单选题 International ocean shipping constitutes a highly significant aspect of world economic and political relationships. The rapid growth in world trade and the emergence of new national entities in the last 30 years have further emphasized the role of international shipping. Because of the generally free environment in which it has operated, the industry is highly mobile and flexible—characteristics that, together with technological progress, have facilitated the rapid growth in world trade.
In recent years, however, there have been several technological and institutional developments that are likely to have major efforts on the industry. One of the latter is the aggregation of conventions and practices known as the Law of the Sea, which has been discussed in the United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea since 1958. The third UNCLOS began in 1974 and concluded when a treaty was issued on April 30, 1982. The treaty will enter in force when 60 nations have ratified it. How soon that will happen is, of course, not possible to say. What can be said is that a new legal structure governing the oceans appears to be evolving, with traditional principles giving way to new concepts. Since the environment in which an industry operates determines its structure and mode of operations, international shipping has been molded by the conventional principles governing the use of the oceans as highways and will be affected by shifts in the international climate and changes in the Law of Sea.
Ocean shipping, as we know it today, has developed under the concepts of "freedom of the seas" and limited territorial waters with the rights of "innocent passage." Clearly, a new Law of the Sea derived from a reinterpretation of these concepts will significantly change the atmosphere in which the shipping industry operates and, accordingly, dictate revised policies and practices for both industry and public authorities. Minimally, ship operations must consider changes in the definitions of what constitutes the high seas. They must consider the corresponding changes in the jurisdiction of shipping lanes and coastal and open waters; compliance with rules for environmental protection; and vessel traffic controls in some areas. (355w)

单选题 According to the author, international ocean shipping ______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】在本篇第一段段首作者已经明确指出，“The rapid growth in world trade and the emergence of new national entities in the last 30 years have further emphasized the role of international shipping．”可以理解为，世界贸易的快速发展加强了海洋运输的重要角色作用。故应选项为D 选项A虽然文中提到，但不是中心意思。选项B说，海洋运输是世界贸易不可分割的一部分，含义虽不荒谬，但与原文所说has generally its own free business environment也有差距。因为“通常具有自己的经营环境，”并不等于说，has generally its own free specific business environment．本题属主旨判断题。答题时需区分中心思想和其他次要的相关内容。

单选题 Conference on the Law of the Sea is hosted by ______.

单选题 The 1982 treaty on Law of Sea will enter into force ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】第二段里提到，“The treaty will enter in force when 60 nations have ratified it”则表明具体生效日期没有明确指出。而段中的另一句话“How soon that will happen is，of course， not possible to say．”更明确指明条约必须得到60个成员国的一致认可才可以生效实施。回答这类事实细节题，关键在于把问题与原文中的对应点找准。

单选题 The author believes that ______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】因为作者在文中提到了“with traditional principles giving way to new concepts．” traditional principles的含义对应于题句中的conventional，concepts指的内容与principles的含义相当。故选项C符合原文的对应点题意。而B选项中说，conventional principles起决定作用，则是错的，应该是“the environment in which an industry operates determines its structure and mode of operations”。本题应属同义表达题。