Question

【题目】The Mekong River, for thousands of years, has been the lifeline of the populations that depend on it for survival. The earliest settlements along the river date back to 2100 BC with the first recorded civilization—the Khmer culture of Funan. In the 5th century, the Khmer culture Chenla existed along the Mekong, and the Khmer empire of Angkor was the last great state in the region. Roughly 700 years ago, the Thai people escaped from South China across the Mekong to form the kingdom of Siam (now Thailand), and the Mekong protected Siam from invasions.

In 1540, the Portuguese Antonio de Faria was the first European to discover the Mekong. Although Europeans showed only some interest in the Mekong, the Spanish and Portuguese did make trade expeditions(探险) to the area, and the Dutch led an expedition up the Mekong in 1641-42. In the mid-19th century, the French led an exploration on the river between 1866 to 1868 and discovered that the Mekong had too many rapids and waterfalls to ever be useful for navigation(航行). From 1893, the French enlarged their control of the river into Laos until the First and Second Indochina Wars ended French involvement(介入) in the region.

The Mekong has long been regarded as the foundation of Southeast Asia's economic growth and prosperity—necessitating(使必要) cooperation between the countries. In 1995, the "Agreement on the Cooperation for the Sustainable Development of the Mekong River Basin" signed by the governments of Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam formed the Mekong River Commission (MRC). The MRC facilitates(促进) joint management of the shared water resources and cooperation on development issues. In 1996, China and Burma became Dialogue Partners of the MRC.

Today, much of the Mekong remains undeveloped and even unexplored. It is closely tied to the daily lives and culture of over 60 million people, many of whom live in poverty (贫困). However, life along the river is changing, as large dams on the river have been built with plans for many more. Many people now live and work in the towns.

【1】What is the best title for this passage?

A. The Mekong is being damaged by human activities.

B. The Mekong has attracted peoples from the world.

C. The Mekong has helped countries to cooperate.

D. The Mekong nourishes(养育) the land and her people.

【2】The French ended their control over the Mekong because _____.

A. the river was unsuitable for navigation B. France lost the Indochina Wars

C. France lost their interest in the river D. Their agreement with Laos came to an end

【3】Why did the Mekong basin countries form the MRC?

A. Much of the river remains undeveloped and unexplored.

B. Many of the people along the river live in poverty.

C. The river is the foundation for their economy.

D. China and Burma came up with the suggestion.

【4】What is the author’s attitude towards the future life of the people?

A. Indifferent(冷漠的). B. Optimistic(乐观的). C. Pessimistic(悲观的). D. Sarcastic(讽刺的).

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】B

【3】C

【4】B

【解析】可知这篇文章主要讲了湄公河的发展历史及重要作用。

【1】主旨大意题。由全文主题句The Mekong River, for thousands of years, has been the lifeline of the populations that depend on it for survival. 可知这篇文章主要讲了湄公河的发展历史及重要作用，所以这篇文章最好的题目是湄公河养育了它的土地和它的人民，选D。

【2】细节理解题。由From 1893, the French enlarged their control of the river into Laos until the First and Second Indochina Wars ended French involvement(介入) in the region. 法国结束对湄公河的统治，是因为在印度支那战争中，法国战败，选B。

【3】细节理解题。由The Mekong has long been regarded as the foundation of Southeast Asia's economic growth and prosperity—necessitating(使必要) cooperation between the countries.可知湄公河流域国家组成MRC是因为这条河流是他们经济的基础，选C。

【4】推理判断题。由However, life along the river is changing, as large dams on the river have been built with plans for many more. Many people now live and work in the towns. 可判断出作者对于人们的未来生活持乐观态度，选B。