1、阅读理解模拟试卷 7及答案与解析 0 The World Faces a Fresh Water Hazard In many places water is becoming scarcer. Treating it as a right makes the scarcity worse. Ideally, efficient water use would be encouraged by charging for it, but attempts to do so have mostly proved politically impossible. A more practicable
2、alternative is a system of tradable water-usage rights. As our explains, many water problems have global causes: population growth, climate change, urbanization and, especially, changing diets. It takes 2,000 liters of water to grow a kilo of vegetables but 15,000 liters to produce a kilo of beef an
3、d people are eating more meat. The problems also have global implications. Without a new green revolution, farmers will need 60% more water to feed the 2 billion extra people who will be born between now and 2025. Yet there is, globally, no shortage of water. Unlike other natural resources (such as
4、oil), water cannot be used up. It is recycled end-lessly, as rain, snow or evaporation. On average, people are extracting for their own uses less than a tenth of what falls as rain and snow each year. The central problem is that so much water is wasted, mainly by farmers. Agriculture uses three-quar
5、ters of the worlds water. Because water is usually free, thirsty crops like alfalfa (苜蓿 ) are grown in arid California. Wheat in India and Brazil uses twice as much water as wheat in America. Dry countries like Pakistan export textiles though a 1 kg bolt of cloth requires 11,000 liters of water. Any
6、 economist knows what to do: price water to reflect its value. But decades of trying to do that for agriculture have run into powerful resistance from farmers. They reject scarcity pricing for the reason that water falls from the skies. No government owns it, so no government should charge for it. T
7、here is a way out. Australian farmers have the right to use a certain amount of water free. They can sell that right to others. But if they want more water themselves, they must buy it from a neighbor. The result of this trading is a market that has done what markets do: allocate resources to more p
8、roductive use. Australia has endured its worst drought in modern history in the past ten years. Water supplies in some farming areas have fallen by half. Yet farmers have responded to the new market signals by switching to less thirsty crops and kept the value of farm output stable. Water productivi
9、ty has doubled. Australias system overcomes the usual objections because it confirms farmers rights to water and lets them have much of it for nothing. 1 According to the passage, what could be an efficient way to use water? （ A） Adopting the system of water right owned by the government. （ B） Charg
10、ing for water in places where water is becoming scarcer. （ C） Taking political measures to interfere with the water issue. （ D） Making it a free market for people to trade water-usage rights. 2 The author mentions “It takes 2,000 liters of water to grow a kilo of vegetables but 15,000 liters to prod
11、uce a kilo of beef and people are eating more meat. “(Line 47, Para. 2) to_. （ A） highlight the importance of new green revolution for our lives （ B） urge people to take effective actions to solve water shortage （ C） emphasize changing diets mainly contributes to water problems （ D） warn people of t
12、he trouble of population growth in the future 3 According to the third paragraph, which is true about water? （ A） There is no such thing as water shortage in the world at all. （ B） It can be recycled in the form of rain, snow or evaporation. （ C） Less than a tenth of water is extracted for human use
13、 each year. （ D） Only what falls as rain and snow can be made full use of. 4 What causes the central problem that so much water is wasted mainly by farmers? （ A） Because farmers can use water for agriculture free. （ B） Because agriculture uses 75% of the worlds water. （ C） Because most farmers are n
14、ot aware of water shortage. （ D） Because too many thirsty crops are grown in dry countries. 5 Which of the following is a method suggested by the author to reflect waters value in the last paragraph? （ A） People should only be entitled to certain amount of water free. （ B） People can borrow water fr
15、om their neighbors when necessary. （ C） People are free to bargain for water in market in their daily lives. （ D） People have the right to trade water to raise water productivity. 5 The Influence of the Recession for School Education A petition to save Arlington Countys David M. Brown Planetarium is
16、 800 signatures strong and there are more than 3,000 fans on the related Facebook page, but the facility is still cut from the proposed schools budget. “There are a couple of weeks before the public schools budget is final,“ said James Gartner, a member of the organization working to save the 40-yea
17、r-old planetarium before the April 29 cutoff date. Patrick K. Murphy, Arlington schools superintendent, said during remarks updating his budget figures last week that school officials are “in a dialogue“ with planetarium supporters. “ I would encourage us to continue to keep this dialogue open, eval
18、uate positions. and think about a window of time ranging anywhere from 12 to 18 months to see whether the community can raise enough money to keep the institution open. “ Murphy said. The planetariums $230,000 operating budget is cut from the proposed fiscal 2011 budget because the facility is outda
19、ted and requires about $500,000 in upgrades. School officials have said the money is needed elsewhere in the system. Gartner said a core group of supporters is becoming a nonprofit, but he fears that without the School Boards support, the planetarium could still be closed by July. “If we dont get th
20、at other year, we believe any fundraising activities would be sabotaged if the planetarium is already closed,“ he said. Last week, the School Board presented the Arlington County Board with a $439. 8 million budget, $23 million less than what Murphy proposed in February, primarily because of less st
21、ate funding. The new budget figures include several English as a second language specialists who were previously cut, thanks to updated student enrollment numbers and adjustments made by the state to the required retirement accounts for school employees. “School-based substitutes, many transportatio
22、n cuts and higher sports fees also were reinstated,“ Murphy said. Students and teachers from the Langston and Arlington Mill continuing education programs spoke at the boards meeting last week requesting no changes to the programs. “The system has proposed to reduce the continuing education teachers
23、salaries by 17 percent, add days to their school year and cut instructional time so the program is more consistent with high school schedules,“ said Betty E. Hobbs, assistant superintendent of personnel. “The adjustments allowed all of the teachers to keep their jobs and put the program in a better
24、position for future initiatives,“ she said. 6 According to Gartner, there is_. （ A） hardly any hope for the Planetarium not being closed （ B） little chance for his organization to save the Planetarium （ C） certain chance for his organization to persuade the school （ D） still oppotrunity for the Plan
25、etarium not being closed 7 What is school officials opinion on the Planetarium? （ A） They havent made the final decision to close it. （ B） They are waiting for rich people to save it. （ C） They are trying to collect money for it. （ D） They are resolute in closing the facility. 8 According to Gartner
26、. the School Board_. （ A） is indifferent to the fate of the Planetarium （ B） has the final decision on the fate of the Planetarium （ C） is against the budget on upgrading the Planetarium （ D） is always the opponent of the Planetariums supporters 9 Why can the language specialists benefit from the bu
27、dget? （ A） Because they were once the victim of the budget cut. （ B） Because they will retire in the near future. （ C） Because they object the budget on the Planetarium. （ D） Because they have more students to teach. 10 According to Hobbs, the adjustment on the continuing education_. （ A） has alread
28、y influenced its personnel and resources allocation （ B） meant to put it into an advantageous position for future development （ C） has produced a serious consequence on both its students and teachers （ D） has been granted by the School Board to be implemented in July 10 Virginia Deprives the Right t
29、o Vote of Former Felons Four years have passed since Jennifer McDaniel was released from a Virginia prison, where she served time on a grand theft conviction for shoplifting. Since then, Ms. McDaniel, who is 43 and lives in Alexandria, has held a steady job managing a doghouse and dog-grooming busin
30、ess, learned to read and write, and, she says, get rid of the heroin addiction that laid waste to her life for 27 years. Last month, a Prince William County judge, noting that be was “favorably impressed“ with her behavior and accomplishments, ended her supervised probation. Having paid her debt to
31、society and, she notes with some pride, “all my taxes“ Ms. McDaniel wants the right to vote. In 48 other states she would have it. But not in Virginia, where an antiquated (过时的 ) constitution robs her and tens of thousands of other former felons of their most fundamental democratic right. Such is th
32、e commonwealths disdain for the rights of former felons that it doesnt even bother to compile an estimate of how many remain disenfranchised once their sentences have been served. Voting rights advocates say there are some 300,000 former convicts in that category; even if that figure is inflated, th
33、e numbers are staggering. Whats more, they are racially skewed (扭曲的 ) : Although African Americans account for just a fifth of Virginias 7. 8 million citizens, they are thought to constitute about half of those ineligible to vote. No wonder racist state lawmakers who reviewed the commonwealths const
34、itution a century ago lauded the provision and, in the toxic spirit of Jim Crow, elected to keep it. Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, a former civil rights lawyer, recognizes that the status quo is a shame and has backed legislation to change the constitution. (The legislation has cleared the Virginia Senate
35、but not the Republican-controlled House of Delegates.) But Mr. Kaine, despite his extensive authority to issue executive orders, has been too timid to tackle the issue. Many experts say the governor would be on solid legal footing if he issued a blanket restoration of voting rights to former felons.
36、 He has declined to do so, citing lawyerly and logistical difficulties. Since the state maintains no centralized list of former felons, for example, it might be hard to identify them or even to distinguish, say, between violent and nonviolent ex-offenders. Last week, a federal appeals court in Washi
37、ngton state, citing racial disparities in the justice system, ruled that imprisoned felons must be allowed to vote. While laws vary among states most still deny voting rights until convicts have fulfilled their prison sentences and probations only Virginia and Kentucky are so extreme as to bar forme
38、r felons from the polls until and unless the governor approves their petition to restore that right. Although Mr.Kaine and his predecessor, Mark R. Warner, have approved the vast majority of petitions by former felons seeking to recover their voting rights, the troublesome rules mean that in practic
39、e only a few thousand such applications are submitted each year. Gov. -elect (已当选但未上任的州长 ) Robert F. McDonnell says he would expedite the process for nonviolent former felons. Thats laudable. But even nonviolent exconvicts like Ms. McDaniel, who have worked hard, rebuilt their lives and done all the
40、 state has asked of them, must wait three years after completing their punishments before they are eligible even to apply for the restoration of their voting rights. That is nothing short of a scandal. 11 Why didnt Ms. McDaniel have the right to vote? （ A） She did not pay all taxes. （ B） She was add
41、icted into drugs. （ C） She committed a felony. （ D） She was a Virginia citizen. 12 What does the word “disenfranchised“ in the third paragraph mean? （ A） Voteless. （ B） Latent. （ C） Civil. （ D） Violent. 13 What is Mr.Kaines attitude towards the constitution to deprive the rights of felons? （ A） Appr
42、oval （ B） Critical. （ C） Neutral. （ D） Indifferent. 14 According to Paragraph 5, which of the following statements is INCORRECT? （ A） The Washington Federal court decided that felons must have the right to vote. （ B） Constitutions of all states do not allow convicts voting rights before they finish
43、their prison. （ C） Virginia and Kentucky restrict the fundamental democratic rights of felons. （ D） Felons in Virginia will not have the voting rights unless the government allows. 15 What can we conclude from the last paragraph? （ A） The number of felons to restore the civil rights is limited. （ B）
44、 Ms. McDaniel felt disgraceful, since she had been heroin addicted for twenty years. （ C） It is impossible for Virginia to give voting rights to ex-felons. （ D） Many lawyers are working hard for peoples democratic rights. 15 Twins to Impaired Fertility of Women A woman with a twin brother has fewer
45、children. Twin brothers can leave quite an impression. The mere presence of a boy in the same womb as his sister causes her to develop bigger teeth than she otherwise would. Girls with twin brothers perform better on spatial-ability tests. They have better ball skills than most females and are more
46、likely to be short-sighted. Now it seems that sharing the womb also has a harmful effect on the sexual reproduction of women with a twin brother. Virpi Lummaa of the University of Sheffield, in Britain, and her colleagues made the claim after studying detailed data from several generations of church
47、 records from many parishes in Finland. They report that women with a twin brother were 15% less likely to get married than were women with a twin sister. Those with a male twin also had a 25% lower chance of giving birth even though they lived just as long as those with a female twin. When the rese
48、archers considered only married women, those with a twin brother on average had two fewer children during their lifetimes than did women with a twin sister. And finally to rule out any influence of sharing a house as well as a womb Dr. Lu-mmaa checked the results were the same for women whose twin b
49、rothers died before they were three months old. The researchers reported their findings in this weeks Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. As with the teeth, the supposed cause of untypical female biology is early exposure to testosterone. This hormone is made by a male fetuss developing testes from about seven weeks after conception and is thought to diffuse, thus influencing his sisters growth. But the exact mechanism by which a twin brother lowers his sisters chances of reproductive success
