阅读理解
People living on parts of the south coast of England face a serious problem. In 1993, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered, to their horror, that their gardens had disappeared overnight. The sea had eaten into the soft limestone cliffs on which they had been built. While experts were studying the problem. The hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.
Erosion of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious iii recent years. Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland. Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people, forecasting the year in which their homes will be swallowed up by the hungry sea.
Angry owners have called on the Government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes. Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases, this is impossible. New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents go further along the coast, shifting the problem from one area to another. The danger is likely to continue, they say, until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock which will not be eaten as limestone is. Meanwhile, if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future, apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England. You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may mm out to be a knockdown home.
单选题
What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?
【正确答案】
C
【答案解析】从文章第一段的"The sea had eaten into the soft limestone cliffs on which they had been built."可知,花园的消失是由于悬崖受到海水侵蚀造成的。选项[C]中的"washing-away"就是“冲刷,侵蚀”的意思,所以[C]最符合题意。
单选题
The erosion of the white cliffs in the south of England ______
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】根据第二段第一句话"Erosion of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years.”可见,海水侵蚀海岸问题由来已久,只不过最近几年变得越来越严重了,已经成了“a threat to the local people",所以[B]为正确答案。
单选题
The experts'' study on the problem of erosion can ______
【正确答案】
A
【答案解析】文章第二段最后一句话"Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people,forecasting the year in which their homes will be swallowed up by the hungry sea”告诉我们,专家为当地居民已经绘制出了一张地图,来预测在将来的哪一年,哪些房屋会被海水侵蚀,从而起到警示作用,可见[A]与此相符合。
单选题
It is not feasible to build sea defenses to protect against erosion because ______
【正确答案】
B
【答案解析】根据文章第三段的"New sea walls cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents go further along the coast,shifting the problem from one area to another.”可知,修建新的海上防御墙不仅耗资巨大,而且会使海浪沿海岸线移动,将问题从一个区域转移到另一个区域,由此可见,修建防御墙的建议并不可行,因此只有[B]符合题意。
单选题
According to the author, when buying a house along the south coast of England, people should ______
【正确答案】
D
【答案解析】文章的最后一句"You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may turn out to be a knockdown home.”暗示靠近海岸线的房屋价格虽然便宜,但却面临这样的一个问题:可能有一天会被海浪冲走,这是一个潜在的危险。所以[D]是正确答案。