Part II Reading Comprehension (40 points)

Directions: There are 4 passages in this part. Each of the passages is followed by 5 questions or unfin-ished statements. For each of them there are 4 choices marked A, B, C and D. Choose the best one and mark your answer on the ANSWER SHEET with a single line through the centre.

Passage 1

England is not a big country: from north to south and from east to west it is only about three hundred miles across. But for a small country it has a surprising range of climate. People who have never visited England, or who have visited only one part of it, often make .the mistake of thinking that it is a cold and wet country. Except for the summer months of June to September, this is proba-bly true of the north of England and the Midlands. In the south, however, the climate is much more pleasant. One result is that when people retire from a job in the north they often prefer to move down to the milder south Perhaps the warmest part of the country is the southwest, which consists of the counties of Devon and Cornwall. The warm Gulf Stream flows across the North Atlantic Ocean from the Gulf of Mexico and makes the coastal regions of the southwest quite warm. Palm trees, bamboo (竹)and many semi-tropical ( 亚热带的 ) plants grow well in the southwest of England. Flowers and vegetables ripen(成熟) as much as a month earlier than those elsewhere. Farmers in the area obtain a higher price for their vegetables and flowers because they are ready eartier. In winter there may be several feet of snow in other parts of England but there will probably be no snow at all in the southwest. This may be one of the reasons why the southwest is one of England' s most popular holiday areas.

11. The distance from the centre of England to the south coast is about__________.

A. one hundred miles

B. three hundred miles

C. one hundred and fifty miles

D. six hundred miles

12. England is a country__________.

A. with a cold and wet climate

B. with a surprising climate

C. with a pleasant climate

D. with a variety of climates

13. According to the passage,__________.

A. flowers and vegetables from Devon are on the market one month earlier

B. farmers in the southwest grow as many vegetables and flowers as farmers elsewhere

C. people in the southwest have to pay a higher price for vegetables and flowers

D. vegetables in Cornwall ripen as much as a month earlier than flowers . .

14. In the north of England and the Midlands,__________.

A. it is cold and wet all the year round

B. the climate is pleasant as a whole

C. it is warm most of the time in a year

D. only the summer is not cold. or wet

15. In winter, people in Devon and Cornwall__________.

A. seldom see snow

B. never see any snow

C. may have several feet of snow

D. often see snow

Passage 2

How can we get rid of garbage? Do we have enough energy sources to meet our future energy needs?

These are two important questions that many people are asking today. Some people think that man might be able to solve both problems at the same time. They suggest using garbage as an crier-gy source, and at the same time it can save the land to hold garbage.

For a long time, people buried garbage or dumped (倾倒) it on empty land. N.ow, empty land is scarce. But more and more garbage is produced each year. However, garbage can be a good fu-el to use. The things in garbage do not look like coal, petroleum, or natural gas; but they are chemically similar to these fossil(化石) fuels. As we use up our fossil fuel supplies, we might be able to use garbage as an energy source.

Burning garbage is not a new idea. Some cities in Europe and the United States have been burning garbage for years. The heat that is produced by burning garbage is used to boil water. The steam that is produced is used to make electricity or to heat nearby buildings. In Pads, France,some power plants burn almost 2 million metric tons of the cities garbage each year. The amount of energy produced is about the same as would be produced by burning almost a half million barrels of oil.

Our fossil fuel supplies are limited. Burning garbage might be one kind of energy source that we can use to help meet our energy needs. This method could also reduce the amount of garbage piling up on the earth.

16. What two problems can man solve by burning garbage?

A. The shortage of energy and air pollution.

B. The shortage of energy and the land to hold garbage.

C. Air pollution and the shortage of fossil fuel.

D. Air pollution and the shortage of land to hold garbage.

17. Which of the following is not the result of burning garbage?

A. The garbage burned is turned into fossil fuels.

B. The heat produced is used to boil water.

C. The steam produced is used to make electricity.

D. The steam produced is used to heat buildings.

18. According to the passage which of the following is NOT true?

A. About 2 million metric tons of garbage is burned in some power plants in Paris, France each year.

B. In a modern society, more and more garbage is produced each year.

C. Using garbage is a good way to solve the problem of energy shortage.

D. it will be too expensive to use garbage as an energy source.

19. What is the author' s attitude ?

A. Delighted.

B. Sad.

C. Agreeing.

D. Disagreeing.

20. The best title for the passage may be__________.

A. Garbage and the Earth

B. Fossil Fuel and Garbage

C. Land and Garbage

D. Garbage Energy Source

考试报名：2016年学位英语考试报名新手指南报考答疑考试大纲

考试试题：2016学位英语考试冲刺试题及答案专题