单选题
Pollution control is management of waste materials
in order to minimize the effects of pollutants on people and the environment.
The quality of human health and of the natural environment depends on adequate
pollution control. In the United States much has been done to control the more
noticeable pollutants since 1965: more subtle yet still hazardous pollutants,
however, remain to be adequately controlled. Four general
approaches to pollution control are: the intermittent reduction of industrial
activities during periods of high air-pollution conditions; wider dispersion of
pollutants using such devices as taller smokestacks; reduction of pollutants in
industrial emission; and change of an industrial process or activity in order to
produce less pollution. Taller smokestacks may reduce the concentrations to
which local people are exposed, but they are ineffective in reducing overall
pollution. Pollutants removed from waste flows to reduce
emissions to air and water may be disposed of by burial or storage on land,
practices that pose potential hazards. Recent legislation requiring extensive
emissions reductions has resulted in large investments in pollution-treatment
technologies. The fourth approach — changing a manufacturing
process or activity in order to produce less pollution — may involve either the
production of fewer residuals, by means of an improved process, or the
separation and reuse of materials from the waste stream. This method of
pollution control is the most effective and, as the costs of pollution control
and waste disposal increase, is considered one of the most efficient.
Pollution-treatment systems have been effective in reducing the massive
quantities of water and air pollutants that have clogged and choked urban areas.
Although the improvements have been significant, recent pollution-control
legislation aims to go further in order to control the less visible but often
hazardous chemical and gaseous pollutants that still contaminate many waterways
and urban atmospheres. The costs of pollution control —
resulting from capital, maintenance, and labor costs, as well as from the cost
of additional residuals disposal — generally go up rapidly as a greater
percentage of residuals is removed from the waste stream. Damage from pollution,
on the other hand, goes down as a greater amount of contaminant is removed.
Theoretically, the level of treatment should correspond to a point at which
total costs of treatment and of damage to the environment are minimized or the
benefits of further treatment are proportionally much smaller than the increased
cost. In reality, costs or damages resulting from pollution can rarely be
assessed in terms of dollars.
单选题
According to the passage. All of the following can be objectives of
pollution control EXCEPT______.
A. reducing polluting substances
B. controlling all the pollutants
C. restricting industrial activities
D. improving the environment and human health
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 这是道细节题，解题句是第一段。这道题目具有一定的混淆性，考生需要注意的是第一段和第二段的区别。这道题目需要掌握一个词，那就是题目中的“objectives”，“objectives”是指目标的意思，而第二段的“approach”是指方法，手段的意思，考生需要区分开来。第一段的“in order to”中文意思是“为了……”，与题目中的“objectives”相一致，所以解题句子就是这个短语后面的内容。从第一段可以看出，控制环境污染是为了达到诸多目的，但是没有提到说要控制工业活动，因为这个不是目的。另外此题还要注意的一点是题目上问的是“除了……”，所以选C。
单选题
What does the author think of the second approach to pollution
control?
A. It is the most effective of the four.
B. It is effective in some way.
C. It is economical but not at all effective.
D. It is not economical.
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】[解析] 这是道态度题。解题句子是第二段中的“Taller smokestacks may reduce the concentrations to which local people are exposed, but they are ineffective in reducing overall pollution.”高的导烟筒也许会减少当地人民接触的污染气体的密集度，但是这对于减少总污染量却是毫无效果。这道题目的考题相对来说有一定的技巧性。这道题目的四个选项乍一看不是很明白，而且从逻辑上看似乎第三个更说得过去，因为从文中的这句解题句看来作者似乎不是很看好这种方法，但是这道题目选项的高超的地方是选项B中的in some way，考生一定要掌握这个短语才能更好地做题。in some way是指在某些方面，这和文中的意思是相一致的，但是C和D选项中的“比较经济”(economical)并没有提到，故选B。
单选题
According to the passage, recent pollution-control legislation aims
to______.
A. control less visible as well as less hazardous chemical pollutants
B. increase the costs of pollution control and waste material disposal
C. have more strict control over less evident but often dangerous
pollutants
D. eliminate all the hazardous chemical and gaseous pollutants
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】[解析] 这是道细节题。解题句子是第五段的“recent pollution-control legislation aims to go further in order to control the less visible but often hazardous chemical and gaseous pollutants that still contaminate many waterways and urban atmospheres.”最近的污染控制立法旨在进一步控制非明显的危险化学物质和一些污染河流和城市环境的气体。故选C。
单选题
Which of the following statements is NOT true, according to the
passage?
A. Laws have been made to develop pollution-treatment systems.
B. Pollution-treatment systems have been effective in reducing the massive
quantities of water and air pollutants.
C. Materials from waste treatment processes can be made useful again.
D. The cost of pollution treatment is proportionally smaller than that of
damage to the environment.
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】[解析] 这是道细节题。解题句子是文章最后一句“In reality, costs or damages resulting from pollution can rarely be assessed in terms of dollars.”事实上，污染的控制成本及其造成的损失和破坏很难用金钱来衡量。D 的意思是治理污染的成本按照比例要小于破坏带来的损失。故选D。
单选题
The overall purpose of the passage is______.
A. to discuss the ways of and problems in pollution control
B. to give suggestions about pollution control legislation
C. to compare and contrast the four approaches to pollution control
D. to describe what has been achieved in pollution control