Pollution A chemical factory lies near my home. The manager was criticized by the government because the pollution had harmed people’s health, but he paid no attention. Then the factory was forced to stop production and the manager said angrily, “ Is there any fact that we have harmed people’s health? In fact, we haven’t. Just then, a doctor came, with the result of the medical exam of the manager, saying the manager was suffering a lung cancer. It is very clear that the population has harmed not only to people’s health but also the manager himself. He was realized the importance of keeping air clean. 【查看更多】

 

题目列表(包括答案和解析)

C

  The villagers of Yaluma in Southern Mexico are some of the poorest people in the country. But now they have an extra source of income.They are being paid to grow and develop forests by the organization in charge of Formula One racing (一级方程式赛车),which pumps 5,500 tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the air every year.The idea is that the forests being planted around Yaluma will absorb this amount. It will also provide people there with money while wiping out motor racing's environmental debt.

  Projects like this go under the name of "carbon trading". The basic idea is that governments and companies can buy the right to pump CO2 into the air by investing in green projrvyd. They can buy so-called "carbon credits" from countries which have succeeded in reducing CO2 emissions(排放物).

  Supporters of carbon trading say that it brings money and green technology to poorer countries.It also provides a new way of doing busingess and spreading prosperity. They point out that the process of globalization will give people everywhere the most possible choice of products and services. Carbon trading is just another way of bringing that about. It is a "win - win" situation.

  Opponents argue that nature comes before lifestyle. CO2 emissions need to be reduced, not bought and sold. And they believe that the rich world should lead the way.People might be willing to change the way they live to help save the world, but not to help the rich countries keep a lifestyle that depends on pollution.

  Supporters of carbon trading believe in unlimited growth.Opponents believe that nature sets limits to the choices we make on how to live.It is "don't do " against "can do". It is life against lifestyle.

  It is believed that modern lives are about choice.For example,the world can choose to take the danger of global warming seriously.And the sooner we choose to do it, the more choices we have about what to do next and the more time we have to do it in. We can also choose to pay no attention to the danger of global warming to keep our lifestyles. Then one day nature may give us no choice at all,and maybe not much of a life,either.

  64.Carbon trading is discussed in the text in order to show the importance of ______ .

   A.reducing pollution B.taking care of forests

   C.spreading prosperity D.choosing lifestyle or nature

  65."Carbon credits" may be used to ______.

   A.get the right to pump CO2 into the air

   B.get the right to pump CO2 into poor countries

   C.learn about the way to reduce CO2 emissions

   D.improve the way to reduce CO2 emissions

  66.We can infer from the text that in the "win - win" situation _____.

   A.rich countries perform their duty to help poor countries

   B.poor countries get what they need from rich countries

   C.both rich countries and poor countries get what they need

   D.rich countries learn from poor countries in reducing pollution

  67.In the opinion of people who are against carbon trading,the rich countries should ____.

   A.guide poor countries in reducing CO2 emissions

   B.show by example how to reduce emissions

   C.offer more help to save the world

   D.improve their lifestyles to keep the world clean

 

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     Apparently,we are safe neither at home nor in the business office.We use water in both places,but the research shows that chemicals added to our local water supply to kill harmful bacteria can have unwanted side effects.These chemicals can cause potential harm through drinking and in seemingly harmless activities as cleaning one’s house.They are released(set free)from water by daily actions like water running out of tap,spraying from garden pipes,or splashing in dishwashers and washing machines.As the water is moving.these chemicals are released into the air and then breathed in. Once inside our bodies, they start to affect our health.

  Does this mean we should stop bathing? No, say the scientists, but we should put all pollution into perspective. Activities at home such as the burning of coal, cooking oil, or even candles release carbon monoxide and particulates such as cigarette ashes which have been proven as harmful to health as working or living near heavy traffic. New tugs, bedding, and even clothing give off that“new smell, ”which is a sure sign of chemicals. In the office, newly applied paint, newly purchased telephones and other telecommunications equipment, and computers release polluting chemicals, too. As offices and homes often have inadequate ventilation (通风), these chemicals can build up to become health problems. Their poisonous effects are only now being slowly recognized.

  These facts suggest that, at a minimum, proper airing of newly purchased goods with an obvious chemical smell is a wise warning. Home and office windows should be opened during good weather. Even one’s car needs to be ventilated as well while in the garage.

  We need further research to understand better other potential health dangers, too. For example, the effects of overcrowding of schools (carbon dioxide build-up ), the factory work environment ( an endless list of potentially dangerous substances ), and even home heating and cooling (the air conditioner may be our enemies, not our friends) have only recently started to come to light. Until we understand the effects of our new technological environment better, we can only hope that“there is no place like home.”

1.What is the main idea of the first paragraph?

  A.The air we breathe in is harmful.

B.Chemicals are released in the running water.

C.Chemicals are added to the drinking water.

  D. The water in everyday use is unsafe.

2..In Paragraph 2, the underlined sentence means that .

  A. homes and offices should be aired often

  B. any pollution should be taken into consideration

  C. bathing should be done with caution

  D.we should prevent any pollution from doing harm to us

3.What is the purpose of the passage?

  A.To call on us to guard our water.

  B.To show us that no place is like home.

  C.To make us aware of the pollution around us.

  D.To argue that neither homes nor offices are safe.

 

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   Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use. This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the only measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.

   To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so. Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a popularly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today. It had smallest effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it caused was typically localized. In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.

   Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution. Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields. Throughout this period food became cheaper, safer and more reliable. However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to decreasing biodiversity.

   What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050.yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.

   All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th. This will require complete thinking. For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are unavoidably more sustainable than new ones. We also need to abandon the idea that agriculture can be “zero impact”. The key will be to abandon the rather simple and unchangeable measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.

   Instead we need a more dynamic explanation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used. There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity. It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting. But we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.

   What is critical is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.

How do people often measure progress in agriculture?

A.By its productivity.               

B.By its impact on the environment.

C.By its sustainability.               

D.By its contribution to economic growth.

What does the author think of traditional farming practices?

  A.They have remained the same over the centuries.

  B.They have not kept pace with population growth.

  C.They are not necessarily sustainable.

  D.They are environmentally friendly.

What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?

  A.It will go through thorough changes.

  B.It will supply more animal products.

  C.It will abandon traditional farming practices.

  D.It will cause zero damage to the environment.

What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

  A.To remind people of the need of sustainable development.

  B.To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production.

  C.To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress.

  D.To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

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Sustainable development is applied to just about everything from energy to clean water and economic growth, and as a result it has become difficult to question either the basic assumptions behind it or the way the concept is put to use.This is especially true in agriculture, where sustainable development is often taken as the sole measure of progress without a proper appreciation of historical and cultural perspectives.
To start with, it is important to remember that the nature of agriculture has changed markedly throughout history, and will continue to do so .Medieval agriculture in northern Europe fed, clothed and sheltered a predominantly rural society with a much lower population density than it is today.It had minimal effect on biodiversity, and any pollution it brought about was typically localized.In terms of energy use and the nutrients captured in the product it was relatively inefficient.
Contrast this with farming since the start of the industrial revolution.Competition from overseas led farmers to specialize and increase yields.Throughout this period food became cheaper, safe and more reliable.However, these changes have also led to habitat loss and to diminishing biodiversity.
What’s more, demand for animal products in developing countries is growing so fast that meeting it will require an extra 300 million tons of grain a year by 2050,yet the growth of cities and industry is reducing the amount of water available for agriculture in many regions.
All this means that agriculture in the 21st century will have to be very different from how it was in the 20th.This will require radical(激进的)thinking.For example, we need to move away from the idea that traditional practices are inevitably more sustainable than new ones.We also need to abandon the notion that agriculture can be “zero impact”.The key will be to abandon the rather simple and static measures of sustainability, which centre on the need to maintain production without increasing damage.Instead we need a more dynamic interpretation, one that looks at the pros and cons of all the various way land is used.There are many different ways to measure agricultural performance besides food yield: energy use, environmental costs, water purity, carbon footprint and biodiversity.It is clear, for example, that the carbon of transporting tomatoes from Spain to the UK is less than that of producing them in the UK with additional heating and lighting, but we do not know whether lower carbon footprints will always be better for biodiversity.
What is crucial is recognizing that sustainable agriculture is not just about sustainable food production.
72.How do people often measure progress in agriculture?
A.By its productivity                 B. By its impact on the environment  
C.By its sustainability                D.By its contribution to economic growth
73.What does the author think of traditional farming practices?
  A.They have remained the same over the centuries
  B.They have not kept pace with population growth
  C.They are not necessarily sustainable
  D.They are environmentally friendly
74.What will agriculture be like in the 21st century?
  A.It will go through radical changes
  B.It will supply more animal products
  C.It will abandon traditional farming practices
  D.It will cause zero damage to the environment
75.What is the author’s purpose in writing this passage?
  A.To remind people of the need of sustainable development
  B.To suggest ways of ensuring sustainable food production
  C.To advance new criteria for measuring farming progress
  D.To urge people to rethink what sustainable agriculture is.

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第三部分阅读理解(共两节,满分40分)

第一节(共15小题;每小题2分,满分30分)

  阅读下列短文,从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中,选出最佳选项,并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

A

  Soon it may be harder to stop and smell the roses.

  Growing levels of air pollution from power plants and automobiles have reduced flower fragrances (芬芳) by up to 90 percent in the US.That is compared with pre-industrial levels,a new study has found.

  The trend is unpleasant for human noses,but may be life - threatening for bees and butterflies.

  "Many insects find flowers by folowing the scent(香味) produced by those flowers," said the studies lead author Jose D.Fuentes,an environmental scientist at the University of Virginia.

  "The increasing pollution makes it difficult for them to locate the flowers and feed on their nectar(花蜜)."

  Scientists have alrady known that flowers produce scent molecules(分子) that bond with pollutants.The process breaks down the plants' sweet smell.

  With more pollution in the air,the scent molecules don't remain effective as long and travel shorter distances on the wind.

  The new study suggests that in the mid - 19th century,when pollution levels were first recorded,scent molecules would have been able to travel some 1,000 to 1,200 meters.

  Today,in the polluted air found downwind of large cities,scentst may only make it some 200 to 300 meters.

  The report was recently published in the journal,Atmospheric Environment.

  Bee farmers have reported that bee populations are dropping dramatically in many parts of the world in recent years. Could these missing scents be a factor?

  Scientists trying to hind the cause of bee population declines have blamed bacteria,pesticides,and even cellphone radiation.

  Jay Evans,an entomologist(昆虫学者) at the US Department of Agriculture's bee research laboratory,was interested in the new study.But he says he hasn't seen bee behavior that suggests trouble with scents.

  "Over the last couple of summers I don't think the bees in this area were bringing in much less food,"he said.

  "It might be that they had to work harder,but it seems like as long as there were bees to collect food they were finding flowers somewhere."

  But Fuentes fears that the fading smell of flowers may stress insects that are already faced with other threats.

  "The effects shown in these studies will simply exacerbate whatever the bees are going through right now,"he said.

  "It's something that is really worthwhile paying attention to."

  56.What's the passage mainly about?

   A.How greatly air plooution affects our lives.

   B.Effects of air pollution on bee populations.

   C.Measures to fight air pollution.

   D.The rapid decline of bee populations in the world.

  57.According to the passage,Jay Evans probably agrees that ______ .

   A.bees are the insect that suffers most from air pollution

   B.bees are at risk of dying out owing to air pollution

   C.the fading smell of flowers doesn't affect bees so greatly as was thought

   D.as is often the case,bees fail to locate the flowers because of the missing scents

  58.The word"exacerbate" in the last paragraph but one probably means ______.

   A.worsen B.improve C.get rid of D.decrease

  59.Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

   A.The more air pollution there is in a region,the greater the destruction of the flower scents.

   B.Bacteria,pesticides,and cellphone radiation are blamed for causing the decline of bees.

   C.The scent molecules produced by flowers in a less polluted environment oculd travel longer and farther.

   D.Air pollution does more harm to insects such as bees and butterflies than human beings.

 

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