專家解析大學英語四級考試歷年閱讀真題(十一)

　　這篇材料講的是歐美國家日常用品上環(huán)保說明遭到濫用的現(xiàn)象。文章第一段十分精煉地交代了全篇所述的主要內(nèi)容：消費者正受到環(huán)保說明的困擾和誤導(Consumers are being confused and misled by……environmental claims);同時透露出這一內(nèi)容的發(fā)布來源。余下的幾段對首段的說法進行詳細了闡述。這種金字塔結(jié)構(gòu)屬于英美報刊文章的典型特點。

　　第二段舉出了幾個實例說明環(huán)保說明遭到濫用的情形，使人對文章所述核心內(nèi)容有一個感性的認識。一個例子是某德國肥料號稱具有“蚯蚓友好性”(a German fertilizer described itself as “earthworm friendly”)，還有某品牌面粉也自稱“不會引起污染”(non-polluting)，而一種英國衛(wèi)生紙也自詡“環(huán)境友好性”(environmentally friendlier)。

　　第三段指出進行這一研究的單位：Britain’s National Consumer Council，這是為了體現(xiàn)研究的權(quán)威性。而后又說明了該研究機構(gòu)的資助機構(gòu)：German and Dutch governments and the European Commission，即德國、荷蘭政府和歐盟執(zhí)行委員會，這是為了說明該項研究的中立性，強調(diào)其可信度。

　　第四段引用研究人員的話，對其研究對象做出了總體評價：在告知顧客如何判斷商品對環(huán)境的影響上，還有很長的路要走(there is a long way to go in……)。之后的幾段描述了研究的細節(jié)。

　　第五段說明該研究的覆蓋范圍(10-country)以及初步結(jié)論：德英兩國的產(chǎn)品濫用環(huán)保說明的現(xiàn)象平均最多。第六段說明實際研究的主要商品類別(洗滌劑、殺蟲劑和園藝用品)，并指出研究的方式是不做測試，而只是將其與ISO的商標說明進行比照(did not test the claims, but compared them to……)。下一段給出了比照結(jié)果：環(huán)保說明太過模糊、誤導性過強，達不到ISO標準要求(too vague or too misleading to meet ISO standards)。

　　隨后的兩段分析了這些環(huán)保說明的實質(zhì)，第八、九段引用研究員的話指出許多環(huán)保說明空無一物(these symbols mean nothing)，而環(huán)保說明的繁雜也使消費者無法判斷其真?zhèn)?very confusing it must be for consumers to sort the true from the misleading)。

　　最后一段借Page之口道出了該項研究的目的：促使跨國公司達到ISO要求(have multinational corporations meet the standards set by the ISO)。

　　Passage 4

　　Two hours from the tall buildings of Manhattan and Philadelphia live some of the world’s largest black bears. They are in northern Pennsylvania’s Pocono Mountains, a home they share with an abundance of other wildlife.

　　The streams, lakes, meadows (草地), mountain ridges and forests that make the Poconos an ideal place for black bears have also attracted more people to the region. Open spaces are threatened by plans for housing estates and important habitats (棲息地) are endangered by highway construction. To protect the Poconos natural beauty from irresponsible development, the Nature Conservancy (大自然保護協(xié)會) named the area one of America’s “Last Great Places”.

　　Operating out of a century-old schoolhouse in the village of Long Pond, Pennsylvania, the conservancy’s bud Cook is working with local people and business leaders to balance economic growth with environmental protection. By forging partnerships with people like Francis Altemose, the Conservancy has been able to protect more than 14,000 acres of environmentally important land in the area.

　　Altemose’s family has farmed in the Pocono area for generations. Two years ago Francis worked with the Conservancy to include his farm in a county farmland protection program. As a result, his family’s land can be protected from development and the Altemoses will be better able to provide a secure financial future for their 7-year-old grandson.

　　Cook attributes the Conservancy’s success in the Poconos to having a local presence and a commitment to working with local residents

　　“The key to protecting these remarkable lands is connecting with the local community,” Cook said. “The people who live there respect the land. They value quiet forests, clear streams and abundant wildlife. They are eager to help with conservation effort.

　　For more information on how you can help the Nature Conservancy protect the Poconos and the world’s other “Last Great Places,” please call 1-888-564 6864 or visit us on the World Wide Web at www.tnc.org.

　　36. The purpose in naming the Poconos as one of America’s “Last Great Places” is to ________.

　　A) gain support from the local community

　　B) protect it from irresponsible development

　　C) make it a better home for black bears

　　D) provide financial security for future generations(B)

　　37. We learn from the passage that ________.

　　A) the population in the Pocono area is growing

　　B) wildlife in the Pocono area is dying out rapidly

　　C) the security of the Pocono residents is being threatened

　　D) farmlands in the Pocono area are shrinking fast(A)