复合题

Directions: In this section there are reading passages followed by multiple-choice questions. Read the passages and then mark your answers on your answer sheet.

Passage two

The pollution of Hong Kong’ s beaches by oil from a damaged tanker last year recalls a similar incident which took place in Britain in 1967 when the Torrey Canyon, a huge oil tanker, split in two and caused disaster in coastal areas. Shoals of fishes were killed, sea birds hopelessly fouled with oil and coastal holiday resorts put out of business for several weeks. As a result of this particular incident scientists are becoming restless at the thought of Britain’ s inability to cope with national disasters on a large scale. The reason for their concern is that technology is rapidly outstripping man’ s ability to control it.

Oil tankers, for instance, have been allowed to get bigger and bigger without sufficient thought being given to emergency braking and maneuvering arrangement. Collisions at Sea continue, but little effect has been made to develop safety devices as effective as those used for aircraft.

Scientists were outspoken in expressing their concern during a recent meeting of the British Association. Unanimous approval was voiced when the leading speaker urged that a permanent national rescue services should be established, equipped for any emergency and ready to move off immediately.

Of all the possible disasters mentioned, the one promoting most discussion was a major release of radioactivity from a nuclear power station. One does not need a particularly vivid imagination to visualize the other possibilities discussed. What would be the effect of a jumbo-jet crashing on a large chemical plant handling destroying liquids? Could the tapping of natural gas lead to any form of collapse? Suppose a lorry full of a highly poisonous chemical crashed unseen into a large reservoir？ Dams can burst; abnormal conditions can lead to massive electrical blackouts.

An intensive study of such possibilities could at least reduce the effects of future disasters. For example, it would mean that a number of technical alternatives (such as the choice between detergent or chalk for dispersing oil) could be examined and tested in advance so that specially trained expert would know exactly what action was needed in a given emergency. 

单选题 The main idea of the second paragraph is that ______
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】原文第二段提到oil tankers曾 经越造越大而没有充分考虑紧急制动及手工操作设备。 海上碰撞在继续， 但它的安全设施不及用于飞机上的有效， 所以需要特殊的装置； A、 B、 C项与第二段内容相反， 故D项为正确答案。
单选题 The idea of a permanent national rescue services was welcomed by ______ of those present at the meeting of the British Association.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】原文第三段第一、 二句“Scientists were outspoken in expressing their concern during a recent meeting of the British Association. Unanimous approval was voiced…” 提到科学家们在会议上表述各自对此事的担心， unanimous approval意为“一致的意见、 决定” ， 即the idea of a permanent national rescue services是被所有与会者欢迎的， 故A项为正确答案。
单选题 In the fourth paragraph the writer states that ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】第四 段第一句“the one promoting most discussion was…” 中promoting 一词可以理解为“促进， 激起” ， 意为“一个最能引起人们讨论的问题是……” ， 而D项中could happen 恰恰说明了这一点； 第二句中的“…the other possibilities discussed…” 也可作辅证， 故D项为正确答案。
单选题 The main idea of the final paragraph is that ______.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】文章最后一段谈到对这些可能性的研究表明至少可以减少未来的灾害， 提前检验或试验替代措施是十分必要的， A、 B、 C项显然与作者意图不符， 故D项为正确答案。
单选题 Of the following suggested titles the one most accurately summing up the passage is _____.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】根据整篇文章， 我们可以看出作者的意图是揭示现代科技将会给未来带来的危害； 并不单指“油污染” 或几起事故， 可以排除B、 C项， 更不是为了介绍会议， D项也可排除， 故A项为正确答案。