Question

With alarming regularity, we read about oil tankers having accidents near land and the terrible consequences of the oil spills （泄露） on people, nature, and the environment．

         Millions of dollars have been used in developing special chemicals to help dismiss the spills and to clean up the animals, beaches, and land spoiled by the oil．Unfortunately, when many of these chemicals are used, more damage is caused to the environment, especially to lives in the sea．

         Of all of today's environmental disasters, an oil spill may actually be one of the least serious．Although oil is poisonous, it is a natural material．In the end, it breaks down naturally．There are, of course, long-term effects, but it is usually more serious in the short term．

         Nature by itself works better than chemical materials, but when there is a spill we demand that governments act immediately with as much hi-tech knowledge as possible．In 1967 the tanker Torrey Canyon sank off the Scilly Isles near the coast of England and spilled 120,000 tones of oil into the ocean．If you go there today, you will find it hard to see any sign that it ever happened．

         Governments seem to accept the risk of transporting millions of tons of oil by ship every day so that we can fill up our cars and drive around and cause even more environmental damage．Interestingly, the biggest companies in the world produce cars, and the next biggest supply the gasoline to make them run.

         We should be thinking more about reducing our dependency on oil．Governments should be encouraging research into new technologies, such as cars run by solar power （太阳能） , electricity, hydrogen, and so on．Much of this research has, in the past, been held back by the oil, gas, and coal．

         If the world's millions of cars were 10% more efficient （高效的）—and the industry could easily produce cars at least twice as efficient，we would need many fewer tankers crossing the oceans each year．If this happened, the risks of oil spills would be reduced, and the air we breathe would be cleaner and fresher, too．

1.What is the passage mainly talking about?

A．Oil spills pollution．  　　　     B．What oil pollution is

C．Oil tanker accidents.            D．How to reduce oil pollution

2.How does the author support the idea that oil spills are not as serious as people believe?

A．By giving a description．   　　         B．By making an argument

C．By giving an example．           D．By drawing a diagram

3.What does the underlined word "risk" in Paragraph 5 refer to?

A．Transportation depending more on oil

B．Poisonous oil breaking down naturally

C．Millions of tons of oil spilling into the sea

D．More environmental damage being caused

4.Which suggestion, is made for reducing oil tank accidents according to the passage?

A．We should build safer tankers in the near future

B．We should develop new technologies to cut oil use

C．Tankers should not be allowed to sail near the coastlines

D．Countries should build more oil pipelines under the sea

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

4.Ｂ

【解析】

试题分析：石油泄漏？环境污染？为了让交通动力充足，政府愿意承担风险运输石油。然而石油泄漏对环境产生的影响不可小觑 。作者提出开发新能源、生产高效汽车的方法来减少这种影响。

1.主题归纳题。 根据第一段的内容：随着经常的警报，我们读到石油泄漏事故在陆地附近，给人们、大自然和环境造成可怕的后果。判断选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第四段的例证，1967年在英国海岸附近的Scilly Isles 发生了石油泄漏事件，而如果现在去看，你很难看到石油的痕迹了。由此判断选择C。

3.词意猜测题。根据文章上文提及石油泄漏会污染破坏环境，但政府仍然愿意冒这个险。C项石油泄漏进海里导致的就是环境污染。 推断D最佳。

4.细节理解题。根据全文内容和最后一句话，作者提倡使用新能源、提高车辆燃料的效率 。由此判断B最佳。

考点：科普环保类短文阅读。