The Panama Canal opened almost 100 years ago. More than one million ships have passed through waterway since 1914. It connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and reduces travel by about 13,000 kilometers and avoids the need for ships to sail around Cape Horn at the bottom of South America.
Built from 1904 to 1914, the canal has seen annual traffic rise from about 1,000 ships early on to 14,702 ships in 2008. In total, over 815,000 ships have passed through the canal. It has been named one of the seven modern wonders of the world. More than forty ships pass through the canal each day.
Now, a major expansion project will permit more ships and bigger ships to pass through the canal. Jorge Quijano, the Panama Canal’s executive vice president of engineering, says, “the Canal is operating at its limit. The present canal has a total capacity of about 340 million tons a year that it can handle. With the expansion we expect to double that, over 600 million tons that we can handle in a year.”
Ships pass through a series of locks. These locks raise a ship to the level of Gatun Lake at the canal entrance on the Atlantic side. They lower the ship back to sea level on the Pacific side. For years, shipbuilders limited the size of many ships so that they could pass through the Panama Canal. But now many shipping companies use bigger ships to transport more goods as a way to reduce costs. Mr. Quijano says the expansion project will allow many of these larger ships to use the canal.
Workers are building the new locks alongside the old ones, which will remain in use. The existing locks are 305 meters long and 55 meters wide. The new ones will be 427 meters long and 55 meters wide. They will be able to handle ships with drafts(吃水量) of more than 15 meters. At present, ships can ride only 12 meters deep in the cannel.
Engineers could not make the new locks too big. Mr. Quijano says the plans had to balance the size of the locks with the cost for ships to use the canal. “We had to look at the optimal size of vessel that would make the return on the investment of a high value to us. So we chose what size of vessels that could actually pay for this project.” Mr. Quijano said.
The cost of the expansion is estimated at more than five billion dollars. The new locks are set to open in time to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal.
51. We can learn from the first two paragraphs that the Panama Canal _______.
A. was built close to Cape Horn
B. took a decade to be completed
C. now sees a daily traffic of about 400 ships
D. is one of the seven wonders of the ancient world
52. After the expansion of the Panama Canal, ________.
A. there will be no limitation to the size of ships through it
B. it will have a total capacity of 500 million tons a year
C. the cost of transporting goods will be relatively low
D. the charge of using the canal will be reduced
53. What do we know about the new locks?
A. They will be put to use in 2014.
B. They will take the place of the old ones.
C. Their length will be double that of the old ones.
D. Ships with drafts of 50 meters can pass through them.
54. What is the author’s main purpose in writing the text?
A. To introduce the history of the Panama Canal.
B. To show the importance of the Panama Canal.
C. To report the expansion project of the Panama Canal.
D. To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Panama Canal.
阅读快车系列答案科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
The first two and a half years of American control of the Panama Canal were devoted only to preparation for human living. Energies were committed to establish suitable houses, hotels, and kitchens. Food supplies were built up and the ability of the existing Panama Railway system was increased. In addition, a large Panama Canal labor force was enrolled (招收) and organized under a civil government. With all this activity, the need for improved sanitation soon became apparent. Improving the unclean conditions was one of the greatest difficulties in building the Panama Canal. Colonel William C. Gorgas stepped up and took charge of improving these sanitary and working conditions.
With the leadership of Gorgas, many new departments of sanitation were founded. Separate departments each undertook different tasks. Some health departments were in charge of hospitals, others in the management of health matters, and still others took charge of sanitation inspections. Committees were also formed to look after the basic welfare of the laborers.
The sanitation work included clearing land, establishing quarantine(检疫) facilities, and taking care of sick and injured laborers in hospitals. On top of this, an operation under Gorgas' command aimed to destroy the yellow fever and malaria carrying mosquitoes.
The big wetlands surrounding the canal in certain areas were a great breeding(繁殖) ground for mosquitoes. In an attempt to solve some of the mosquito problems, the surrounding wetlands were drained(排干水) and filled. Various methods were used. This task was so big that the first two years of building the canal were largely dedicated to getting rid of the mosquitoes. In the end, these efforts were a success. By 1906, yellow fever was virtually wiped out in canal areas and the number of deaths caused by the other top disease, malaria, was also reduced significantly.
With all these new health measures, the canal area has become one of the healthiest regions in the world. With the leadership of Gorgas, the department of sanitation helped to make the canal construction possible.
This passage is mainly about ________.
A. the health measures during the construction of the Panama Canal
B. the leadership of Gorgas in the construction of the Panama Canal
C. the first two years of American control in the Panama Canal
D. the process of the construction of the Panama Canal
Led by Gorgas, many departments were set up to do various tasks except _______.
A. inspect sanitation B. watch over health matters
C. take charge of hospitals D. enroll labour force
What Colonel William C. Gorgas thought most important was to _______.
A. remove the grasses and bushes B. establish quarantine equipment
C. destroy mosquitoes D. attend to sick laborers in hospitals
The author tells the readers that _______.
A. yellow fever and malaria are caused by waters and wetlands
B. the wiping out of yellow fever reduced the number of malaria deaths
C. the climate in the canal areas was suitable for mosquitoes to grow
D. the two-year sanitation work stopped the outbreak of yellow fever
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科目：高中英语 来源：2011届湖北省黄石二中高三二月份调研考试英语卷 题型：阅读理解
This is the VOA Special English Economics Report.
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. Some cases have brought attention internationally to the increased use of imported ingredients to make food and medicine.
In Panama, medicine made with a poisonous chemical killed or sickened more than one hundred people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （ [化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine（三聚氰胺）, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And itdismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
And that’s the VOA Special English Economics Report. I’m Mario Ritter.
【小题1】How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six | B．Five | C．Four | D．Three |
| A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with one more Chinese products. |
| D．stronger control over Chinese products is in need |
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2012-2013学年江苏南京学大教育专修学校高二月考英语卷（带解析） 题型：阅读理解
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （ [化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
【小题1】How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
| A．Six | B．Five | C．Four | D．Three |
| A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe |
| B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted |
| C．there are safety problems with more Chinese products |
| D．the Chinese government is to blame partly for the product safety problems. |
| A．China is facing product safety problems |
| B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods |
| C．overstated problems with Chinese goods |
| D．China is losing its trade partners |
| A．China | B．The European Union |
| C．Chinese officials | D．The Chinese company |
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014届天津市高三上学期第一次月考英语试卷（解析版） 题型：填空题
阅读短文，并按照题目要求用英语回答问题。
Big storms, high waves, technical failures, loneliness, After battling hard times and danger for over nine months. British teenager Mike Perham made history last month as the youngest person to sail solo (单独) around the world.
The 17-year-old made the record after he cleared the Panama Canal ( 巴拿马运河) and then sailed through the Caribbean and home across the Atlantic.
Mike is only three months younger than Zac Sunderland. the 17-year-old American boy who had taken the crown as the youngest solo around-the-world sailor in July.
The two youngsters met in Cape Town in South Africa as they crossed the globe in different directions. Mike insisted they were not rival (竞争对手). "No. It's two teenagers going out there, living their dream and having the adventure of a lifetime." he said.
Mike may be young, but he is no stranger to sailing adventures. He picked up the hobby at age 6 when his father took him out in a small boat on a local lake. Father and son sailed separate boats across the Atlantic when Mike was 14, making him the youngest person to cross that ocean solo. That record gave him the taste for this even greater challenge.
On the recent journey. the scariest moment for Mike came when his sailboat was hit by storms in the southem Indian Ocean.
"We were picked up by what felt like a 60-foot wave and threw down on our side at 90 degrees," he said.
"It felt like I was going right over. Stuff was flying around and I just thought 'Oh no'".
At other times, he had to dive into the Pacific and fix problems. He tied himself to the boat, jumped into the water and went to work with a knife in 30-second dives undemeath (在......之下) the boat to cut a rope away.
Mike said he felt proud that he made his dream come true. "You've got to have confidence in yourself that you will make it." he said.
1.What's the main idea of the passage? (No more than 15 words)
2.Which canal did Mike Perham cross? (No more than 3 words)
3.What does the underlined word "taste" in the fifth paragraph mean? (1 word)
4.What did Mike believe in? (No more than lO words)
5.What do you think of Mike Perham? (No more than 10 words)
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科目：高中英语 来源：2014届江苏南京学大教育专修学校高二月考英语卷（解析版） 题型：阅读理解
China has recently been faced with serious issues of product safety. In Panama, it is said that medicine made with a poisonous chemical sickened some people. A Chinese company had identified it as diethylamide glycol （ [化]乙二醇）, a low – cost substitute commonly used in automobile antifreeze（防冻剂）.
Some countries have banned Chinese-made toothpaste containing diethylamide glycol. China has now told companies to discontinue its use, even though it says the toothpaste is safe. Another industrial chemical, melamine, was found in wheat flour used to make pet food in North America. Thousands of dogs and cats became sick.
The United States has restricted some imports of Chinese seafood because they contained banned substance. And questions have been raised about other products, including children’s toys covered with lead paint.
Chinese officials promised to provide the European Union, the biggest trading partner, with detailed reports on enforcement efforts against unsafe goods.
Meglena Kuneva, commissioner (理事) for consumer protection of the European Union said China should have kept its promise.
China recently closed three companies linked to the Panama and the pet food scare. And it dismissed the former head of its food and drug administration. He was found guilty of corruption (腐败) for approving unsafe drugs. This week, a conference of the State Council approved a proposed special measure on the supervision of food safety. The Xinhua News Agency said it calls for stronger controls over producers, greater responsibilities for government and more serious punishment for illegal activities.
But Chinese officials have accused some foreign media of overstating problems with goods made in China. They say food imports from the United States also fail inspection sometimes. Next Week, American and Chinese food safety officials are planning to hold 5 days of meetings in Beijing to discuss cooperation.
1.How many cases with safety problems are mentioned in the passage?
A．Six B．Five C．Four D．Three
2.How was Panama case dealt with afterwards?
A. Three companies linked to it were closed down.
B. The former head of food and drug administration was removed from his position.
C. More serious punishment was conducted for leaders linked to it.
D. Both A and B.
3.We can infer the followings except that ________.
A．Chinese- made toothpaste is safe
B．the safety of “made in China” is doubted
C．there are safety problems with more Chinese products
D．the Chinese government is to blame partly for the product safety problems.
4.The passage is mainly about ________.
A．China is facing product safety problems
B．more controls are taken of Chinese goods
C．overstated problems with Chinese goods
D．China is losing its trade partners
5.What does “ it ” refer to in the last but one paragraph?
A．China B．The European Union
C．Chinese officials D．The Chinese company
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