Question

    Inaccessible Island is well named. It is an uninhabited rock in the South Atlantic ocean. Go there, though, and you will find its coast is covered with litter.

That has been the experience of Peter Ryan of the University of Cape Town, in South Africa. Since 1984 Dr. Ryan has been visiting Inaccessible, recording the litter stranded on the island's beaches. This week, he has published the results.

Though Inaccessible is indeed remote, the nature of oceanic circulation means that this is exactly the sort of place where floating rubbish tends to accumulate.

Dr. Ryan and his colleagues focused on one particular class of litter: bottles. Their definition of a bottle included jars and containers, and things made of metal, glass or polymer. Most, though, were of polyethylene terephthalate , a light plastic.

A particular advantage of picking bottles to investigate is that they are often stamped with their country of manufacture. That enabled Dr. Ryan to analyze the history of oceanic littering. He analyzed the proportions of bottles from various geographical sources. In 1989 the preponderance (优势) of them (67%) was South American. Twenty years later, in 2009, bottles made in Asia contributed more or less equally (44%) with South American ones (41%). By 2018 the overwhelming (压倒性的) majority (74%) were Asian.

This geographical shift speaks volumes. The first sample suggests most litter arriving on Inaccessible had been washed off the land or dropped from coastal shipping — South America being a relatively nearby continent. The other two, with their rising proportions of rubbish from Asia, which is too far from the island for it to have floated there, strongly suggest it was crews’ empties being flung from ships. Such littering is banned — which, ironically, came into force in 1989. But evidently a lot of ships’ captains do not care. They permit the dumping of rubbish over the side, regardless.

1.What leads to litter gathering on Inaccessible Island?

A.The natural phenomenon of ocean currents. B.Too many people’s activities on the island.

C.The litter’s floating around the island. D.The island’s remote location.

2.Why does Dr. Ryan choose bottles as subjects?

A.It is easy to analyze them. B.It is possible to figure out their sources.

C.There are stamps attached to them. D.They contribute most to oceanic littering.

3.What does the underlined word “flung” in the last paragraph mean?

A.Cast away. B.Given away.

C.Carried out. D.Put out.

4.What is the best title for the text?

A.Plastic Bottles Washed up on Inaccessible Island

B.Geographical Factors Accounting for More Rubbish

C.Plastic Pollution Worsening on Remote Atlantic

D.A Bottled up Rubbish Problem on Inaccessible Island

Answer

1.A

2.B

3.A

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。Inaccessible岛的名字很好。它是南大西洋的一块无人居住的岩石。然而，去那里，你会发现它的海岸到处都是垃圾。Peter Ryan和他的同事们的一项研究发现Inaccessible岛上的垃圾堆积的原因是因为洋流导致的，文章还说明了他们是如何进行调查从而发现这一原因的，他们发现岛上的垃圾都是从陆地上被冲走的，或者是从沿海的船只上扔下的。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段Though Inaccessible is indeed remote, the nature of oceanic circulation means that this is exactly the sort of place where floating rubbish tends to accumulate.可知，虽然Inaccessible岛的确很遥远，但海洋环流的性质意味着这里正是漂浮垃圾容易堆积的地方。由此可知，洋流的自然现象导致了Inaccessible岛的垃圾堆积。故选A。

2.细节理解题。根据第五段中A particular advantage of picking bottles to investigate is that they are often stamped with their country of manufacture.可知，挑选瓶子进行调查的一个特别优点是，它们通常都印有生产国家的标志。由此可知，Ryan博士选择瓶子作为实验对象是因为这样可能可以弄清瓶子的来源。故选B。

3.词义猜测题。根据上文The other two, with their rising proportions of rubbish from Asia, which is too far from the island for it to have floated there, strongly suggest it was crews’ empties being可知，另外两艘船中，来自亚洲的垃圾越来越多，因为亚洲离该岛太远，不可能漂浮在岛上，这有力地说明了这是船员从船上丢弃的空垃圾。由此可知，划线单词意思为“丢弃”。A. Cast away.丢弃；B. Given away.分发；C. Carried out.实施；D. Put out.熄灭。故选A。

4.主旨大意题。根据第一段Inaccessible Island is well named. It is an uninhabited rock in the South Atlantic ocean. Go there, though, and you will find its coast is covered with litter.可知，Inaccessible岛的名字很好。它是南大西洋的一块无人居住的岩石。然而，去那里，你会发现它的海岸到处都是垃圾。结合文章主要介绍了Inaccessible岛的名字很好。它是南大西洋的一块无人居住的岩石。然而，去那里，你会发现它的海岸到处都是垃圾。Peter Ryan和他的同事们的一项研究发现Inaccessible岛上的垃圾堆积的原因是因为洋流导致的，文章还说明了他们是如何进行调查从而发现这一原因的，他们发现岛上的垃圾都是从陆地上被冲走的，或者是从沿海的船只上扔下的。由此可知，D选项“Inaccessible岛上的垃圾问题”最符合文章标题，故选D。