阅读理解

阅读下列短文，从每题所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中，选出最佳选项，并在正确选项上画勾。

　　How can we get rid of garbage? Do we have enough energy sources to meet our future energy needs?

　　These are two important questions that many people are asking today. Some people think that men might be able to solve both problems at the same time. They suggest using garbage as an energy source.

　　For a long time people buried garbage or dumped it on empty land. Now, empty land is scarce. But more and more garbage is produced each year. But garbage can be a good fuel to use. The things in garbage do not look like coal, petroleum, or natural gas; but they are chemically similar to these fossil fuels. As we use up our fossilfuel supplies, we might be able to use garbage as an energy source.

　　Burning garbage is not a new idea. Some cities in Europe and the United States have been burning garbage for years. The heat that is produced by burning garbage is used to boil water. The steam that is produced is used to make electricity or to heat nearby buildings. In Paris, France, some power plants burn almost 2 million metric tons of the city's garbage each year. The amount of energy produced is about the same as would be produced by burning almost a half million barrels of oil!

　　But there are problems in using garbage as a fuel. Garbage that burns easily, such as food scrapes and paper, must be separated from metals, glass, and other materials that do not burn easily. This separation process is normally costly. Another problem is that burning garbage can pollute the air.

　　Our fossil fuel supplies are limited. Burning garbage might be one kind of energy source that we can use to help meet our energy needs. This method could also reduce the amount of garbage piling up on the earth.

1．What two problems can be solved by burning garbage?

[　　]

A．The shortage of energy; air pollution.

B．The shortage of energy; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.

C．Air pollution; the shortage of empty land for holding garbage.

D．Air pollution; the shortage of fossil fuel.

2．Which of the following is NOT a result of burning garbage?

[　　]

A．The heat produced is used to boil water.

B．The steam produced is used to make electricity.

C．The garbage burned is turned into fossil fuels.

D．The steam produced is used to heat buildings.

3．According to the passage, which of the following four groups of garbage is ready for burning?

[　　]

A．Food scraps and metals

B．Paper and glass.

C．Metals and glass.

D．Food scraps and paper.

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项。选项中有两项为多余选项。 

Obtaining Fresh Water from Icebergs

  The idea of getting fresh water from icebergs that are moved to populated areas or places was once treated as a joke. Recently, scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food.___ 1.___

Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently. __2.__It contains fresh water so much that it could sustain(维持) all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years. Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year.__ 3.__ However, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea. As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind. Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator(赤道) in the Atlantic Ocean. __4.__ The difficulty exists such as its rapid melting in warmer climates. __5.__

A. Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes.

B. Now it is being considered quite serious by many nations.

C. 7,659 trillion metric tons of ice are floating on the sea every year.

D. But the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced.

E. To move them to dry parts of the world would not be too difficult.

F. It is not a dream to get water from icebergs.

G. Three-quarters of the Earth’s fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice.

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

Obtaining fresh water from icebergs

The idea of getting fresh water from icebergs that are moved to populated areas or places was once treated as a joke．Recently, scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food． 1.  

Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently． 2.   It contains fresh water so much that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years．

Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year． 3. However, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea．As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind．Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean．

4. The difficulty exists such as its rapid melting in warmer climates． 5.

         A．Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes．

         B．Now it is being considered quite serious by many nations．

         C．7,659 trillion metric tons of ice are floating on the sea every year．

         D．But the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced．

         E．To move them to try parts of the world would not be too difficult．

         F．It is not a dream to get water from Icebergs．

         G．Three-quarters of the Earth’s fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice．

 

根据短文内容，从短文后的选项中选出能填入空白处的最佳选项，选项中有两项为多余选项。

Obtaining fresh water from icebergs

The idea of getting fresh water from icebergs that are moved to populated areas or places was once treated as a joke．Recently, scientists have warned that the human race will outgrow its fresh water supply faster than it runs out of food．  

Glaciers are a possible source of fresh water that has been overlooked until recently．   It contains fresh water so much that it could sustain all the rivers of the world for 1,000 years．

Huge glaciers that stretch over the shallow continental shelf give birth to icebergs throughout the year． However, they are formed entirely on land, breaking off when glaciers spread over the sea．As they drift away from the polar region, icebergs sometimes move mysteriously in a direction opposite to the wind．Because they melt more slowly than smaller pieces of ice, icebergs have been known to drift as far north as 35 degrees south of the equator in the Atlantic Ocean．

The difficulty exists such as its rapid melting in warmer climates．

       A．Icebergs are not like sea ice, which is formed when the sea itself freezes．

       B．Now it is being considered quite serious by many nations．

       C．7,659 trillion metric tons of ice are floating on the sea every year．

       D．But the water they could provide would be far cheaper than that produced．

       E．To move them to try parts of the world would not be too difficult．

       F．It is not a dream to get water from Icebergs．

       G．Three-quarters of the Earth’s fresh water supply is still tied up in glacial ice．

 

第二部分 阅读理解（共25小题。第一节每小题2分，第二节每小题1分；满分45分）

第一节  阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项（A、B、C、D）中，选出最佳选项，并在答题卡上将该项涂黑。

  A new study in West Africa shows how farm irrigation systems powered by the sun can produce more food and money for villagers. The study in Benin found that solar-powered pumps are effective in supplying water, especially during the long dry season.

  Sub-Saharan Africa is the part of the world with the least food security. The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that more than one billion of the world’s people faced hunger last year. Around two hundred sixty-five million of them live south of the Sahara Desert. Lack of rainfall is one of their main causes of food shortages.

  Jennifer Burney from Stanford University in California led the study. The research team helped build three solar-powered irrigation systems in northern Benin.

The solar-powered irrigation systems produced an average of nearly two metric tons of vegetables per month.

  They sold the surplus(过剩的) produce at local markets. The earnings greatly increased their ability to buy food during the dry season which can last six to nine months.

  People in the two villages with the systems were able to eat three to five more serving of vegetables per day. But making the surplus available at markets also had a wider effect.

  The study compared the villages with two others where women farmed with traditional methods like carrying water in buckets. The amount of vegetables eaten in those villages also increased, though not as much.

  The researchers note that only four percent of the cropland in sub-Saharan Africa is irrigated. Using solar power to pump water has higher costs at first. But the study says it can be more economical in the long term than using fuels like gasoline, diesel or kerosene. And solar power is environmentally friendly.

1. People living in sub-Saharan Africa are short of food mainly because______.

  A. it seldom rains there throughout the year   B. there is little farmland in the area

  C. people there lack experience in farming    D. people know nothing about irrigation techniques

2. Which of the following is an advantage of Jennifer’s irrigation systems?

  A. They are not affected by the weather.

B. They cost much less than traditional irrigation systems.

  C. They have no bad effects on the environment.

  D. They use less fuel than traditional irrigation systems.

3. We can learn from the last paragraph that______.

  A. people in South Africa will soon be provided with enough food

  B. the demand for fuels like gasoline will greatly decrease in Africa

  C. people in sub-Saharan Africa don’t take agriculture seriously

  D. it’s worthwhile to use the new irrigation systems on the while

4. People in the two villages owe all the following to Jennifer’s irrigation systems EXCEPT that ______.

  A. they could buy more food during the dry season

  B. they could eat more vegetables than usual every day

  C. they could supply local markets with vegetables

  D. they could provide people in other villages with food