4．You may have noticed that the world's population is not evenly distributed（分别） around our planet．There are some countries where people seem to be living nearly on top ofeach other because conditions are overcrowded．Then there are others where it seems that hardly anybody lives．What influences this unequal distribution of people？There are specific advantages and disadvantages of living in a certain area．
The two main factors that influence people's choice of location are climate and resources．Climate is the usual weather conditions in a region．Areas that have bad weather are generally less deal as places to live in．The north and south poles at the top and bottom of the world may be beautiful in their rugged，natural way，but the disadvantage of the bitterly cold and windy conditions usually keeps people away．When it comes to climate，warm conditions and a normal amount of rainfall are advantages that attract people．
Natural resources are things that we get from nature that help us survive．Each region offers different resources，and therefore attracts different groups of people．People who enjoy the beach car make their living by catching and selling the ocean's many fish and other sea creatures．Those who prefer farming can take advantage of rich soil（土壤） in valleys near rivers．Some people are willing to accept the disadvantages of the terrible conditions of deserts or mountains in order to take advantage of the resources like oil or woods．
41．The underlined part"on top of"in the first paragraph most likely meansA．
A．very close to
B．on the highest part of
C．in control of
D．on the surface of
42．What are the main factors that influence the distribution of people？C
A．Resources and oceans．
B．Climate and rivers．
C．Climate and resources．
D．Warm conditions and rainfall．
43．The writer thinks many people don′t live near the north or South Pole becauseC．
A．they can′t get enough food there
B．they natural sights there don′t attract people
C．the unpleasant weather keeps them away
D．the length of nighttime is too short or too long
44．Why do people go and live in valleys near rivers？D
A．The temperature isn′t too low in winter．
B．the resources like oil can bring them much money．
C．People can make their living by catching and selling fish．
D．It′s easier for people to grow plants or keep animals．
45．The purpose of the example in the last paragraph is to tell usB．
A．people cannot survive in cold conditions
B．different resource attract different groups of people
C．People usually prefer living at the seaside to living in mountains
D．a normal amount of rainfall is necessary for people to live in the desert．
分析 【文章大意】这篇文章主要介绍了影响人口分布的因素有两个：气候和资源．人们会选择住在气候适宜的地方，而不会选择靠近寒冷的南极或者北极．而不同的资源吸引着不同的人．
解答 41．A 词义猜测题．根据文章第一段：because conditions are overcrowded．可知此处的意思是拥挤的，人们离得近．故选A．
42．C 细节理解题．根据文章第二段：The two main factors that influence people's choice of location are climate and resources．可知影响人口分布的因素有两个：气候和资源．故选C．
43．C 细节理解题．根据文章第二段：but the disadvantage of the bitterly cold and windy conditions usually keeps people away．可知人们不住在南极或者北极是因为天气恶劣．故选C．
44．D 细节理解题．根据文章第三段：Those who prefer farming can take advantage of rich soil（土壤） in valleys near rivers．可知人们住在靠近河边是因为人们可以种庄稼或者养动物．故选D．
45．B 推理判断题．根据文章第三段：Each region offers different resources，and therefore attracts different groups of people．可知不同的资源吸引着不同的人．故选B．
点评 首先要仔细阅读短文，掌握大意，然后结合具体的题目再读短文，从中找出相关信息，就可以确定正确答案．
