1、BFT阅读（综合）模拟试卷 36及答案与解析 一、 Part 3 0 Could the bad old days of economic decline be about to return? Since OPEC agreed to supply cuts in March, the price of crude oil has jumped to almost $26 a barrel, up from less than $10 last December. This near-tripling of oil prices calls up scary memories of the
2、1973 oil shock, when prices quadrupled, and 1979-1980, when they also almost tripled. Both previous shocks resulted in double-digit inflation and global economic decline. So where are the headlines warning of gloom and doom this time? The oil price was given another push up this week when Iraq suspe
3、nded oil exports. Strengthening economic growth, at the same time as winter grips the northern hemisphere, could push the price higher still in the short term. Yet there are good reasons to expect the economic consequences now to be less severe than in the 1970s. In most countries the cost of crude
4、oil now accounts for a smaller share of the price of petrol than it did in the 1970s. In Europe, taxes account for up to four-fifths of the retail price, so even quite big changes in the price of crude have a more muted effect on pump prices than in the past. Rich economies are also less dependent o
5、n oil than they were, and so less sensitive to swings in the oil price. Energy conservation, a shift to other fuels and a decline in the importance of heavy, energy-intensive industries have reduced oil consumption. Software, consultation and mobile telephones use far less oil than steel or car prod
6、uction. For each dollar of GDP(in constant prices)rich economies now use nearly 50% less oil than in 1973. The OECD estimates in its latest Economic Outlook that, if oil prices averaged $22 a barrel for a full year, compared with $13 in 1998, this would increase the oil import bill in rich economies
7、 by only 0. 25%- 0. 5% of GDP. That is less than one-quarter of the income loss in 1974 or 1980. On the other hand, oil-importing emerging economies to which heavy industry has shifted have become more energy-intensive, and so could be more seriously squeezed. One more reason not to lose sleep over
8、the rise in oil prices is that, unlike the rises in the 1970s, it has not occurred against the background of general commodity price inflation and global excess demand. A sizable portion of the world is only just emerging from economic decline. The Economists commodity price index is broadly unchang
9、ing from a year ago. In 1973 commodity prices jumped by 70%, and in 1979 by almost 30%. 1 The main reason for the latest rise of oil price is _. （ A） global inflation （ B） reduction in supply （ C） fast growth in economy （ D） Iraqs suspension of exports 2 It can be inferred from the text that the ret
10、ail price of petrol will go up dramatically if_. （ A） price of crude oil rises （ B） commodity prices rise （ C） consumption rises （ D） oil taxes rise 3 The estimates in Economic Outlook show that in rich countries _. （ A） heavy industry becomes more energy-intensive （ B） income loss mainly results fr
11、om fluctuating crude oil prices （ C） manufacturing industry has been seriously squeezed （ D） oil price changes have no significant impact on GDP 4 We can draw a conclusion from the text that _. （ A） oil-price shocks are less shocking now （ B） inflation seems irrelevant to oil-price shocks （ C） energ
12、y conservation can keep down the oil prices （ D） the price rise of crude leads to the shrinking of heavy industry 5 From the text we can see that the writer seems _. （ A） optimistic （ B） sensitive （ C） gloomy （ D） scared 6 Whats the meaning of “pump“ in the third paragraph? （ A） Stimulating. （ B） Ca
13、using to move in a specified direction by using a pump. （ C） Moving up and down like the handle of a pump. （ D） Investing much money in something. 7 Which country is NOT included in the emerging economies? （ A） Russia. （ B） Japan. （ C） Singapore. （ D） China. 7 What might driving on an automated high
14、way be like? The answer depends on what kind of system is ultimately adopted. Two distinct types are on the drawing board. The first is a special purpose lane system, in which certain lanes are reserved for automated vehicles. The second is a mixed traffic system: fully automated vehicles would shar
15、e the road with partially automated or manual driven cars. A special purpose lane system would require more extensive physical modifications to existing highways, but it promises the greatest gains in freeway capacity. Under either scheme, the driver would specify the desired destination, furnishing
16、 this information to a computer in the car at the beginning of the trip or perhaps just before reaching the automated highway. If a mixed traffic system was in place, automated driving could begin whenever the driver was on suitably equipped roads. If special purpose lanes were available, the car co
17、uld enter them and join existing traffic in two different ways. One method would use a special on-ramp. As the driver approached the point of entry for the highway, devices installed on the roadside would electronically check the vehicle to determine its destination and to ascertain that it had the
18、proper automation equipment in good working order. Assuming it passed such tests, the driver would then be guided through a gate and toward an automated lane. In this case, the transition from manual to automated control would take place on the entrance ramp. An alternative technique could employ co
19、nventional lanes, which would be shared by automated and regular vehicles. The driver would steer onto the highway and move in normal fashion to a “transition“ lane. The vehicle would then shift under computer control onto a lane reserved for automated traffic.(The limitation of these lanes to autom
20、ated traffic would, presumably, be well respected, because all trespassers could be swiftly identified by authorities.) Either approach to joining a lane of automated traffic would harmonize the movement of newly entering vehicles with those already traveling. Automatic control here should allow for
21、 smooth merging without the usual uncertainties and potential for accidents. And once a vehicle had settled into automated travel, the driver would be free to release the wheel, open the morning paper or just relax. 8 We learn from the first paragraph that two systems of automated highways _. （ A） a
22、re being planned （ B） are being modified （ C） are now in wide use （ D） are under construction 9 A special purpose lane system is probably advantageous in that _. （ A） it would require only minor changes to existing highways （ B） it would achieve the greatest highway traffic efficiency （ C） it has a
23、lane for both automated and partially automated vehicles （ D） it offers more lanes for automated vehicles 10 Which of the following is true about driving on an automated highway? （ A） Vehicles traveling on it are assigned different lanes according to their destinations. （ B） A car can join existing
24、traffic any time in a mixed lane system. （ C） The driver should inform his car computer of his destination before driving onto it. （ D） The driver should share the automated lane with those of regular vehicles. 11 We know from the passage that a car can enter a special purpose lane _. （ A） by smooth
25、ly merging with cars on the conventional lane （ B） by way of a ramp with electronic control devices （ C） through a specially guarded gate （ D） after all trespassers are identified and removed 12 When driving in an automated lane, the driver _. （ A） should harmonize with newly entering cars （ B） does
26、nt have to rely on his computer system （ C） should watch out for potential accidents （ D） doesnt have to hold on to the steering wheel 13 What does the “on-ramp“ mean in the second paragraph? （ A） Entry. （ B） Strong forward rush or flow. （ C） Slope joining two levels of ground. （ D） Movable set of s
27、teps for entering and leaving an aircraft. 14 How to paraphrase “trespassers“ in the last but one paragraph? （ A） Person who enter someplace without the owners permission or other authority. （ B） Person who take advantage of something in a selfish way. （ C） Person who use something unreasonably. （ D
28、） Person who do wrong. 14 In the 1920s, demand for American farm products fell, as European countries began to recover from World War I and instituted austerity programs to reduce their imports. The result was a sharp drop in farm prices. This period was more disastrous for farmers than earlier time
29、s had been, because farmers were no longer self-sufficient. They were paying for machinery, seed, and fertilizer, and they were also buying consumer goods. The prices of the items farmers bought remained constant, while prices they received for their products fell. These developments were made worse
30、 by the Great Depression, which began in 1929 and extended throughout the 1930s. In 1929, under President Herbert Hoover, the Federal Farm Board was organized. It established the principle of direct interference with supply and demand, and it represented the first national commitment to provide grea
31、ter economic stability for farmers. President Hoovers successor attached even more importance to this problem. One of the first measures proposed by President Franklin D. Roosevelt when he took office in 1933 was the Agricultural Adjustment Act, which was subsequently passed by Congress. This law ga
32、ve the Secretary of Agriculture the power to reduce production through voluntary agreements with farmers who were paid to take their land out of use. A deliberate scarcity of farm products was planned in an effort to raise prices. This law was declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court on the gr
33、ounds that general taxes were being collected to pay one special group of people. However, new laws were passed immediately that achieved the same result of resting soil and providing flood-control measures, but which were based on the principle of soil conservation. The Roosevelt Administration bel
34、ieved that rebuilding the nations soil was in the national interest and was not simply a plan to help farmers at the expense of other citizens. Later the government guaranteed loans to farmers so that they could buy farm machinery, hybrid grain, and fertilizers. 15 What brought about the decline in
35、the demand for American farm products? （ A） The impact of the Great Depression. （ B） The shrinking of overseas markets. （ C） The destruction caused by the First World War. （ D） The increased exports of European countries. 16 The chief concern of the American government in the area of agriculture in
36、the 1920s was _. （ A） to increase farm production （ B） to establish agricultural laws （ C） to prevent farmers from going bankrupt （ D） to promote the mechanization of agriculture 17 The Agricultural Adjustment Act encouraged American farmers to _. （ A） reduce their scale of production （ B） make full
37、 use of their land （ C） adjust the prices of their farm products （ D） be self-sufficient in agricultural production 18 The Supreme Court rejected the Agricultural Adjustment Act because it believed that the act _. （ A） might cause greater scarcity of farm products （ B） didnt give the Secretary of Ag
38、riculture enough power （ C） would benefit neither the government nor the farmers （ D） benefited one group of citizens at the expense of others 19 It was claimed that the new laws passed during the Roosevelt Administration were aimed at _. （ A） reducing the cost of farming （ B） conserving soil in the
39、 long-term interest of the nation （ C） lowering the burden of farmers （ D） helping farmers without shifting the burden onto other taxpayers 20 How to understand the word “austerity“ in the first paragraph? （ A） Quality of being austere. （ B） Condition, activity or practice that is part of an austere
40、 way of life. （ C） Power to give orders and make others obey. （ D） Expanding or becoming greater in size, number or importance. 21 What does “hybrid“ mean in the last paragraph? （ A） Cross-bred. （ B） Composed of unrelated parts. （ C） Operated by the movement of liquid. （ D） Be hard to get rid of; re
41、curring problem. 21 Cars account for half the oil consumed in the U.S. , about half the urban pollution and one fourth the greenhouse gases. They take a similar toll of resources in other industrial nations and in the cities of the developing world. As vehicle use continues to increase in the coming
42、 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 US contribution to global cli
43、matic 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 vehicle
44、s 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 problem
45、s, 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 US, mass-transit ridership and carpooling have declined since World War II. Even in Western Europe, with fuel prices averaging more than $1 a liter(about $4 a
46、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 intern
47、al-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 develop less polluting types of gasoline). 22 From the pass
48、age 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 ci
49、ties 23 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 24 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
