阅读理解   A little information is a dangerous thing. A lot of information, if it's inaccurate or confusing even more so. This is a problem for anyone trying to spend or invest in an environmentally sustainable way. Investors are barraged with indexes purporting to describe companies eco-credentials, some of dubious quality Green labels on consumer products are ubiquitous, but their claims are hard to verify. The confusion is evident from the New Scientists' analysis of whether public perception of companies' green credentials reflect reality. It shows that many companies considered 'green' have done little to earn that reputation, while others do not get sufficient credit for their efforts to reduce their environmental impact. Obtaining better information is crucial, because decisions by consumers and big investors will help propel us towards a green economy.
    At present, it is too easy to make unverified claims. Take disclosure of greenhouse gas emission, for example. There are voluntary schemes such as a Carbon Disclosure Project, but little scrutiny of the figures companies submit, which means investors may be misled.
    Measurements can be difficult to interpret, too, like those for water use. In this case, context is crucial: a little from rain-soaked Ireland is not the same as a little drawn from the Arizona desert.
    Similar problems bedevil 'green' labels attached to individual products. Here, the computer equipment rating system developed by the Green Electronics Council show the way forward. Its criteria come from the IEEE, the world's leading, professional association for technology.
    Other schemes, such as the 'sustainability index' planned by US retail giant Walmart, are broader. Devising rigorous standard for a large number of different types of product will be tough, placing a huge burden on the academic-led consortium that is doing the underlying scientific work.
    Our investigation also reveals that many companies choose not to disclose data. Some will want to keep it that way. This is why we need legal requirements for full disclosure of environmental information, with the clear message that the polluter will eventually be required to pay. The market forces will drive companies to lean up their acts.
    Let's hope we can rise to this challenge. Before we can have a green economy we need a green information economy—and it's the quality of information, as well as the quality, that will count.
单选题       'The confusion' in the first paragraph refers to ______.
 
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】 指代题。第一段中的“confusion”指的是______。confusion应该指代的是前句中提到的“dubious quality green labels”,再根据文章首句告诉我们,信息量虽然很大,但不准确或者迷惑人的大量信息可能更加危险。因而答案为C。
单选题     From the New Scientists analysis it can be inferred that in many cases ______.
 
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】 细节题。从《新科学家》的分析可以推断出在很多情况下______。根据题干定位到文章第一段第五句。第六句话话告诉我们该分析表明大多数企业被认为是环保型,但名不副实,因而答案为A。
单选题     From unverified claims to difficult measurements and then to individual products, the author suggests that ______.
 
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 推理题。从未经证实的说法到测量的困难,再到个人产品,作者想说______。根据题干提到的三个方面,可以定位到文章的第二、三、四段。这三个方面都是举例说明,为的是证明文章第一段最后一句话:获取更完善的信息很重要。因而答案为D。
单选题     To address the issue, the author is crying for ______.
 
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】 细节题。为了解决问题,作者呼吁______。文章第五段提到为各种产品制定严格的标准很难,而且也会给学术机构造成很大负担,所以可以排除选项B和C。答案的原文出处在最后一段,作者提到对企业环保信息的公开提出法律要求很必要,因而答案为D。
单选题     Which of the following can be the best inference from the last paragraph?
 
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】 推理题。下面哪一个是对最后一段最好的推测?本题的解题要结合文章的主题,文章开头就提到不准确且迷惑人的信息尽管数量很大,但造成的结果更危险。因而为了实现绿色环保经济,首先要确保信息的正确性,因而答案为B。