2020年12月大學(xué)英語(yǔ)四級(jí)閱讀真題以及答案（三）

英語(yǔ)四級(jí)閱讀，作為大學(xué)英語(yǔ)能力的重要評(píng)估指標(biāo)，不僅檢驗(yàn)了學(xué)生對(duì)詞匯、語(yǔ)法的掌握，更考察了其閱讀理解和信息篩選的能力。在全球化背景下，提升這一能力對(duì)于拓寬視野、增進(jìn)跨文化交流至關(guān)重要。今天，小編將分享2020年12月大學(xué)英語(yǔ)四級(jí)閱讀真題以及答案（卷三），希望能為大家提供幫助！

Section A

Directions: In this section,there is a passage with ten blanks.You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage.Read the passage through carefully before making your choices.Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter.Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.

The things people make,and the way they make them,determine how cities grow and decline,and influence how empires rise and fall.So,any disruption to the world's factories  26  .And that disruption is surely  coming.Factories are being digitised,filled with new sensors and new computers to make them quicker,more     27  ,and more efficient.

Robots are breaking free from the cages that surround them,learning new skills and new ways of working.And   3D printers have long.28 a world where you can make anything,anywhere,from a computerised design.That vision is  29  closer to reality.These forces will lead to cleaner factories, producing better goods at lower prices,personalised to our individual needs and desires.Humans will be  30  many of the dirty,repetitive,and dangerous jobs that have long been a  31  of factory life.

Greater efficiency.  32  means fewer people can do the same work.Yet factory bosses in many developed  countries are worried about a lack of skilled human workers—and see.  33  and robots as a solution.But  economist Helena Leurent says this period of rapid change in manufacturing is a  34  opportunity to make the world  a better place."Manufacturing is the one system where you have got the biggest source of  innovation,the biggest source of economic growth,and  the  biggest source of great jobs in the  past.You can see it changing.That's an opportunity to.  35  that system differently,and if we can,it will have tremendous significance.”

A)automation    F)feature     K)matters

B)concerns     G)flexible     L)moving

C)enormously    H)inevitably    M)promised

D)fantastic    I)interaction   N)shape

E)fascinated    J)leaning      O)spare

答案解析

26.答案 K

空格所在句缺少謂語(yǔ)，因此應(yīng)填入動(dòng)詞?？崭袼诰湟鉃?，任何對(duì)世界上工廠的破壞都很 ?？崭袂暗?So 說(shuō)明該句與前一句構(gòu)成因果關(guān)系。前一句提到，人們制造的東西以及 制造東西的方式十分重要，因此此處是說(shuō)任何對(duì)世界上工廠的破壞也很“重要”,故選K) matters“重要，要緊”。

27. 答案 G

空格前為more, 作them的賓語(yǔ)補(bǔ)足語(yǔ)，因此應(yīng)填入形容詞?？崭袂暗膖hem 指的是 Factories, 工廠被數(shù)字化之后，利用電腦、傳感器等可以提高生產(chǎn)率，因此空格處的形容詞應(yīng) 該能反映“生產(chǎn)率提高”,故選G)flexible “靈活的，可變通的”。

28. 答案 M

空格前為助動(dòng)詞 have,因此應(yīng)填入動(dòng)詞的-ed 形式。根據(jù)下一句中提到的 vision“愿景”可 知，本句描述的世界還沒(méi)有完全實(shí)現(xiàn)，因此空格處應(yīng)填入能夠表示未來(lái)意義的動(dòng)詞，故選 M)promised“承諾”。

29. 答案  L

空格前為is, 因此應(yīng)填入動(dòng)詞的-ing 形式，構(gòu)成現(xiàn)在進(jìn)行時(shí)。句首的 That vision 指的是前一 句中描述的未來(lái)世界，而由于技術(shù)的飛速發(fā)展，人們已經(jīng)可以用3D 打印機(jī)制造很多東西，因 此人們距離實(shí)現(xiàn)這一愿景越來(lái)越近。故選 L)moving “移動(dòng)，改變看法”。

30. 答案 O

空格前為will be,因此應(yīng)填入動(dòng)詞或形容詞。此處想表達(dá)的是，機(jī)器人可以做越來(lái)越多的工作， 因此那些骯臟、重復(fù)和危險(xiǎn)的工作就不需要人類來(lái)做了。故選 O)spared “幸免，使免受”。

31. 答案 F

空格前為冠詞 a, 因此應(yīng)填入名詞的單數(shù)形式。空格前提到的“骯臟、重復(fù)和危險(xiǎn)的工作”,這 些都是工廠的“特點(diǎn)”。故選 F)feature “特征，特色”。

32. 答案 H

空格處位于主語(yǔ)和謂語(yǔ)動(dòng)詞之間，因此應(yīng)填入副詞?？崭袼诰湟鉃?，更高的效率意味著更少的人可以做同樣的工作?？芍侍岣?，意味著同樣的工作需要的勞動(dòng)力變少 了，故選 H)inevitably“不可避免地，必然地”。

33. 答案 A

空格前為動(dòng)詞 see, 作賓語(yǔ)，且與 and 后的 robots為并列關(guān)系，因此應(yīng)填入名詞?？崭袼诰?意為，許多發(fā)達(dá)國(guó)家的工廠老板擔(dān)心缺乏熟練的人力工人，并將和機(jī)器人視為解決方 案?？崭裉幪钊氲拿~應(yīng)表示能夠替代人類勞動(dòng)力的意義，故選A)automation“自動(dòng)化”。

34. 答案 D

空格前為冠詞 a,空格后為名詞 opportunity,因此應(yīng)填入形容詞。根據(jù)文章末句提到的，這位經(jīng)濟(jì)學(xué)家認(rèn)為制造業(yè)的變革具有巨大的意義可知，此處應(yīng)填入一個(gè)表示“積極意義”的詞， 故選 D)fantastie“極好的；很大的”。E)fascinated“著迷的，被迷住的”雖然也表示積極意義， 但只能用來(lái)形容人，故排除。

35. 答案 N

空格前為不定式符號(hào)to, 空格后為名詞詞組 that system,因此應(yīng)填入動(dòng)詞?？崭窈蟮?that system指的是 manufacturing, 由空格所在段前面的內(nèi)容可知，制造業(yè)正在經(jīng)歷巨大的變革， 這是一個(gè)重新塑造制造業(yè)的機(jī)會(huì)，因此應(yīng)填入含有“塑造，改變”意思的動(dòng)詞，故選 N)shape “塑造，形成(某種看法),影響(某事物的發(fā)展)”。

Section B

Directions: In this section,you are going to read a passage with ten statements attached to it.Each statement contains  information given in one of the paragraphs.Identify the paragraph from which the information is derived.You may choose a paragraph more than once.Each paragraph is marked with a letter.Answer the questions by marking the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2.

The History of the Lunch Box

A)It was made of shiny,bright pink plastic with a Little Mermaid sticker on the front,and I carried it with me nearly every single day.My lunch box was one of my first prized possessions,a proud statement to everyone in my kindergarten:“I love Mermaid-Ariel on my lunch box.”

B)That bulky container served me well through my first and second grades,until the live-action version of 101 Dalmatians hit theaters,and I needed the newest red plastic box with characters like Pongo and Perdita on the front.I know I'm not alone here—I bet you loved your first lunch box,too.

C)Lunch boxes have been connecting kids to cartoons and TV shows and super-heroes for decades.But it wasn't always that way.Once upon a time,they weren't even boxes.As schools have changed in the past century,the midday meal container has evolved right along with them.

D)Let's start back at the beginning of the 20th century—the beginning of the lunch box story,really. While there were neighborhood schools in cities and suburbs,one-room schoolhouses were common in rural areas.As grandparents have been saying for generations,kids would travel miles to school in the countryside (often on foot).

E)“You had kids in rural areas who couldn't go home from school for lunch,so bringing your lunch wrapped  in  a cloth,in oiled paper,in a little wooden box or something like that was a very long- standing rural tradition,”says Paula Johnson,head of food history section at the Smithsonian National Museum of American  History in Washington,D.C.

F)City  kids,on the other hand,went home for lunch and came back.Since they rarely carried a meal, the few metal lunch buckets on the market were mainly for tradesmen and factory workers.

G)After World War Ⅱ,a bunch of changes reshaped schools—and lunches.More women joined the workforce.Small  schools consolidated into larger ones,meaning more students were farther away from home.And the National  School Lunch Act in 1946 made cafeterias much more common.Still, there wasn't much of a market for lunch containers—yet.Students who carried their lunch often did so in a re-purposed bucket or tin of some kind.

H)And then everything changed in the year of 1950.You might as well call it the Year of the Lunch Box, thanks in large part to a genius move by a Nashville-based manufacturer,Aladdin Industries.The company already made square metal meal containers,the kind workers carried,and some had started to show up in the hands of school kids.

I)But these containers were really durable,lasting years on end.That was great for the consumer,not so much for the manufacturer.So executives at Aladdin hit on an idea that would harness the newfound popularity of television.They covered lunch boxes with striking red paint and added a picture of TV and radio cowboy Hopalong Cassidy on the front.

J)The company sold 600,000 units the first year.It was a major“Ah-ha!”moment,and a wave of other manufacturers jumped on board to capitalize on new TV shows and movies.“The Partridge Family,the Addams Family,the Six Million Dollar Man,the Bionic Woman—everything that was on television ended up on a lunch  box,"says Allen Woodall.He's the founder of the Lunch Box Museum in Columbus,Georgia.“It was a great marketing tool because kids were taking that TV show to school with them,and then when they got home they had them captured back on TV,"he says.

K)And yes,you read that right:There is a lunch box museum,right near the Chattahoochee River. Woodall has more than 2,000 items on display.His favorite?The Green Hornet lunch box,because he used to listen to the radio show back in the 1940s.

L)The new trend was also a great example of planned  obsolescence,that is,to design a product so that it  will soon become unfashionable or impossible to use and will need replacing.Kids would beg for a new lunch box every year to keep up with the newest characters,even if their old lunch box was perfectly. usable

M)The metal lunch box craze lasted until the mid-1980s,when plastic took over.Two theories exist as to why.The  first—and most likely—is that plastic had simply become cheaper.The second theory— possibly an urban myth—is that concerned parents in several states proposed bans on metal lunch boxes,claiming kids were using them  as“weapons”to hit one another.There's a lot on the internet about a state-wide ban in Florida,but a few days worth of digging by a historian at the Florida State Historical Society found no such legislation.Either way,the metal lunch box was out.

N)The last few decades have brought a new lunch box revolution,of sorts.Plastic boxes changed to lined  cloth  sacks,and eventually,globalism  brought tiffin containers from India and bento boxes from Japan.Even the old metal lunch boxes have regained popularity."I don't think the heyday(鼎盛時(shí)期) has  passed,”says D.J.Jayasekara,owner and founder of lunchbox.com,a retailer in Pasadena, California.“I think it has evolved.The days of the ready-made,'you stick it in a lunch box and carry it to school’are kind  of done.”

O)The introduction of backpacks changed the lunch box scene a bit,he adds.Once kids started carrying book bags,that bulky traditional lunch box was hard to fit inside.“But you can't just throw a sandwich in a backpack,”Jayasekara says.“It still has to go into a container.”That is,in part,why smaller and softer containers have taken off—they fit into backpacks.

P)And don't worry—whether it's a plastic bento box or a cloth bag,lunch containers can still easily be covered with popular culture.“We keep pace with the movie industries so we can predict which characters are going  to be popular for the coming months,”Jayasekara says.“You know,kids are kids."

36.Lunch containers were not necessary for school kids in cities.

37.Putting TV characters on lunch boxes proved an effective marketing strategy.

38.Smaller lunch boxes are preferred because they fit easily into backpacks.

39.Lunch boxes have evolved along with the transformation of schools.

40.Around the beginning of the nineteen fifties,some school kids started to use metal meal containers.

41.School kids are eager to get a new lunch box every year to stay in fashion.

42.Rural kids used to walk a long way to school in the old days.

43.The author was proud of using a lunch box in her childhood.

44.The most probable reason for the popularity of plastic lunch boxes is that they are less expensive.

45.The durability of metal meal containers benefited consumers.

答案解析

36 .答案 F

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 not necessary和 school kids in cities定位至F)段。該段提到，城市 里的孩子回家吃午飯?jiān)倩貋?lái)上課。由于他們很少帶午飯，市場(chǎng)上極少的金屬飯桶主要 是賣(mài)給商人或工廠工人的。題干中的 school kids in cities與原文中的 City kids 相對(duì) 應(yīng) ；not necessary 與 they rarely carried a meal 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選 F)。

37. 答案 J

解 析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 TV characters,lunch boxes 和 effective marketing strategy 定位至 J) 段末句。該句提到，這是一個(gè)很棒的銷(xiāo)售工具，因?yàn)楹⒆觽冋龓е娨暪?jié)目去學(xué)校， 然后當(dāng)他們回到家時(shí)，又被電視節(jié)目所吸引。題干中的 TV characters on lunch boxes與原文中的 TV show相對(duì)應(yīng)；effective marketing strategy 與a great marketing tool 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選J)。

38.答案 O

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 Smaller lunch boxes 和 they fit easily into backpacks定 位 至 O) 段 末  句。該句提到，這就是更小更軟的容器受到人們歡迎的原因 — — 它們適合放在背包里。 題干為此處內(nèi)容的同義轉(zhuǎn)述，故答案選O)。

39.答案 C

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 Lunch boxes和 the transformation of schools 定位至 C)段末句。該 句提到，在過(guò)去的一個(gè)世紀(jì)里，隨著學(xué)校發(fā)生改變，午餐容器也發(fā)生了演變。題干中的 Lunch boxes 和have evolved along with 分別與原文中的 the midday meal container 和 has evolved right along with them 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選C)。

40.答案 H

解 析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 the nineteen fifties 和 metal meal containers 定 位 至 H) 段末句。該 句提到，該公司已經(jīng)制作了工人們用的那種方形的金屬飯盒，而且一些已經(jīng)開(kāi)始出現(xiàn)在 學(xué)生們的手中。而題干中的 Around the beginning of the nineteen fifties 與該段首句中 提 到 的in the year of 1950相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選 H)。

41.答案 L

解 析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞School kids 和 a new lunch box every year 定 位 至 L) 段末句。該句 提到，孩子們每年都會(huì)央求買(mǎi)一個(gè)新的飯盒以期跟上最新的屏幕角色，即使他們的舊飯 盒還很好用。題干中的School kids與原文中的 Kids 相對(duì)應(yīng)；are eager to 與 would beg for相對(duì)應(yīng)；stay in fashion與keep up with the newest characters 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選L)。 

42.答案 D

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞Rural kids 和 walk a long way to school定位至 D)段末句。該句提到，正如祖輩們對(duì)后代說(shuō)的那樣，在鄉(xiāng)下，孩子們需要(徒步)走數(shù)英里才能到達(dá)學(xué)校。 題干中的 used to walk a long way to school與原文中的 travel miles to school 相對(duì)應(yīng)， 故答案選 D)。

43.答案 A

解 析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 The author和 using a lunch box in her childhood 定位至 A) 段末句。 該句提到，我的飯盒是我最初珍視的物品之一，是對(duì)幼兒園里每一個(gè)人驕傲的宣言：“我 愛(ài)我飯盒上的美人魚(yú)愛(ài)麗兒”。題干為此處內(nèi)容的同義轉(zhuǎn)述，故答案選A)。

44.答案 M

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞The most probable reason,plastie lunch boxes 和less expensive 定 位至 M)段。該段前半部分提到，對(duì)于金屬飯盒的熱潮一直持續(xù)到20世紀(jì)80年代中 期，那時(shí)塑料飯盒開(kāi)始流行起來(lái)。究其原因有兩個(gè)理論。首先也是最有可能 的——就是塑料制品變得更便宜了。題干中的 The most probable reason與原文中的 The first—and most likely  相對(duì)應(yīng)；less expensive與 cheaper 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選 M)。

45.答案 I

解析：由題干中的關(guān)鍵詞 The durability of metal meal containers 和 consumers定位至I)段前 兩句。此處提到，但是這樣的飯盒真的很耐用，可以用好多年。這對(duì)于消費(fèi)者來(lái)說(shuō)是件好事，但對(duì)于生產(chǎn)者來(lái)說(shuō)卻未必。題干中的 durability 與原文中的 durable 相對(duì)應(yīng)；consumers與 the consumer相對(duì)應(yīng)；benefited與great 相對(duì)應(yīng)，故答案選I)。

Section C

Directions: There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

A growing number of U.S.bike riders are attracted to electric bikes for convenience,health benefits and their fun factor.Although ebikes first appeared in the 90s,cheaper options and longer-lasting batteries are breathing new life into the concept.

Established bike companies and startups are embracing ebikes to meet demand.About 34 million ebikes were sold worldwide last year,according to data from eCycleElectric Consultants.Most were sold in Europe and China,where the bikes already have exploded in popularity.Recently,the U.S.market has grown to 263,000 bikes,a 25%gain  from the prior year.

The industry is benefiting from improved batteries as suppliers over the years developed technology  for  laptops,smartphones and electric cars.In 2004,the price of batteries used on ebikes fell,spurring European sales.

But lower cost options are emerging,too.This month,three U.S.bikeshare companies,Motivate, LimeBike and Spin,announced electric bicycles will be added to their fleets.New York-based Jump Bikes is already operating an electric bikeshare in Washington,D.C.,and is launching in San  Francisco Thursday.Rides cost $2 for 30 minutes.

The system works like existing dockless bikeshare systems,where riders unlock bikes through a smartphone app.“This is the beginning of a long-term shift away from regular pedal (踏板)to electric bikes,”said Jump Bikes CEO Ryan Rzepecki.“When people first jump on an ebike,their face lights up. It's exciting and joyful in a way that you don't get from a regular bike."

Two years ago,CEO Chris Cocalis of Pivot Cycles,which sells high-end mountain bikes,found that  U.S.bike shops weren't interested in stocking ebikes.Some retailers warned Cocalis that they'd drop the brand if it came out with an electric bike.

Now that sales are taking off,the vast majority of bike dealers are asking Cocalis when he'll make an ebike available.“There's tremendous opportunity to get a generation of people for whom  suffering isn't their thing,”Cocalis said.“Ebike riders get the enjoyable part of cycling without the massive suffering of climbing huge hills.'

46.What do we learn from the passage about ebikes?

A)Their health benefits and fun values outweigh their cost.

B)They did not catch public attention in the United States until the  1990s.

C)They did not become popular until the emergence of improved batteries.

D)Their widespread use is attributable to people's environmental awareness.

47.What brought about the boost in ebike sales in Europe at the beginning of the century?

A)Updated technology of bike manufacture.

B)The falling prices of ebike batteries.

C)Changed fashion in short-distance travel.

D)The rising costs for making electric cars.

48.What is the prospect of the bike industry according to Ryan Rzepecki?

A)More will be invested in bike battery research.

B)The sales of ebikes will increase.

C)It will profit from ebike sharing.

D)It will make a difference in people's daily lives.

49.What prevented Chris Cocalis from developing ebikes sooner?

A)Retailers'refusal to deal in ebikes.

B)High profits from conventional bikes.

C)Users'concern about risks of ebike riding.

D)His focus on selling costly mountain bikes.

50.What makes Chris Cocalis believe there is a greater opportunity for ebike sales?

A)The further lowering of ebike prices.

B)The public's concern for their health.

C)The increasing interest in mountain climbing.

D)The younger generation's pursuit of comfortable riding.

答案解析

46.答案 C

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞 ebikes 定位至首段第二句。該句提到，盡管電動(dòng)自行車(chē)早在90年代就 出現(xiàn)了，但更便宜的價(jià)格和更耐用的電池給這一概念注入了新的活力。可知，“直到改 進(jìn)電池的出現(xiàn)，它們才開(kāi)始流行”,故答案選C) 項(xiàng)。

47.答案 B

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞Europe 和 the beginning of the century 定位至第三段。該段中提到， 由于供應(yīng)商多年來(lái)開(kāi)發(fā)了用于筆記本電腦、智能手機(jī)和電動(dòng)汽車(chē)的技術(shù)，電動(dòng)自行車(chē)行業(yè)正受益于電池的改進(jìn)。2004年，電動(dòng)自行車(chē)上使用的電池價(jià)格下跌，刺激了它在歐洲  的銷(xiāo)量?？芍?，“電池價(jià)格的下跌”使電動(dòng)自行車(chē)在歐洲的銷(xiāo)量增加，故答案選B) 項(xiàng)。

48.答案 D

解析：根據(jù)題干定位至第五段。該段中提到，Jump Bikes 首席執(zhí)行官萊恩·雷茲皮茨基說(shuō)：“這是從普通踏板向電動(dòng)自行車(chē)的長(zhǎng)期轉(zhuǎn)變的開(kāi)始。當(dāng)人們第一次騎電動(dòng)自行車(chē)時(shí)，他 們的臉上神采飛揚(yáng)。這種興奮和快樂(lè)是騎普通自行車(chē)體會(huì)不到的”?？芍?，萊恩·雷茲 皮茨基認(rèn)為電動(dòng)自行車(chē)會(huì)“改變?nèi)藗兊娜粘Ｉ?rdquo;,故答案選 D) 項(xiàng)。

49.答案 A

解析：根據(jù)題干定位至第六段。該段提到，兩年前，銷(xiāo)售高端山地車(chē)的 Pivot Cyeles 公司的首 席執(zhí)行官克里斯·科卡利斯發(fā)現(xiàn)，美國(guó)的自行車(chē)商店對(duì)儲(chǔ)備電動(dòng)自行車(chē)不感興趣。一 些零售商警告科卡利斯，如果他們品牌推出電動(dòng)自行車(chē)，他們就放棄該品牌?？芍?，“零 售商拒絕經(jīng)銷(xiāo)電動(dòng)自行車(chē)”阻止了克里斯·科卡利斯更早地開(kāi)發(fā)電動(dòng)自行車(chē)，故答案選 A)項(xiàng)。

50.答案 D

解析：題目就提問(wèn)。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞Chris Cocalis 和 a greater opportunity 定位到末段。該 段中提到，現(xiàn)在有絕佳的機(jī)會(huì)可以贏得這一代不喜歡吃苦的人，騎電動(dòng)自行車(chē)的人可以 享受騎自行車(chē)的樂(lè)趣，而不必忍受爬坡的巨大痛苦。可知，克里斯·科卡利斯認(rèn)為電動(dòng) 自行車(chē)具有巨大前景是因?yàn)?ldquo;年輕一代對(duì)舒適騎行的追求”,故答案選 D)項(xiàng)。

Passage Two

Questions 51 to 55 are based on the following passage.

The terms“global warming"and“climate change”are used by many,seemingly interchangeably.But do they really mean the same thing?

Scientists shaped the history of the terms while attempting to accurately describe how humans continue to alter the planet.Later,political strategists adopted the terms to influence public opinion.

In 1975,geochemist Wallace Broecker introduced the term“climate change”in an article published by Science.In 1979,a National Academy of Sciences report used the term“global warming”to define increases in the Earth's average surface temperature,while “climate change”more broadly referred to the numerous effects of this increase,such as sea-level rise and ocean acidification (酸化) .

During the following decades,some industrialists and politicians launched a campaign to sow doubt in the minds of the American public about the ability of fossil-fuel use,deforestation and other human activities to influence the planet's climate.

Word use played a critical role in developing that doubt.For example,the language and polls expert  Frank Luntz wrote a memo encouraging the use of“climate change”because the phrase sounded less scary than“global warming,”reported the Guardian.

However,Luntz's recommendation wasn't necessary.A Google Ngram Viewer chart shows that by 1993 climate change was already more commonly used in books than global warming.By the end of the next decade both words were used more frequently,and climate change was used nearly twice as often as global warming.

NASA used the term“climate change”becausc it more accurately reflects the wide range of changes to the planet caused by increasing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

The debate isn't new.A century ago,chemist Svante Arrhenius started one of the first debates over the potential for humans to influence the planet's climate.Arrhenius calculated the capability of carbon dioxide to trap  heat in the Earth's atmosphere,but other chemists disagreed.Some argued that humans weren't producing enough greenhouse  gases,while others claimed the effects would be tiny.Now,of course,we know that whatever you call it,human behavior is warming the planet,with grave consequences ahead.

51.Why did politicians use the two terms “global warming”and “climate change”?

A)To sway public opinion of the impact of human  activities on Earth.

B)To more accurately describe the consequences of human activities.

C)To win more popular votes in their campaign activities.

D)To assure the public of the safety of existing industries.

52.As used in a National Academy of Sciences report,the term"climate change"differs from"global warming”in that _____.               

A)it sounds less vague

B)it looks more scientific

C)it covers more phenomena

D)it is much closer to reality

53.What did industrialists of the late 20th century resort to in order to mislead Americans?

A)Made-up survey results.                                 

B)Hired climate experts. 

C)False research findings.                                  

D)Deliberate choice of words.

54.Why did NASA choose the term“climate change”?

A)To obtain more funds.                                  

B)For greater precision.  

C)For political needs.                                  

D)To avoid debate.

55.What is the author's final conclusion?

A)Global warming is the more accurate term.

B)Accuracy of terminology matters in science.

C)Human activities have serious effects on Earth.

D)Politics interferes with serious scientific debate.

答案解析

51.答案 A

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞 politicians,two terms 和“global warming”and“climate change”定位至文章的第一、二和四段。首段中引入這兩個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)；第二段末句提到，政治策略家們采 用這些術(shù)語(yǔ)來(lái)影響公眾輿論；第四段中進(jìn)一步提到， 一些工業(yè)家和政治家發(fā)起了一場(chǎng)運(yùn)動(dòng)，使美國(guó)公眾的心里對(duì)化石燃料的使用、濫伐森林以及其他人類活動(dòng)影響地球氣候的 能力產(chǎn)生懷疑?？芍?，政治家們使用全球變暖和氣候變化這兩個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)是“為了動(dòng)搖公眾對(duì)于人類活動(dòng)影響地球的看法”,故答案選 A) 項(xiàng)。

52.答案 C

解析：題目就提問(wèn)。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞National Academy of Sciences 定位至第三段第二句。該句提到， 一份美國(guó)國(guó)家科學(xué)院的報(bào)告使用了“全球變暖”這一術(shù)語(yǔ)來(lái)定義地球表面平均溫度的升高，而“氣候變化”更廣泛地指代這種升高所導(dǎo)致的眾多影響，比如海平面上升和海洋酸化。可知，這兩個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)的區(qū)別在于“全球變暖”表述了現(xiàn)象，而“氣候變化”則表 述了該現(xiàn)象所帶來(lái)的后果，因此“氣候變化”涵蓋了更多的現(xiàn)象，故答案選 C) 項(xiàng)。

53.答案 D

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞 industrialists of the late 20th century 和mislead Americans 定位至第四五段。第四段中指出， 一些工業(yè)家和政治家發(fā)起了一場(chǎng)運(yùn)動(dòng)，使美國(guó)公眾的心里對(duì)化石燃料的使用、濫伐森林以及其他人類活動(dòng)影響地球氣候的能力產(chǎn)生懷疑。第五段首句又提到，措辭的使用在推動(dòng)這種質(zhì)疑的過(guò)程中起到了關(guān)鍵的作用；隨后舉例說(shuō)明，“氣候變化”這一說(shuō)法聽(tīng)起來(lái)沒(méi)有“全球變暖”那么可怕?？芍I(yè)家們?cè)谇苍~上作文章，從而誤導(dǎo)民眾的判斷，故答案選 D)項(xiàng)。

54.答案 B

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞NASA 定位至第七段。該段提到，美國(guó)國(guó)家航空航天局使用“氣候變化”這一術(shù)語(yǔ)，是因?yàn)樗鼫?zhǔn)確地反映了由于大氣中溫室氣體的不斷增加而給地球帶來(lái)的廣泛變化?？芍?，選擇“氣候變化”這一術(shù)語(yǔ)的原因是“在涉及溫室效應(yīng)所引起的不良 后果時(shí)，這一術(shù)語(yǔ)的表述更為準(zhǔn)確”,故答案選 B)項(xiàng)。

55.答案  C

解析：根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞 the author's final conclusion定位至文章末段。在該段中，作者概括性地介紹了對(duì)于術(shù)語(yǔ)的爭(zhēng)論有史以來(lái)就存在。其中，末句提到，現(xiàn)在我們知道，不管你怎么稱呼它，人類的行為正在使地球變暖，并面臨著嚴(yán)重的后果?？芍?，作者認(rèn)為無(wú)論采用哪個(gè)術(shù)語(yǔ)，人類的活動(dòng)都正在給地球帶來(lái)不好的后果，故答案選 C) 項(xiàng)。