单选题
Read the following text. Choose the best word or phrase for each numbered blank and mark A, B, C or D on ANSWER SHEET 1.
High oil prices have not yet produced an economic shock among consuming countries, but further rises, especially sharp {{U}}(21) {{/U}} , would undoubtedly hurt the world economy, and {{U}}(22) {{/U}} would inevitably harm producers, too. Beyond this obvious point, {{U}}(23) {{/U}}, higher prices could even do harm to both oil firms and producers.
Big oil firms {{U}}(24) {{/U}} rolling in money today, but that disguises the fact that their longer-term prospects are {{U}}(25) {{/U}} Behind the reserves-accounting scandal at Royal Dutch/ Shell {{U}}(26) {{/U}} a problem bedeviling all of the majors: replacing their dwindling reserves. {{U}}(27) {{/U}} existing fields in Alaska and the North Sea are rapidly declining; OPEC countries and Russia are {{U}}(28) {{/U}} them out. {{U}}(29) {{/U}} they are to survive in the long term, the big oil firms must embrace other sources of energy {{U}}(30) {{/U}} oil.
{{U}} (31) {{/U}} it is to believe, higher oil prices could be bad news for producing countries {{U}}(32) {{/U}} Political leaders in Russia, Venezuela and other oil-rich countries are bending laws to crack {{U}}(33) {{/U}} on foreign firms and to strengthen their grip on oil {{U}}(34) {{/U}} through state-run firms. This may be convenient for the political leaders themselves. Alas, it is {{U}}(35) {{/U}} to do much for their countrymen. For years corruption and inefficiency {{U}}(36) {{/U}} the typical results of government control of oil resources.
Producing countries should {{U}}(37) {{/U}} embrace open markets. {{U}}(38) {{/U}} one thing, shutting out foreign investment will only hurt their own oil output by {{U}}(39) {{/U}} the sharpest managers and latest technologies. For another, economic liberalization (including reform of bloated welfare states) would help OPEC countries {{U}}(40) {{/U}} their economies—as the NAFTA trade deal has done for oil-rich Mexico—and so prepare them for the day when the black gold starts running out.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为代词的辨析，sharp ones意为“一些急剧的上涨”；ones指代的是rises。其他选项：[B] shock，[C] prices，[D] countries都与形容词sharp搭配不当，因此A为正确答案。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为指示代词，that在词句中作主语，指代上面提及的事情。其他选项：[A] this一般用于下述的事情，[C] which用在定语从句，[D] what用在主语从句。据上下文，只有B才符合题意。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为转折副词。however，无论如何，不管怎样，然而。其他选项：[A] but和[B] so语义不当，从语法上看，一般放在句前；[D] nevertheless尽管如此，不过，可是。因此均不符合题意。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为情态动词。Big oil firms may be rolling in money today大石油公司今天也许是财源滚滚。其他选项：[A] may缺少动词；[B] perhaps和[C] maybe均为副词，句中也没有动词，因此均语法不当。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为形容词的词义辨析。their longer-term prospects are bleak从长期来看，它们的前景暗淡。其余选项搭配不当：[B] leak漏洞；[C] weak虚弱；[D] freak反常的。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为动词词义辨析以及上下文搭配。Behind…lies a problem…在……后面，有(存在着)一个……问题。其余选项[A] is，[B] has，[D] does都不能在原文中形成通顺的搭配。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为连词的辨析使用，此处需要一个强调结构：Just as existing fields in Alaska and the North Sea are rapidly declining, …正如阿拉斯加和北海的现有油田正在迅速地衰落那样……。其余选项[A] As与……一样，当……之时；[C] So as以便；[D] Even as甚至于；均不合题意。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为固定搭配。shut sth. out关闭(油田)。[A] preventing和[D] keeping后面跟介词from，[C] closing后面跟副词up，所以B为正确选项。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为条件状语从句。If they are to survive in the long term…从长期来看，如果他们能够生存下去。其余选项都不合题意：[B] Even if即便是；[C] Whether是否；[D] How怎样。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为介词的词义辨析，aside from除了……以外。其他选项[A] aside在旁边，到旁边；[B] from从，来自；[C] beside在…近旁；在…旁边；均不合题意。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为连词的词义辨析。As hard as it is to believe尽管很难令人相信。其他选项[A] For hard，[B] As hard，[C] Very hard都不能与下面的句子形成通顺的连接。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为近义词辨析。as well同样，也，一般放在句末；[A] also一般放在句子前面；[B] too也放在句末，但一般需要加逗号；[C] either也(不)；不合题意。根据上下文，be bad news for producing countries as well对生产国来说同样也是坏消息，故选项D为正确答案。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为固定搭配的词义辨析。crack down(on)采取严厉措施，制裁。其他选项[B] up，[C] out，[D] from都不能形成正确的搭配，故A为正确答案。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题考点为近义名词的辨析。revenues收入，国家的收入，税收。其他选项[A] incomes个人收入，收益，进款；[C] payment付款，支付，报酬，偿还；[D] contributions捐献，贡献；都不符合through state-run firms的上下文语境，因此只有B才是正确答案。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为上下文的词义辨析与理解。前一句提到，这种做法对政治领袖来说很方便，(This may be convenient for the political leaders themselves.)但对于他们的同胞来说就不一定很好。通过Alas这一感叹词，我们可知后面的情况与前面形成反差，因此选项[C] unlikely为正确答案：对于他们的同胞来说未必就有多少好处。
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为动词的时态。根据时间状语for years，我们知道此处应当选择现在完成时态。其他选项时态搭配运用不当。
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为副词状语的辨析。原文的意思是：产油国而是应当开放市场。(Producing countries should instead embrace open markets.) instead代替，而不是，不……而……。其他选项[A] in place of代替；[C] rather宁愿，宁可；[D] rather than宁可……也不……。根据上下文语境，B为正确答案，其余选项不符合题意。
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为固定词语搭配。For one thing首先；其他选项[B] To，[C] Of，[D] In都不能和one thing形成通顺的搭配。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题考的是对本文内容的理解和拼写近似词语的辨析。根据上下文，此处需要选择excluding：通过排除最精明的管理人员和最先进的技术来关闭外国投资，会损害自己的石油输出(shutting out foreign investment will only hurt their own oil output by excluding the sharpest managers and latest technologies.)。其他选项[A] concluding作结论；[B] including包括；[D] exploring探索；均不合题意。
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[考点解析] 本题的考点为动词的搭配及对上下文语境的正确理解。help OPEC countries diversify their economies有助于石油输出国家组织使自己的经济多样化。其他选项：[A] verify证实，核实；[B] purify净化；[D] multiply繁殖，乘；均不合题意，所以只有C为正确答案。