第4部分：阅读理解(第31~45题，每题3分，共45分)

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇

　　Renewable Energy Sources

　　Today petroleum(石油)provides around 40% of the worlds energy needs,mostly fuelling automobiles.Coal is still used,mostly in power stations,to cover one-quarter of our energy needs,but it is the least efficient,unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel(矿物燃料).Natural gas reserves could fill some of the gap from oil,but reserves of that will not last into the 22nd century either.Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years.Less-polluting renewable energy sources offer a more practical long-term energy solution.Renewablerefers to the fact that these resources are not used faster than they can be replaced.

　　Hydroelectric(水力发电的)power is now the most common form of renewable energy,supplying around 20% of world electricity.Chinas Three Gorges Dam is the largest ever.At five times the size of the USs Hoover Dam,its 26 turbines(涡轮机)will generate the equivalent energy of 18 coal-fired power stations.It will satisfy 3% of Chinas entire electricity demand.

　　In 2003,the first commercial power station to use tidal(潮汐的)currents in the open sea opened in Norway.It is designed like windmill(风车),but others take the form of turbines.

　　As prices fall,wind power has become the fastest growing type of electricity generation-quadrupling(翻两番)worldwide between 1999 and 2005.Modern wind farms consist of turbines that generate electricity.Though it will be more expensive,there is more than enough wind to provide the worlds entire energy needs.Wind farms come in onshore and offshore forms.They can often end up at spots of natural beauty,and are often unpopular with residents.And turbines are not totally harmless-they can interfere with radar,alter climate and kill sea birds.Scotland is building Europes largest wind farm,which will power 200,000 homes.The UKs goal is to generate one-fifth of power from renewable sources,mainly wind,by 2024.But this may cause problems,because wind is unreliable.

　　31.According to the passage,which of the following is the most polluting energy resource?

　　A.Petroleum.

　　B.Coal.

　　C.Natural gas

　　D.Water.

　　32.Chinas Three Gorges Dam

　　A.is the first hydroelectric dam in the world.

　　B.is of the same size as the USs Hoover Dam.

　　C.can generate around 3% of world electricity.

　　D.is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.

　　33.Which country took the lead in making use of tidal currents to produce power in 2003?

　　A.The UK.

　　B.China.

　　C.Norway.

　　D.The US.

　　34.One of the problems with wind farms is that

　　A.there is not enough wind.

　　B.wind is not reliable.

　　C.they can only be built on the sea.

　　D.they might influence the world economy.

　　35.According to the passage,resources like wind are

　　A.renewable.

　　B.recyclable.

　　C.damaging.

　　D.scarce.

　　第二篇

　　Hurricane(飓风)Katrina

　　A hurricane is a fiercely powerful,rotating(旋转的)form of tropical storm that can be 124 to 1,240 miles in diameter.The term hurricane is derived from Hurican,the name of a native American storm god.Hurricanes are typical of a calm central region of low pressure between 12 to 60 miles in diameter,known as the eye.They occur in tropical regions.Over its lifetime,one of these can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs.

　　The seed for hurricane formation is a cluster(聚集)of thunderstoms over warm tropical waters.Hurricanes can only form and be fed when the sea-surface temperature exceeds 27℃ and the surrounding atmosphere is calm.These requirements are met between June and November in the northern part of the world.

　　Under these conditions,large quantities of water evaporate(蒸发)and condense(冷凝)into clouds and rain-releasing heat in the process.It is this heat energy,combined with the rotation of the Earth,that drives a hurricane.

　　When the warm column of air from the sea surface first begins to rise,it causes an area of low pressure.This in turn creates wind as air is drawn into the area.This spinning wind drags up more moist air from the sea surface in a process that strengthens the storm.Cold air falls back to the ocean surface through the eye and on the outside of the storm.

　　Initially,when wind speeds reach 23 miles per hour,these mild,wet and grey weather systems are known as depressions,or low air pressure.Hurricane Katrina formed in this way over the south-eastern Bahamas on 23 August 2005.Katrina has had a devastating impact on the Gulf Coast of the US,leaving a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles in its wake(尾迹)-almost the size of the UK.Thousands have been killed or injured and more than half a million people have become homeless in a humanitarian(人道主义的)crisis of a scale not seen in the US since the Great Depression.The cost of the damage may top $100 billion.

　　36.The eye of a hurricane refers to its

　　A.lower part.

　　B.rotating part.

　　C.calm central part.

　　D.most violent part.

　　37.Which of the following is NOT a requirementfor the formation of a hurricane?

　　A.Calm surrounding atmosphere.

　　B.High air pressure.

　　C.Warm sea-surface temperature.

　　D.A group of thunderstorms over warm tropical waters.

　　38.When the warm air from the sea surface begins to rise,it

　　A.creates an area of low pressure.

　　B.supplies cold air to the eye of a hurricane.

　　C.increases the sea-surface temperature.

　　D.strengthens the rotation of the earth.

　　39.The wordimpact(paragragh 5)could be best replaced by

　　A.function.

　　B.pressure.

　　C.disaster.

　　D.effect.

　　40.Which of the following is NOT true of Hurricane Katrina according to the last paragraph?

　　A.The area affected is almost as big as the UK.

　　B.It has left a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles.

　　C.Over half a million people have been forced to leave their homes.

　　D.This crisis is more serious than that of the Great Depression.

　　第三篇

　　Trying to Find a Parther

　　One of the most striking findings of a recent poll in the UK is that of the people inbterviewed,one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

　　Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships?Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love?Or are we making it harder for ourselves?

　　It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships.Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status.A man doesnt expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.

　　But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

　　In theory,finding a partner should be much simpler these days.Only a few generations ago,your choice of soulmate (心上人) was constrained(限制) by geography,social convention and family tradition.Although it was never explicit,many marriages were essentially arranged.

　　Now those barriers have been broken down.You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening.When the world is your oyster (牡蛎),you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

　　But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint:the tyranny of choice.

　　The expectations of partners are inflated(提高) to an unmanageable degree:good looks,impressive salary,kind to grandmother,and right socks.There is no room for error in the first impression.

　　We think that a relationship can be perfect.If it isnt,it is disposable.We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and dont put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship.Of course,this is complicated by realities.The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

　　41.What does the recent poll show?

　　A.It is getting more difficult for a woman to find her husband.

　　B.It is getting increasingly difficult to start a familyl.

　　C.It is getting more difficult for a man to find his wife.

　　D.It is getting increasingly difficult to develop an intimate relationship with your spouse.

　　42.Which of the following is NOT true about a contemporary married couple?

　　A.The wife doesnt have to raise the children all by herself.

　　B.The husband doesnt have to support the family all by himself.

　　C.The wife is, no l, onger the only person to manage the household.

　　D.They will receive a large sum of money from the govemment.

　　43.Which of the following was NOT a constraint on ones choice of soulmate in the old days?

　　A.The health condition of his or her grandmother.

　　B.The geographical environment.

　　C.The social convention.

　　D.The family tradition.

　　44.Which of the following is NOT expected of a partner according to this passage?

　　A.Good looks.

　　B.An impressive career.

　　C.A high salary.

　　D.A fine sense of humor.

　　45.The wordsustain(paragraph 2)could be best replaced by

　　A.reduce.

　　B.shake.

　　C.maintain.

　　D.weaken.

　　第4部分：阅读理解(第31~45题，每题3分，共45分)

　　下面有3篇短文，每篇短文后有5道题。请根据短文内容，为每题确定1个最佳选项。

　　第一篇

　　Renewable Energy Sources

　　Today petroleum(石油)provides around 40% of the worlds energy needs,mostly fuelling automobiles.Coal is still used,mostly in power stations,to cover one-quarter of our energy needs,but it is the least efficient,unhealthiest and most environmentally damaging fossil fuel(矿物燃料).Natural gas reserves could fill some of the gap from oil,but reserves of that will not last into the 22nd century either.Most experts predict we will exhaust easily accessible reserves within 50 years.Less-polluting renewable energy sources offer a more practical long-term energy solution.Renewablerefers to the fact that these resources are not used faster than they can be replaced.

　　Hydroelectric(水力发电的)power is now the most common form of renewable energy,supplying around 20% of world electricity.Chinas Three Gorges Dam is the largest ever.At five times the size of the USs Hoover Dam,its 26 turbines(涡轮机)will generate the equivalent energy of 18 coal-fired power stations.It will satisfy 3% of Chinas entire electricity demand.

　　In 2003,the first commercial power station to use tidal(潮汐的)currents in the open sea opened in Norway.It is designed like windmill(风车),but others take the form of turbines.

　　As prices fall,wind power has become the fastest growing type of electricity generation-quadrupling(翻两番)worldwide between 1999 and 2005.Modern wind farms consist of turbines that generate electricity.Though it will be more expensive,there is more than enough wind to provide the worlds entire energy needs.Wind farms come in onshore and offshore forms.They can often end up at spots of natural beauty,and are often unpopular with residents.And turbines are not totally harmless-they can interfere with radar,alter climate and kill sea birds.Scotland is building Europes largest wind farm,which will power 200,000 homes.The UKs goal is to generate one-fifth of power from renewable sources,mainly wind,by 2024.But this may cause problems,because wind is unreliable.

　　31.According to the passage,which of the following is the most polluting energy resource?

　　A.Petroleum.

　　B.Coal.

　　C.Natural gas

　　D.Water.

　　32.Chinas Three Gorges Dam

　　A.is the first hydroelectric dam in the world.

　　B.is of the same size as the USs Hoover Dam.

　　C.can generate around 3% of world electricity.

　　D.is the largest hydroelectric dam in the world.

　　33.Which country took the lead in making use of tidal currents to produce power in 2003?

　　A.The UK.

　　B.China.

　　C.Norway.

　　D.The US.

　　34.One of the problems with wind farms is that

　　A.there is not enough wind.

　　B.wind is not reliable.

　　C.they can only be built on the sea.

　　D.they might influence the world economy.

　　35.According to the passage,resources like wind are

　　A.renewable.

　　B.recyclable.

　　C.damaging.

　　D.scarce.

　　第二篇

　　Hurricane(飓风)Katrina

　　A hurricane is a fiercely powerful,rotating(旋转的)form of tropical storm that can be 124 to 1,240 miles in diameter.The term hurricane is derived from Hurican,the name of a native American storm god.Hurricanes are typical of a calm central region of low pressure between 12 to 60 miles in diameter,known as the eye.They occur in tropical regions.Over its lifetime,one of these can release as much energy as 10,000 nuclear bombs.

　　The seed for hurricane formation is a cluster(聚集)of thunderstoms over warm tropical waters.Hurricanes can only form and be fed when the sea-surface temperature exceeds 27℃ and the surrounding atmosphere is calm.These requirements are met between June and November in the northern part of the world.

　　Under these conditions,large quantities of water evaporate(蒸发)and condense(冷凝)into clouds and rain-releasing heat in the process.It is this heat energy,combined with the rotation of the Earth,that drives a hurricane.

　　When the warm column of air from the sea surface first begins to rise,it causes an area of low pressure.This in turn creates wind as air is drawn into the area.This spinning wind drags up more moist air from the sea surface in a process that strengthens the storm.Cold air falls back to the ocean surface through the eye and on the outside of the storm.

　　Initially,when wind speeds reach 23 miles per hour,these mild,wet and grey weather systems are known as depressions,or low air pressure.Hurricane Katrina formed in this way over the south-eastern Bahamas on 23 August 2005.Katrina has had a devastating impact on the Gulf Coast of the US,leaving a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles in its wake(尾迹)-almost the size of the UK.Thousands have been killed or injured and more than half a million people have become homeless in a humanitarian(人道主义的)crisis of a scale not seen in the US since the Great Depression.The cost of the damage may top $100 billion.

　　36.The eye of a hurricane refers to its

　　A.lower part.

　　B.rotating part.

　　C.calm central part.

　　D.most violent part.

　　37.Which of the following is NOT a requirementfor the formation of a hurricane?

　　A.Calm surrounding atmosphere.

　　B.High air pressure.

　　C.Warm sea-surface temperature.

　　D.A group of thunderstorms over warm tropical waters.

　　38.When the warm air from the sea surface begins to rise,it

　　A.creates an area of low pressure.

　　B.supplies cold air to the eye of a hurricane.

　　C.increases the sea-surface temperature.

　　D.strengthens the rotation of the earth.

　　39.The wordimpact(paragragh 5)could be best replaced by

　　A.function.

　　B.pressure.

　　C.disaster.

　　D.effect.

　　40.Which of the following is NOT true of Hurricane Katrina according to the last paragraph?

　　A.The area affected is almost as big as the UK.

　　B.It has left a disaster zone of 90,000 square miles.

　　C.Over half a million people have been forced to leave their homes.

　　D.This crisis is more serious than that of the Great Depression.

　　第三篇

　　Trying to Find a Parther

　　One of the most striking findings of a recent poll in the UK is that of the people inbterviewed,one in two believes that it is becoming more difficult to meet someone to start a family with.

　　Why are many finding it increasingly difficult to start and sustain intimate relationships?Does modern life really make it harder to fall in love?Or are we making it harder for ourselves?

　　It is certainly the case today that contemporary couples benefit in different ways from relationships.Women no longer rely upon partners for economic security or status.A man doesnt expect his spouse to be in sole charge of running his household and raising his children.

　　But perhaps the knowledge that we can live perfectly well without a partnership means that it takes much more to persuade people to abandon their independence.

　　In theory,finding a partner should be much simpler these days.Only a few generations ago,your choice of soulmate (心上人) was constrained(限制) by geography,social convention and family tradition.Although it was never explicit,many marriages were essentially arranged.

　　Now those barriers have been broken down.You can approach a builder or a brain surgeon in any bar in any city on any given evening.When the world is your oyster (牡蛎),you surely have a better chance of finding a pearl.

　　But it seems that the old conventions have been replaced by an even tighter constraint:the tyranny of choice.

　　The expectations of partners are inflated(提高) to an unmanageable degree:good looks,impressive salary,kind to grandmother,and right socks.There is no room for error in the first impression.

　　We think that a relationship can be perfect.If it isnt,it is disposable.We work to protect ourselves against future heartache and dont put in the hard emotional labor needed to build a strong relationship.Of course,this is complicated by realities.The cost of housing and child-rearing creates pressure to have a stable income and career before a life partnership.

　　41.What does the recent poll show?

　　A.It is getting more difficult for a woman to find her husband.

　　B.It is getting increasingly difficult to start a familyl.

　　C.It is getting more difficult for a man to find his wife.

　　D.It is getting increasingly difficult to develop an intimate relationship with your spouse.

　　42.Which of the following is NOT true about a contemporary married couple?

　　A.The wife doesnt have to raise the children all by herself.

　　B.The husband doesnt have to support the family all by himself.

　　C.The wife is, no l, onger the only person to manage the household.

　　D.They will receive a large sum of money from the govemment.

　　43.Which of the following was NOT a constraint on ones choice of soulmate in the old days?

　　A.The health condition of his or her grandmother.

　　B.The geographical environment.

　　C.The social convention.

　　D.The family tradition.

　　44.Which of the following is NOT expected of a partner according to this passage?

　　A.Good looks.

　　B.An impressive career.

　　C.A high salary.

　　D.A fine sense of humor.

　　45.The wordsustain(paragraph 2)could be best replaced by

　　A.reduce.

　　B.shake.

　　C.maintain.

　　D.weaken.