单选题 This leaves us with the challenge of finding some politically practicable way to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. But it is an awkward truth that when most U.S. senators were asked informally in 2000 if they would support the Kyoto Protocol should President George W. Bush send it to the Senate for ratification, the overwhelming majority, Democrats as well as Republicans, said they could not. The reason for the liberals" surprising reply is clear. Many studies, not all by conservatives, suggest that full compliance with the terms of the Kyoto Protocol would likely lead to a deep American recession. For those willing to run this risk, sober reflection on the consequences of the economic collapse of 1929 and the subsequent worldwide depression with all its political and ultimately military consequences is certainly in order.
That said, what can be done, in particular by our own country? Independent of the issues raised by the Kyoto Protocol, and given the weight of evidence that the problem of global warming is serious and fraught with dire consequences, failure to do anything at all and instead to promote "business as usual" is downright criminal.
Yet the Bush administration has given no more than lip service to the problem, though that could be changing. It is one thing to weigh alternatives and implement compromises that reflect the complexity of the problem; it is quite another thing to do nothing, especially if doing nothing is just a way of securing support from certain industries that worsen the problem.
There are, after all, things that can be done. Reopening a serious international dialogue, and not just saying a few good words, would be a useful if inadequate start. Not every problem must be solved before the weight of evidence becomes so compelling that certain initial steps become almost mandatory. We already know how to make more fuel-efficient automobiles, yet no national policy has surfaced to accomplish this. The scientific and engineering communities are the ones best suited to identify the scientific research that is still needed and the technical projects that show the greatest promise. These issues should be decided by them and not the politicians. Once solutions look promising, as a few already do, industry will be all too ready to jump in, for at that stage there is money to be made. And only a fool would underestimate human ingenuity when given a proper incentive, or the strength of American industry once the boiler is lit under it.
单选题 What can be inferred about the Kyoto Protocol from Paragraph 1?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 通过常识可知,the Kyoto Protocol(《京都议定书》)是关于环境保护的一个国际协议。据此可知,应选择A。
单选题 Many studies suggest that full agreement with the Kyoto Protocol would run the risk of ______.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 通过第一段“Many studies, not all by conservatives, suggest that full compliance with the terms of the Kyoto Protocol would likely lead to a deep American recession. ”可知,一些研究显示,完全同意《京都议定书》的条款,很可能会导致美国经济衰退。据此可知,应选择C。
单选题 We can learn from Paragraph 2 that ______.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 通过“and given the weight of evidence that the problem of global warming is serious and fraught with dire consequences, failure to do anything at all and instead to promote "business as usual" is downright criminal. ”可知,有证据表明,全球变暖已经是一个很严重的问题,并充满可怕的后果,对此不做任何事,一切照旧,是彻头彻尾的犯罪。也就是说,我们应该对全球变暖问题实施一些措施。据此可知,应选择A。
单选题 The Bush administration ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 通过第三段“Yet the Bush administration has given no more than lip service to the problem. ”可知,布什政府对《京都议定书》倡导的保护环境问题不但没有采取实际行动,而且关于此问题连一句好听的话也没有。据此可知,应选择B。
单选题 The author suggests all of the following measures EXCEPT ______.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 通过“Not every problem must be solved before the weight of evidence becomes so compelling that certain initial steps become almost mandatory. ”可知,在采取措施之前,并不需要解决好所有的问题。据此可知,应选择B。
单选题 In the last paragraph, the expression "once the boiler is lit under it" most probably means "when American industry is ______".
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 通过“And only a fool would underestimate human ingenuity when given a proper incentive, or the strength of American industry once the boiler is lit under it. ”可知,当给与适当刺激时,只有傻瓜才会低估人类的心灵手巧,一旦获得动力,美国企业的力量不容低估。据此可知,应选择D。