the composition of the atmosphere, and preserve intact Earths complex web of life.1. Why does the author say that the protection of endangered species is a highly controversial issue?A. Because people cant agree as to what species to protect.B. Because it is difficult to find an effective way to protect such species.C. Because it affects the interests of certain groups of people.D. Because it is a major problem involving a series of legal procedures.2. According to the passage, the preservation of rainforests_ A. may hamper a developing country in its fight against povertyB. benefits developed countries rather than developing countriesC. should take priority over the control of human populationD. will help improve the living conditions in developing countries3. According to the passage，cutting trees to grow more food_ A. will widen the gap between the developed and the developing countriesB. is but a short-term relief to the food problemC. call hardly alleviate the shortage of foodD. proves to be an effective way for impoverished nations4. Among humanitys current problems (Line 7, Para. 2), the chief concern of the scientists is .A. the impoverishment of developing countriesB. the explosion of the human populationC. the reduction of biological diversityD. the effect of global warming5. The authors purpose in writing this passage is_ .A. to describe the difficulties in solving humanitys current problemsB. to present the different views on humanitys current problemsC. to analyze the contradiction between countries in dealing with humanitys current problemsD. to point out that humanitys current problems can only be solved through the cooperation of nationsPassage TwoQuestions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.If Europeans thought a drought was something that happened only in Africa, they know better now. After four years of below-normal rainfall (in some cases only 10 percent of the annual average) vast areas of France, Spain, Portugal，Belgium, Britain and Ireland are dry and barren. Water is so low in the canals of northern France that waterway traffic is forbidden except on weekends. Oyster growers in Brittany report a 30 percent drop in production because of the loss of fresh water in local rivers necessary for oyster breeding. In southeastern England, the rolling hills of Kent have turned so brown that officials have been weighing plans to pipe in water from Wales. In Portugal, farmers in the southern Alentejo region have held prayer meetings for rain-so far, in vain.Governments in drought-plagued countries are taking drastic measures. Authorities in hard-hit area of France have banned washing cars and watering lawns. In Britain，water will soon be metered，like gas and electricity. The English have always taken water for granted,99 says Graham Warren, a spokesman of Britains National Rivers Authority. “Now theyre putting a price on. Even a sudden end to the drought would not end the misery in some areas. It will take several years of unusually heavy winter rain, the experts say, just to bring existing water reserves up to their normal levels.1. What does the author mean by saying they know better now” ？A. They know more about the causes of the drought.B. They have a better understanding of the drought in Africa.C. They have realized that the drought in Europe is the most serious one.D. They have realized that droughts hit not only Africa but also Europe.2. The drought in Europe has brought about all the following problems EXCEPT .A. below-normal rainfallB. difficult navigationC. a sharp drop in oyster harvestD. bone-dry hills3. The British government intends to _ .A. forbid the car-washing serviceB. increase the price of the water usedC. end the misery caused by the droughtD. charge fees for the use of water4. Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?A. Germany is the only country free from the drought.B. Water reserves are at their lowest level in years due to the drought.C. The drought is more serious in Europe than in Africa.D. Europe will not have heavy rain until several years later.5. What is the passage mainly about? A. Europe in misery.B. Be economical with water.C. Drought attacks Europe.D. Europe，a would-be Africa.Passage ThreeQuestions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.Demands for stronger protection for wildlife in Britain sometimes hide the fact that similar needs are felt in the rest of Europe. Studies by the Council of Europe，of which 21 countries are members, have shown that 45 percent of reptile species and 24 percent of butterflies are in danger of dying out.European concern for wildlife was outlined by Dr. Peter Baum, an expert in the environment and nature resources division of the council when he spoke at a conference arranged by the administrators of a British national park. The park is one of the few areas in Europe to hold the councils diploma for nature reserves of the highest quality，and Dr. Baum had come to present it to the park once again. He was afraid that public opinion was turning against national parks, and that those set up in the 1960s and 1970s could not be set up today. But Dr. Baum dearly remained a strong supporter of the view that natural environments needed to be allowed to survive in peace in their own right.No area could be expected to survive both as a true nature reserve and as a tourist attraction，he went on. The short view that reserves had to serve immediate human demands for outdoor recreation should be replaced by full acceptance of their importance as places to preserve nature for the future.“We forget that they are the guarantee of life systems, on which any built up area ultimately depends，” Dr. Baum went on. “We could manage without most industrial products，but we could not manage without nature. However，our natural environment areas, which are the original parts of our countryside，have shrunk to become mere islands in a spoiled and highly polluted land mass”.1. Recent studies by the Council of Europe show that_ .A. Britain needs more protection for wildlifeB. all species of wildlife in Europe are in danger of dying outC. there are fewer species of reptiles and butterflies in Europe than elsewhereD. certain species of reptiles and butterflies need urgent protection2. Dr. Bantu visited one particular British national park because_ .A. he was presenting the park with a diploma for its achievementsB. he was concerned about how the park was runC. it was the only national park of its kind in EuropeD. it was the only park that had received a diploma from the Council3. Although the importance of nature reserves are not fully understood by the public. Dr. Baum felt that .A. people would at least support, the national parks in existenceB. people would not object to setting up new nature reservesC. certain areas of countryside should be left undisturbed by manD. existing national parks should be used in tourism4. In Dr. Baums opinion，a true nature reserve_ .A. should provide special areas for tourists to enjoyB. should be regarded as a place where nature is protectedC. could never survive in a modern ageD. should meet peoples desire for pleasure5. Although we all depend on the resources of nature for our survival，A. industrial products are replacing our natural resourcesB. we have allowed areas of countryside to be spoiltC natural environment only exists on islandsD. our natural environment no longer existsPassage FourQuestions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.Protection of the environment is based on a principle that is beginning to be used in the field of jurisprudence(法学）.The principle has to do with property rights. The idea is that we all have a property right in the air and water around us. If a business firm pollutes that air or water，their act in so doing constitutes damage to something we own just as if the firm had dropped a smoke bomb down our chimney. Our legal case against such a firm is then based on the complain that we deserve compensation for violation of our right to use our private property as we please (provided we dont interfere with the same rights of a neighbor). Assuming we win the case，the offending firm then has to pay us for damaging our property一 the air or water we own.And so protection of the environment, specifically the control of pollution, now rests on the idea that we，as members of the public，share a right to clean air and water and to the good health that clean air and water quality can give us. But, as always, costs and benefits are involved in any decision to improve theenvironment. The next section helps to explain these costs and benefits.In an Adam Smithian, self-interested world，entrepreneurs are expected to increase their profits as much as possible. The natural way to do this is to produce at the lowest possible cost. But at whose cost? It is obviously cheaper for entrepreneurs to dump waste into the nearest stream or into the atmosphere than to truck it to some waste disposal facility or to filter it as it comes out of smokestacks. Therefore, what may be sensible for entrepreneurs may not be desirable for the community.Here is a classic trade-off(权衡）：When the government intervenes to force entrepreneurs to stop polluting, entrepreneurs have to adopt more expensive means of production or waste disposal. Inevitably，they will charge higher prices，and，given no change in demand, the quantity demanded will drop and workers will be laid off. The trade-off is therefore cleaner air and water or less unemployment. Here is how economists view this problem.1. It has been legally decided that the air and water people use can be considered,A. their property B. industrys propertyC. no ones property D. permanently damaged2. To clean up the pollution it creates, industry usually_ .A. reduces profit on its productB. goes to court to prevent having to clean up the pollution it createsC. increases the price of its productD. hides its pollution3. When the government forces an industry not to pollute,_ .A. the price of the product goes upB. the price of the product goes downC. the industry goes to courtD. the demand goes up4. What often happens when the government corrects an industrial pollution?A. Higher prices and better environment.B. Unemployment goes up.C. Unemployment goes down.D. Both A and B occur.5. When faced with the problem of pollution control，a factory has to dwellonA. increasing production B. how to fire workersC. costs and benefits D. reducing productionPassage FiveQuestions 1 to 5 are based on the following passage.Bacteria are extremely small living things. While we measure our own sizes in inches or centimeters, bacterial size is measured in microns. One micron is a thousandth of a millimeter；a pinhead is about a millimeter across. Rod-shaped bacteria are usually two to four microns long，while rounded ones are generally one micron in diameter. Thus, if you enlarged a rounded bacterium a thousand times, it would be just about the size of a pinhead. An adult human magnified by the same amount would be over a mile (1.6 kilometers) tall.Even with an ordinary microscope，you must look closely to see bacteria. Using a magnification of 100 times one finds that bacteria are barely visible as tiny rods or dots. One cannot make out anything of their structure. Using special stains，one can see that some bacteria have attached to them wavy-looking “hairs” called flagella(鞭毛.Others have only one flagellum. The flagella rotate, pushing the bacteria through the water. Many bacteria lack flagella and cannot move about by their own power, while others can glide along over surfaces by some little-understood mechanism.From the bacterial point of view，the world is a very different place from what it is to humans. To a bacterium, water is as thick as molasses(糖奖）to us. Bacteria are so small that they are influenced by the movements of the chemical molecules(分子）around them. Bacteria under microscope, even those with no flagella, often bounce about in the water. This is because they collide with the water molecules and are pushed this way and that. Molecules move so rapidly that within a tenth of a second the molecules around a bacterium have all been replaced by new ones. Even bacteria without flagella are thus constantly exposed to a changing environment.1. Which of the following is true according to the passage?A. Rod-shaped bacteria are generally larger than rounded ones.B. If we enlarged a rod-shaped bacterium a thousand times，it would still be smaller than a pinhead.C. If one used a microscope with a magnification of 100 times，he could see the structure of a bacterium clearly.D. Water molecules move so quickly that a bacterium can not move in the water. 2. According to the passage, one who examines bacteria with an ordinary microscope，using a magnification of 100 times will see_ .A. tiny rodsC. wavy-looking hairs3. The environment aroundB. stainsD. detailed structures bacteria is always changing because_ A. molecules around bacteria move very fastB. the water is as thick as molassesC. many bacteria cannot move about by their own powerD. new bacteria always replace the old ones4. The author compares water to molasses in order to show_ .A. how difficult it is for bacteria to move through the waterB. how the water molecules workC. why the molecules move so rapidlyD. what different bacteria one liquid contains from another5. The relationship between a bacterium and its flagella is most similar to which of the following?A. A flag attached to a stick.B. A cowboy on the cows back.C. A door closed by a naughty boy.D. A boat pushed by the motor.Passage One【簏章导读】本文属于一般论述型文章。首先提出保护动植物的必要性已经成为美国极有争议的尖锐 的政治问题这一论点。并举例分析动物瀕临灭绝的原因，提出了解决方案。保护地球生物的多 样性是一个很复杂的问题，但是解决人类当前问题的方法只能通过国际性的协调努力，才能控 制人口，稳定大气构成，保护地球上错综复杂的生物不受影响。【篇章译文】自从1973年濒危物种法案的通过，保护动植物的必要性已经成为美国极有争议的尖锐的 政治问题，这个法案是为保护物种生存面积而制定的，而保护土地和森林的政策又与经济利益 相矛盾。例如，20世纪90年代，在美国西部的Cascade山脉的伐木工人砍伐树木的合法性受到 质询，这个质询涉及到保护瀕危的斑点猫头鹰，仅存的这些斑点猫头鹰只有在这片完整的原始 森林中才能得以生存，这个两难的情况涉及环保人士的利益和公司以及遭受失业的个人利益的 矛盾。经过数个月的争论与合法的斗争，在1992年年中，伐木工和猫头鹰的命运仍未被定夺。 相似矛盾的紧张程度同样出现在发达与发展中国家之间，举例来说，许多工业国家的人认为属 于热带地区的发展中国家应该采取更多的措施来保护他们的热带雨林和其他自然地区，但这些 势必会使发展中国家变得贫困，因为人口迅速增长，以至于利用土地已经成为暂时避免越来越 厉害的贫困与饥饿的一种方法。让科学家所关注的地球的许多变化很有可能剥夺地球丰富的生物资源，例如，臭氧层的破 172 坏，使紫外线过度照射而危害动植物，从而加快了贫困的普遍进程I全球变暖可能使那些不能很 快适应气候变化的物种灭绝。显而易见，保护地球生物的多样性是一个很复杂的问题，但是解 决人类当前问题的方法只能通过国际性的协调努力，才能控制人口，稳定大气构成，保护地球上 错综复杂的生物不受影响。【答案详析】1. 答案为C。解析本题为细节题。问题涉及为什么保护瀕危物种是个矛盾的议题的原 因所在。关于这个信息参阅文章第一段，特别是通过美国西部保护森林、猫头鹰和大公司、伐木 工人经济利益之间冲突的例子，我们可以得出原因在于影响了经济利益。所以答案为c。2. 答案为A。解析本题为细节理解题。依据文章第二段第二、三句，许多人认为赤道地 区的发展中国家应该采取更多措施来保护雨林和其他自然区域，但是：“.the developing countries may be impoverished, with population sorapidlv that using the land is a means to temporarily avoid worsening poverty and starvation”，选