阅读理解 About 3 billion people live within 100 miles of the sea, a number that could double in the next decade as humans flock to coastal cities like gulls. The oceans produce $ 3 trillion of goods and services each year and untold value for the Earth's ecology. Life could not exist without these vast water reserves—and, if anything, they are becoming even more important to humans than before.
Mining is about to begin under the seabed in the high seas—the regions outside the exclusive economic zones administered by coastal and island nations, which stretch 200 nautical miles offshore. Nineteen exploratory licences have been issued. New summer shipping lanes are opening across the Arctic Ocean. The genetic resources of marine life promise a pharmaceutical bonanza: the number of patents has been rising at 12% a year. One study found that genetic material from the seas is a hundred times more likely to have anti-cancer properties than that from terrestrial life.
But these developments are minor compared with vaster forces reshaping the Earth, both on land and at sea. It has long been clear that people are damaging the oceans—witness the melting of the Arctic ice in summer, the spread of oxygen starved dead zones and the death of coral reefs. Now, the consequences of that damage are starting to be felt onshore.
Thailand provides a vivid example. In the 1990s it cleared coastal mangrove swamps to set up shrimp farms. Ocean storm surges in 2011, no longer cushioned by the mangroves, rushed in to flood the country's industrial heartland, causing billions of dollars of damage.
More serious is the global mismanagement of fish stocks. About 3 billion people get a fifth of their protein from fish, making it a more important protein source than beef. But a vicious cycle has developed as fish stocks decline and fishermen race to grab what they can of the remainder. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization(FAO), a third of fish stocks in the oceans are over-exploited; some estimates say the proportion is more than half. One study suggested that stocks of big predatory species—such as tuna, swordfish and marlin—may have fallen by as much as 90% since the 1950s. People could be eating much better, were fishing stocks properly managed.

单选题 16.According to the first paragraph, which one is NOT true?

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】选项[A]对应第一段第二句：The oceans produce $3 trillion of goods and serviceseach year and untold value for the Earth’s ecology．其中，numerous benefits=untold value，故该项表述正确。选项[B]对应第一句：About 3 billion people live within 100 miles of the sea，a num-ber that could double in the next decade as humans flock to coastal cities like gulls．其中humansflock to coastal cities=people enjoy living in coastal cities，故该项表述正确。选项[C]属于无中生有，错误。选项[D]对应第一句的“a number that could double in the next decade”，从而推断该项表述正确。综上所述，该题答案为选项[C]。

单选题 17.The oceans are about to be explored because______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】根据题干中的oceans，about to be explored等信息定位到第二段第一句：Mining isabout to begin under the seabed in the high seas…其中mining…under the seabed对应oceans tobe explored。而人们探索海洋的原因出现在该段最后两句：The genetic resources of marine lifepromise a pharmaceutical bonanza．One study found that genetic material from the seas is a hundredtimes more likely to have anti—cancer properties than that from terrestrial life．即便看不懂The ge-netic resources of marine life promise a pharmaceutical bonanza这一句，我们至少能知道原因是因为marine life，而四个选项中唯有选项[A]出现了这个词，从而可以推断该项为答案。该句的pharmaceutical表示“制药的”，bonanza表示“富矿，财源”，总体上来说pharmaceutical bonanza相当于medical value，故选项[A]为答案。

单选题 18.Consequences of damaging the oceans include all EXCEPT______.

【正确答案】 B

【答案解析】根据题干中的consequences of damaging the oceans定位到第三段最后一句：Now，the consequences of that damage ale starting to be felt onshore．这句话之前也提到一句：It has longbeen clear that people are damaging the oceans--witness the melting of the Arctic ice in summer，the spread of oxygen starved dead zones and the death of coral reefs．其中破折号后面的内容就是damaging the oceans的具体体现。其中witness the melting of the Arctic ice in summer对应[D]change of climate and rise of temperature；the spread of oxygen starved dead zones对应[C]expan—sion of areas of oxygen deficit；the death of coral reefs对应[A]vanishing of marine organisms。而[B]项的emergence of ocean storm surges在第四段第三句有提到，但是风暴潮的出现并不是破坏海洋造成的，故本题答案为选项[B]。

单选题 19.Thailand is mentioned in the text to______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】根据Thailand一词定位到第四段。该段首句提到：Thailand provides a vivid exam．pie．而这段话是举例说明上一段结尾提到的这个句子：Now，the consequences of that damageare starting to be felt onshore．故本段提到Thailand的目的是为了举例说明破坏海洋在陆地上产生的后果，与之最接近的选项是[C]show the results of damaging the environment(证明破坏环境的结果)。故该题答案为选项[C]。

单选题 20.We can learn from the last paragraph that______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】选项[A]对应最后一段第二句：About 3 billion people get a fifth of their protein fromfish…该句说的是About 3 billion people，而不是a fifth of people in the world。故该项属于偷换概念，因此该项错误。选项[B]对应中间一句：According to the Food and Agriculture Organiza—tion(FAO)，a third of fish stocks in the oceans are over—exploited…注意，原文说的是a third offish stocks，而不是该项说的a third of ocean resources，故该项也是偷换概念的错误。选项[C]对应该段倒数第二句：One study suggested that stocks of big predatory species--such as tuna，swordfish and madinmmay have fallen by as much as 90％since the 1950s．注意，原文说的是fall—en by as much as 90％，而不是该项说的disappeared，故该项错误。选项[D]同样对应倒数第二句。从中可以判断，该项表述正确，故答案为选项[D]。