新東方：大學(xué)英語四級(jí)考試閱讀講義(六)

　　Questions 31 to 35 are based on the following passage: �お�

　　Cars account for half the oil consumed in the U.S., about half the urban pollution and one fourth the greenhouse(溫室) gases. They take a similar toll of (損耗) resources in other industrial nations and in the cities of the developing world. As vehicle use continues to increase in the coming decade, the U.S. and other countries will have to deal with these issues or else face unacceptable economic, health-related and political costs. It is unlikely that oil prices will remain at their current low level or that other nations will accept a large and growing U.S. contribution to global climatic change.

　　Policymakers and industry have four options: reduce vehicle use, increase the efficiency and reduce the emissions of conventional gasoline-powered vehicles, switch to less harmful fuels, or find less polluting driving systems. The last of these—in particular the introduction of vehicles powered by electricity—is ultimately the only sustainable option. The other alternatives are attractive in theory but in practice are either impractical or offer only marginal improvements. For example, reduced vehicle use could solve traffic problems and a host of social and environmental problems, but evidence from around the world suggests that it is very difficult to make people give up their cars to any significant extent. In the U.S., mass-transit ridership and carpooling(合伙用車) have declined since World War Ⅱ. Even in western Europe, with fuel prices averaging more than 1 a liter(about ��4 a gallon) and with easily accessible mass transit and dense populations, cars still account for 80 percent of all passenger travel.

　　Improved energy efficiency is also appealing, but automotive fuel economy has barely made any progress in 10 years. Alternative fuels such as natural gas, burned in internal-combustion engines, could be introduced at relatively low cost, but they would lead to only marginal reductions in pollution and greenhouse emissions(especially because oil companies are already spending billions of dollars every year to do develop less pollution types of gasoline.)

　　31. From the passage we know that the increased use of cars will . ��

　　A) consume half of the oil produced in the world

　　B) have serious consequences for the well-being of all nations

　　C) widen the gap between the developed and developing countries

　　D) impose an intolerable economic burden on residents of large cities

　　32. The U.S. has to deal with the problems arising from vehicle use because . ��

　　A) most Americans are reluctant to switch to public transportation systems

　　B) the present level of oil prices is considered unacceptable

　　C) other countries will protest its increasing greenhouse emissions

　　D) it should take a lead in conserving natural resources

　　33. Which of the following is the best solution to the problems mentioned in the passage? ��

　　A) The designing of highly efficient car engines.

　　B) A reduction of vehicle use in cities.

　　C) The development of electric cars.

　　D) The use of less polluting fuels.

　　34. Which of the following is practical but only makes a marginal contribution to solving the problem of greenhouse emissions? ��

　　A) The use of fuels other than gasoline.

　　B) Improved energy efficiency.

　　C) The introduction of less polluting driving systems.

　　D) Reducing car use by carpooling.

　　35. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

　　A) The decline of public transportation accounts for increased car use in western Europe.

　　B) Cars are popular in western Europe even though fuel prices are fairly high.

　　C) The reduction of vehicle use is the only sustainable option in densely populated western Europe.

　　D) Western European oil companies cannot sustain the cost of developing new-type fuels.