阅读理解 On America's Gulf coast, massive industrial facilities stand idle. Miles of twisting stainless-steel pipes and huge storage tanks gleam uselessly in the sun. They are a reminder of the hundreds of billions of dollars that America has invested in terminals for handling imports of liquefied natural gas(LNG). Thanks to the boom in domestic shale gas, those imports are no longer needed. America produces nearly as much gas as it consumes, and will soon produce far more.
So the obvious thing to do with those idle terminals is to re-engineer them to handle exports. Instead of receiving shiploads of liquefied gas and re-gasifying it, they should be taking American gas, liquefying it and loading it onto tankers. Converting these plants will not be cheap—each one will cost at least $ 5 billion. But the potential rewards are much larger.
In America gas sells for around $ 3.40 per million British thermal units(mBTU). In Europe it costs around $ 12. In gas-poor Asia, spot cargoes change hands for as much as $ 20 per mBTU. Since it costs roughly $ 5 per mBTU to liquefy the stuff, ship it and turn it back into gas, America could be making a fortune from gas exports. To the extent that such exports displaced dirty coal, they would also help curb global warming.
Most of America's two dozen LNG import terminals have applied for export licences. Yet only one, Sabine Pass in Louisiana, has actually started retooling its kit. Gas from there will start flowing onto global markets by the end of 2015. Why has every other terminal been so slow to seize this opportunity?
Converting a plant is not easy: firms must build now upon row of expensive fridges, known as "liquefaction trains" , to get gas moving in the opposite direction. But the real hold-up is political. No LNG facility besides Sabine has yet received permission to export. American law requires the Department of Energy to determine whether gas exports are in the public interest, and President Barack Obama's administration is in no hurry to make up its mind.

单选题 6.America became less dependent on imported gas due to______.

【正确答案】 C

【答案解析】该题是第一题，一般设置在首段，第二题明确定位了Paragraph 2，也可以推断出第一题应该在第一段。该题目对应该段第四句：Thanks to the boom in domestic shale gas，thoseimports are no longer needed．而该句的Thanks to相当于题干的due to，故答案就在thanks to之后。选项[A]中的massive industrial facilities可以在首句找到，这只是原文提及的信息，并非美国更少地依赖进口气的原因。选项[B]中的billions of dollars invested in terminals也是原文信息，非答案。前面提到，该题答案在Thanks to之后，即the boom in domestic shale gas是答案。而选项[C]中的prosperity=boom，home—produced=domestic，故选项[C]为答案。原文最后一句提到America produces nearly as much gas as it consumes，and will soon produce far more．意为：美国生产的气与其消耗的几乎一样多，并很快将会生产更多。而没提到选项[D]所说的“国内气的消耗量少了”。故选项[D]是错误的。

单选题 7.What can be inferred from Paragraph 2?

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】第二段首句提到了do with those idle terminals(处理那些闲置的终端设备)，并未提到处理这些设备是容易的，选项[A]中的easy一词纯属无中生有。本段也未涉及government这一内容，[B]项属于无中生有。根据选项[C]中的potential reward定位到最后一句：But thepotential rewards are much larger．而选项[C]说的是isn’t substantial，与原文意思相反，故错误。根据[D]项定位到该段最后两句：Converting these plants will not be cheap．But the potential rewards are much larger．说明从长远来看，转变这些设备是有回报，即有利益的。选项[D]的beneficial对应原文的rewards；in the long term对应potential。因此，答案为选项[D]。

单选题 8.America can earn a great fortune by______.

单选题 9.We can learn from Paragraph 4 that______.

【正确答案】 A

【答案解析】根据选项[A]中Sabine一词定位到该段第二行:…Sabine Pass in Louisiana，hasactually started retooling its kit．其中started=begun to；kit=facility。故[A]项为答案。根据选项[B]对应到该段第三句：Gas from there will start flowing onto global markets by the end of 2015．其中flowing onto对应sell to。关键在于原文提到by the end of 2015，即从2015年末Sabine才开始在全球市场上出售气，而该选项说的则是现在已经开始出售，故错误。根据选项[C]中的LNG定位到第一句：Most of America’s two dozen LNG import terminals have applied for export li-cences．原文说到“applied for export licences申请出口执照”，而该选项说“have gained export li—cences已经获得出口执照”，故错误。根据选项[D]中的every terminal，grab the chance定位到原文最后一句：Why has every other terminal been so slow to seize this opportunity?原文说的是slow，选项[D]说的却是quick，黑白颠倒，因此该项错误。综上所述，该题答案为选项[A]。

单选题 10.We can judge from the last paragraph that______.

【正确答案】 D

【答案解析】根据选项[A]中的No LNG facility定位到该段第三行：No LNG facility besides Sa—bine has yet received permission to export．表面看该选项和原文几乎一致，其中gained permission=received permission。但选项中出现了except，原文说的是besides。注意两词有本质区别：except是除了……之外；besides强调包括在内。故错误。根据选项[B]中的interest of the public定位到第四行：American law requires the Department of Energy to determine whether gas exportsare in the public interest．原文关于天然气出口是否代表公众利益并没有给出答案，而选项[B]项说：天然气出口代表了公众利益。故错误。根据选项[C]中的Barack Obama定位到最后一句：President Barack Obama’s administration is in no huny to make up its mind．关键词是in nohurry(不急着做决定)，选项[C]说has made up its mind(已经做好决定)，故错误。[D]项对应该段第一句：Converting a plant is not easy．选项[D]与该句属于同义转换关系，故为答案。