单选题 High oil prices have not yet produced an economic shock among consuming countries, but further rises, especially sharp (21) , would undoubtedly hurt the world economy, and (22) would inevitably harm producers, too. Beyond this obvious point, (23) , higher prices could even do harm to both oil firms and producers.
Big oil firms (24) rolling in money today, but that disguises the fact that their longer-term prospects are (25) Behind the reserves-accounting scandal at Royal Dutch/ Shell (26) a problem bedeviling all of the majors: replacing their dwindling reserves. (27) existing fields in Alaska and the North Sea are rapidly declining; OPEC countries and Russia are (28) them out. (29) they are to survive in the long term, the big oil firms must embrace other sources of energy (30) oil.
(31) it is to believe, higher oil prices could be bad news for producing countries (32) Political leaders in Russia, Venezuela and other oil-rich countries are bending laws to crack (33) on foreign firms and to strengthen their grip on oil (34) through state-run firms. This may be convenient for the political leaders themselves. Alas, it is (35) to do much for their countrymen. For years corruption and inefficiency (36) the typical results of government control of oil resources.
Producing countries should (37) embrace open markets. (38) one thing, shutting out foreign investment will only hurt their own oil output by (39) the sharpest managers and latest technologies. For another, economic liberalization (including reform of bloated welfare states) would help OPEC countries (40) 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。