1、浙江广播电视大学期末考试浙江广播电视大学2005年7月期末考试 作者： 日期： 卷号：8331/6247 B卷浙江广播电视大学2005年7月期末考试 英语阅读（4）Passage 1Read passage 1 carefully and complete items 1-5 as required (15 points, 3 points)Global Warming May Not End up Being Warm at AllMost scientists are now certain that global warming is taking place. Gases such a
2、s carbon dioxide produced by burning of coal, oil, wood, together with industrial pollution, are creating a warm blanket around the earth. This blanket is trapping heat in the atmosphere (the process known as “the greenhouse effect”), and so raising the temperature of the earth (global warming).The
3、evidence for global warming can now be seen in the worlds changing climate statistics. In Europe, eight of the last ten years have seen record high temperatures. For northern Europe, this has generally been a change for the better. Gardeners can now even grow some tropical plants in England, though
4、London may never see a “White Christmas” again. On the other hand, the countries around the Mediterranean sea, and those south of the Sahara desert are receiving even less rain than before. In sub-Saharan Africa the crops are drying out in the fields and people are dying of starvation. In the Americ
5、as, the climate is becoming more extreme-the summers are getting hotter and the storms are becoming more violent. In 1999 the southern United States was struck by a series of destructive hurricanes, while the end of 1999 saw the worst floods ever in Venezuela. Meteorologists expect such trends to co
6、ntinue, and indeed to worsen, if global warming cannot be halted.In addition to worrying about rising global temperatures and more extreme weather conditions, scientists are closely are closely monitoring sea levels around the world. These are slowly rising, as the northern and southern polar ice ca
7、ps start to melt. This will have serious consequences for low-lying countries near the sea, such as the coral islands in the Pacific, and Bangladesh where the River Ganges already floods the delta every year. Already parts of these places are disappearing under the rising tides.According to new rese
8、arch, one contradictory feature of global warming is that it will probably lead in the end to a period of much colder weather, at least in Europe. Scientists base their theory on what happened the last time the world warmed up, 8, 300 years ago. They have discovered that when the ice melted from the
9、 northern polar ice cap it became trapped in an enormous lake in northern Canada. As more ice melted this lake suddenly burst open, releasing millions of tons of freezing fresh water into the North Atlantic. This flood of water was so large that it prevented the normal flow of water in the Atlantic,
10、 which takes warm water from the tropics north to Europe. When this flow of warm water was cut off, temperatures in Europe dropped by between three and eight degrees Celsius over the next two hundred years. Scientists believe that a similar process could occur in the next century if the Greenland Ic
11、e Sheet starts to melt. “Ultimately, thats the interest here,” says Richard Alley, an American climate expert. “The climate hasnt varied much in 8,000 years. But the big changes could come back!” Select the appropriate answer for each of the following questions.1. According to Paragraph 1, what is t
12、he relation between global warming and the greenhouse effect?A) Global warming causes the greenhouse effect.B) The greenhouse effect causes global warming.C) Global warming and the greenhouse effect are both types of industrial pollution.D) Global warming and the greenhouse effect are not connected
13、in any way.2. According to Paragraph 2, the overall effect of global warming on Europes climate is _.A) a decline in rainfallB) a more tropical climate C) a general improvement in the weather D) better for some countries and worse for others3. Bangladesh is mentioned in Paragraph 3 because it is _.A
14、) a country made up of coral islands B) a country with good sea defencesC) a country threatened by rising sea levels D) a developing country 4. According to Paragraph 4, the climate in Europe became colder 8,300 years ago because _.A) global warming reversed, and so temperatures started to drop arou
15、nd the world B) ice moved south to cover Europe and the North AtlanticC) enormous lakes of freezing water covered Canada and EuropeD) melted ice in the North Atlantic stopped warm water from reaching Europe5. According to the passage, scientists believe that global warming_.A) will definitely produc
16、e a colder Europe within 200 yearsB) will probably produce a colder Europe in 8,000 years C) will definitely not produce a colder Europe D) will probably produce a colder Europe eventually Passage 2Read passage 2 carefully and complete items 6-10 as required (15 points, 3 points)Acid RainWhen fossil
17、 fuels such as coal, gasoline, and fuel oils are burned, they emit oxides of sulfur, carbon, and nitrogen into the air. These oxides combine with moisture in the air to form sulfuric acid, carbonic acid, and nitric acid. When it rains or snows, these acids fall on the earth in what is called acid ra
18、in.During the 20th century, the acidity of the air and acid rain have come to be recognized as leading threats to the stability and quality of Earths environment. Most of this acidity is produced in the industrialized nations of the Northern Hemisphere-the United States, Canada, Japan, and many coun
19、tries of Europe.The effects of acid rain can be very destructive to many forms of life, including human life. Its effects can be most vividly seen, however, in lakes, rivers, and streams. Acidity in water kills virtually all life forms. By the early 1990s, tens of thousands of lakes had been destroy
20、ed by acid rain. The problem has been most severe in Norway, Sweden, and Canada.Scientists use what is called the PH factor to measure the acidity or alkalinity of liquid solutions. On a scale from 0 to 14, the number 0 represents the highest level of acid. 14 represents the most basic or alkaline.
21、Rainfalls in the eastern United States and in Western Europe often have a PH factor ranging from 4.5 to 4.0.The threat posed by acid rain is not limited by geographic boundaries. Winds carry the pollutants around the globe. For example, much research supports the conclusion that pollution from coal-
22、powered electric generating stations in the midwestern United States is the ultimate cause of the severe acid-rain problem in eastern Canada and the northeastern United States. Nor are the destructive effects of acid rain limited to the natural environment. Structures made of stone, metal, and cemen
23、t have also been damaged or destroyed. Some of the worlds great monuments have shown signs of damage. This damage is probably caused by acid rain.The cost of antipollution equipment such as burners, filters, and chemical and washing devices is great. However, the cost in damage to the environment an
24、d human life is estimated to be much greater because the damage caused by acid rain may be irreversible. Although preventive measures are being taken, up to 5000,000 lakes in North America may be destroyed before the 20th century.Select the appropriate answer for each of the following questions.6.It
25、 can be concluded from the article that acid rain_.A) is a problem that cannot be solved by one country alone B) is a threat that cannot be eliminated C) is the most important problem facing the worldD) is causing severe problems in Africa7.The article tells us that the destruction of lakes by acid
26、rain has been most severe where _.A) there is the most industry B) the acid level of the rainfallC) wind is the strongest D) rainfalls ate frequent8 We learn from the article that lakes are destroyed by acid rain because_.A) lakes cannot exist without life forms in waterB) acidity kills all forms of
27、 life whether on land or in the water C) the surrounding vegetation is killed D) there is no oxygen in the water9 The only way to reverse the effects of acid rain is through_.A) education B) antipollution equipment C) measuring water acidityD) barring the use of fossil fuels10 The most damaging effe
28、cts of acid rain may eventually be _.A) loss of all rivers, lakes, and streamsB) complete destruction of historical monumentsC) some loss of human lifeD) the eventual destruction of civilization Passage 3Read passage 3 carefully and complete items 11-15 as required (15 points, 3 points)Conversationa
29、l Ball GamesAfter I was married and had lived in Japan for a while, my Japanese gradually improved and I could take part in simple conversations with my husband and his friends and family. I began to notice that often, when I joined in, the others would look surprised, and the conversational topic w
30、ould come to a halt. After this happened several times, it became clear to me that I was doing something wrong. But for a long time, I didnt know what it was.Finally, after listening carefully to many Japanese conversations, I discovered what my problem was. Even though I was speaking Japanese, I wa
31、s handing the conversation in a Western way.Japanese-style conversations develop quite differently from Western-style conversation. And the difference isnt only in the languages. I realized that just as I kept trying to hold Western-style conversations even when I was speaking Japanese, so my Englis
32、h students kept trying to do hold Japanese-style conversations even when they were speaking English. We were unconsciously playing entirely different conversational ball games.A Western-style conversation between two people is like a game of tennis. If I introduce a topic, a conversational ball, I expect you to hit it b
