阅读理解 American colleges and universities are using 64 percent less coal than they did a decade ago, burning 700,000 tons last year, down from 2 million tons in 2008, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report【C1】________yesterday. All 57 schools that were burning coal in 2008 are using less now, and 20 have【C2】________coal completely, EIA found. Most universities have turned to natural gas as a【C3】________, with state funding backing the fuel switch. While academic institutions use less than 0.1 percent of U.S. coal burned for power, campus coal use has a history dating back to the 1800s when【C4】________to power was scarce. Many universities still operate their own power plants. The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 encouraged more electricity generation by allowing institutions to sell【C5】________power to utilities. But EIA noted many coal-fired universities have signed onto the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which was launched in 2007. About 665 schools are part of the program, which aims to【C6】________greenhouse gas emissions. Thirty percent of the participants have pledged to be carbon【C7】________within 20 years. The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which also leads campaigns for universities to withdraw their【C8】________in coal and other fossil fuels, lists 22 schools that have pledged to move "beyond coal," including Clemson University, Indiana University, Ohio University, Penn State University, the University of Louisville and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. The largest coal use【C9】________at colleges were in Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Indiana. Indiana’s universities alone cut coal【C10】________by 81 percent between 2008 and 2015. During the same period, Michigan made an 80 percent cut and Tennessee cut back by 94 percent at state institutions. A) abandoned E) duplications I) neutral M) slash B) access F) investments J) reductions N) surplus C) consumption G) mobilized K) released O) void D) contrive H) negligent L) replacement
问答题 【C1】
【正确答案】K
【答案解析】空格所在句主干结构完整(said in a report),故考虑空格填入副词(词库中没有副词)或非谓语成分。released可作过去分词,作后置定语,填入文中修饰reported,表示“昨天发布的报告”,语义通顺。
问答题 【C2】
【正确答案】A
【答案解析】空格所在句缺谓语,应填入动词过去分词与have一起构成现在完成时,语义上为“20所学校完全________煤炭”,abandoned填入文中符合逻辑,指完全弃用煤炭,和前半句说的用量减少构成了递进关系。
问答题 【C3】
【正确答案】L
【答案解析】空格位于名词后,要填入单数名词,且以辅音开头。词库的四个单数名词中,只有replacement符合语义逻辑,即“用天然气来做替代”。
问答题 【C4】
【正确答案】B
【答案解析】空格位于when引导的从句中,该从句已有系表结构was scarce,故________to power应为名词短语作主语,且中心语为单数或不可数名词,access填入文中符合语境,表示“能获得电的机会很少”,也符合19世纪的情况。
问答题 【C5】
【正确答案】N
【答案解析】空格位于动宾结构sell…power中,需要填入形容词,修饰power。按常理来说,能卖出去的应该是“剩余的,用不完的”,填入surplus符合语境。
问答题 【C6】
【正确答案】M
【答案解析】空格位于aim to结构后,应填入动词原形,与后面的greenhouse gas emissions构成动宾搭配。全文都在说减少煤炭的使用量,此处应该是表示要减少温室气体排放,动词slash可表示“大幅减少”,符合语义需求。
问答题 【C7】
【正确答案】I
【答案解析】与上一句类似,本空也应该是说要减排,carbon neutral是个节能减排的术语,指“碳中和”。
问答题 【C8】
【正确答案】F
【答案解析】空格位于形容词性物主代词their后,应该填入名词,且其后能与in构成搭配。本句大意为“让大学撤回他们在煤炭和其他化石燃料的________”,耍节能减排,要减少的、撤回的应该是在煤炭方面的投入和资金,investments符合语义逻辑。
问答题 【C9】
【正确答案】J
【答案解析】空格处于句子主语的中心语,应填入名词,且系动词were提示,应填入名词复数形式。词库中只有三个复数名词:duplications“重复”、investments“投资;投入”和reductions“减少”,由下一句的cut“减少”可推测,本句也应该是在说煤炭使用量的减少,故选reductions
问答题 【C10】
【正确答案】C
【答案解析】空格应填入动词cut的宾语,与上句对照,要减少的是煤炭的使用量,故填入use的近义词consumption,表示“消耗量”。