18．C。细节题。文章最后一段第三句直接提到：wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes may … cause metal to corrode.。所以C为正确答案。

17. D　 细节题。第一段后半部分说明，空气污染的主要原因是汽车的废气和用来发电的煤和油的燃烧。而汽车和电在城市里比在郊区用得多。故D正确。

16．A。推理题。文章没有直接说写这篇文章的目的。但我们从受污染的结果可以推断出写这篇文章的目的就是要我们减少污染。所以A为正确答案。

15. B　 主旨题。纵观全文，文章的前半部分讲的是导致污染的原因，而后半部分讲的是污染的结果。而A只强调起因，C只强调结果，D与本文没有什么关系。所以B为正确答案。

19. In larger cities, the fumes from coal and oil may contribute to ___________.

A. heart disease　 　　　　　　　　　　 B. lung diseases　 　 　

C. loss of clear vision　　 　　　　　 D. serious headache

[解题导语]　 本篇讲述造成污染的原因及污染所造成的结果。

[答案与简析]

18．The fumes from coal and oil may cause metal ______.

A. to turn black　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　　 B. to become rusty　 　　 　　　

C. to corrode　 　　　　　　　　　　　　　 D. to twist

17. Why is air pollution more grave in the city than in the country?

　　 A. Because there larger populations in cities.

　　 B. Because the air in the city is dirty.

　　 C. Because there are more cars in the city.

D. Because there are much more gas fumes from cars and burning of coal and oil for energy

　 in the city than in the country.

16．What is the purpose of this passage?

　　 A. to persuade people to stop polluting the air

　　 B. to tell the causes of air pollution

　　 C. to tell why cities are bad places to live

　　 D. to describe why cities are bad places to live

15．The key point of the passage is that _________.

　　 A. the cause of air pollution is people

　　 B. the causes and the effects of air pollution are both found in cities

　　 C. the effects of air pollution range from headaches to death

　　 D. air pollution is caused by dirty air

14.D　 细节理解题。要求给事件排序。我们可以首先找出第一个事件d. Roelofs came from Holland，然后再找出最后一个事件c. Roelofs runs an investment consultancy，不难看出答案为D。

D

　　　 People and the sources of air pollution are found in the same places. This means that cities with large populations have the biggest problem of dirty air. Air pollution is caused by many different things. A major source of air pollution is the gas fumes from cars. Statistics show that 93 percent of all auto trips are within cities. Another major source of dirty air is the burning of coal and oil for energy. This energy is needed to make electricity. Of course, much more electricity is used in the city than in the country.

　　 On the average, we throw away more trash and garbage than the year before. The burning of garbage contributes to air pollution. Many major industries are also responsible for the dirty air in the around cities. The fumes from iron, steel, chemical, and petroleum production add particles to the air.

　　 The effects of air pollution range from mild headaches to death. The levels of pollution found in heavy for traffic may cause headaches for loss of clear vision. Wherever coal and oil are used for fuel, fumes may kill trees and plants and cause metal to corrode. In some of the larger cities, these fumes endanger the live of human beings by contributing to lung diseases and causing early death.