2014年公共英语三级考试试题及答案(6)

　　There was one thought that air pollution affected only the area immediately

　　around large cities with factories and heavy automobile traffic. At present, we

　　realize that although these are the areas with the worst air pollution, the

　　problem is literally worldwide. On several occasions over the past decade, a

　　heavy cloud of air pollution has covered the east of the United States and

　　brought health warnings in rural areas away from any major concentration of

　　manufacturing and automobile traffic. In fact, the very climate of the entire

　　earth may be infected by air pollution. Some scientists consider that the

　　increasing concentration of carbon dioxide in the air resulting from the burning

　　of fossil fuels (coal and oil) is creating a “greenhouse effect”— conserving

　　heat reflected from the earth and raising the world's average temperature. If

　　this view is correct and the world's temperature is raised only a few degrees,

　　much of the polar ice cap will melt and cities such as New York, Boston, Miami,

　　and New Orleans will be in water.

　　Another view, less widely held, is that increasing particular matter in the

　　atmosphere is blocking sunlight and lowering the earth's temperature — a result

　　that would be equally disastrous. A drop of just a few degrees could create

　　something close to a new ice age, and would mane agriculture difficult or

　　impossible in many of our top farming areas. Today we do not know for sure that

　　either of these conditions will happen (though one recent government report

　　drafted by experts in the field concluded that the greenhouse effect is very

　　possible) Perhaps, if we are lucky enough, the two tendencies will offset each

　　other and the world's temperature will stay about the same as it is now. Driven

　　by economic profits, people neglect the damage on our environment caused by the

　　“advanced civilization”. Maybe the air pollution is the price the human beings

　　have to pay for their development. But is it really worthwhile?

　　56. As pointed out at the beginning of the passage, people used to think

　　that air pollution _______.

　　[ A ] cause widespread damage in the countryside

　　[ B ] affected the entire eastern half of the United States

　　[ C ] had damaged effect on health

　　[ D ] existed merely in urban and industries areas

　　57. As to the greenhouse effect, the author __________.

　　[ A ] share the same view with the scientist.

　　[ B ] is uncertain of its occurrence

　　[ C ] rejects it as being ungrounded

　　[ D ] thinks that it will destroy the world soon

　　58. The word “offset” in the second paragraph could be replaced by

　　_________.

　　[ A] slip into [ B ] make up for

　　[ C ] set up [ D ] catch up with

　　59. It can be concluded that ____________.

　　[ A ] raising the world's temperature only a few degrees would not do much

　　harm to life on earth.

　　[ B] lowering the world's temperature merely a few degrees would lead major

　　farming areas to disaster.

　　[C] almost no temperature variations have occurred over the past

　　decade.

　　[D] the world's temperature will remain constant in the years to come.

　　60. This passage is primarily about __________.

　　[A]the greenhouse effect??

　　[ B ] the burning of fossil fuels??

　　[C] the potential effect of air pollution.

　　[ D] the likelihood of a new ice age.

　　参考答案：

　　56. D 由第一段第一句话可推知。

　　57. B 第一段最后一句“If this view is correct ——”表明作者只是引用这种现象并

　　不确定其正确性。

　　58. B offset补偿, make up for弥补, set up建立, catch up with赶上

　　59. B 根据第二段第二句话“A drop of just a few degrees ——”可推知。

　　60. C 文章是在讨论大气污染给人类带来的潜在影响。