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 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 un likely that oil prices will remain at their current
low level or that other nations will accept a large and growing U.S.
contribution to global climatic 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 vehicles 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 problems, 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 U .S., mass-transit ridership and carpooling have declined since World
War Il . Even in western Europe, with fuel prices averaging more than $ 1 a
liter (about $ 4 a 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 internal-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 com
panics are already spending billions of dollars every year to develop less
polluting types of gasoline) .
单选题
From the passage we know that the increased use of cars will______.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】文章第一段首先提出厂汽车所带来的问题(issue)“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．”，然后又指出车辆的增加“．．．the U．S．and other countries will have to deal with these issues or else face unacceptable economic，health-related and political costs．”，可见[B]为正确答案。
单选题
The U.S. has to deal with the problems arising from vehicle use he cause______.
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据第一段最后一句"It is unlikely that oil prices will” main at their current low level or that other nations will accept a large and growing U．S．contribution to global climatic change．”，再结合上文论及汽车问题和“face…political costs"等细节，可推知答案为[C]。
单选题
Which of the following is the best solution to the problems mentioned in the passage?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】根据第二段第二句"The last of these-in particular the introduction of vehicles powered by electricity-is ultimately the only sustainable option，”，就可以推断出[C]为正确答案。
单选题
Which of the following is practical but only makes a marginal contribution to solving the problem of greenhouse emissions?
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】根据文章最后一句“Alternative fuels such as natural gas，burned in internal-combustion engines, could be introduced at relatively low cost, but they would lead to only margingl reductions in pollution and greenhouse emissions. ",就可知 [A]为正确答案。