1.Villagers of the high desert of Ladakh in India's Jammu and Kashmir state used to harvest plentiful crops of wheat,fruits,and vegetables in summer.But for years the streams have run dry in spring,just when farmers needed water to sow seeds.They had water when it wasn't needed during the rest of the year,such as in winter,when people let water run from taps to prevent pipes from freezing and bursting.Villagers blame climate change for causing glaciers (冰川) to shrink by melting them faster than before.
To solve the water-shortage problem,Sonam Wangchuk,a mechanical engineer,and his team of volunteers are building a huge vertical block of ice in Phyang,nine miles from Leh,the capital of Ladakh.When spring comes and the artificial glacier melts,farmers will have flowing water.This method stores water without the need for concrete water storage tanks or dam.While it won't stop glaciers from shrinking,it could help people adapt to a warming world.
Last winter,Wangchuk built a six-meter-high prototype on am open riverbank totest his novel idea.It stored 150,000liters of water at 3,170meters,the lowest altitude in Leh valley.This,he said,proved ice pyramids (金字塔)can be built anywhere in the region.When the prototype lasted until mid-May,he was encouraged to attempt a 30-metre-high pyramid of ice this winter.But the cost of piping water from the Phyang stream,1.5miles away,was a huge S 100,000.Not discouraged,he somehow raised the money and work began on 21January.
The site was waterproofed with clay (粘土),so when the ice pyramid melted,water would not get into the desert sand.Sprinklers (噴淋裝置)sprayed water from above,and the cold wind froze the tiny drops of water as they hit the ground.A cone of ice built up slowly but steadily.With only two more weeks of winter left,time is running short.The pyramid will likely be no more than 15meters high when completed,half the size of the planned 30meters.
"This year was the first time,so there were complications and delays,Wangchuk said."We wanted to achieve two things--to show how to make an ice pyramid and how to green a patch of desert."It's difficult to say how many people will eventually benefit;Fhyang village has only 2,000people.But there'll he enough water for many more.This is an economic as well as ecological activity."
In the coming years,Wangehuk hopes to build 80to 90ice pyramids,each more than 30meters tall,in Phyang village.They'll store 1bn liters of water,enough to irrigate 600hectares ( 1,500acres) of desert,he says.To make so many ice pyramids,the only additional investment is the pipeline.Wangehuk said:"We need more pipes so we can extend it farther and farther.It will take another $ 100,000to make the other ice pyramids."Once the pipes are laid,frozen ice pyramids can be built year after year without pumping in more money.The underground pipes will last a hundred years.But for now,the desert around the 3,500-metre-high Phyang will turn green in summer,as water flows for the first time in many years.
41.The writer mentions the harvest of crops in Ladakh at the beginning of the passage in order toC.
A.remind people of the importance of water protection
B.show what people's life used to be like in India
C.provide background information for Wangchuk's effort
D.discuss the relationship between crops and water supply
42.The underlined word"prototype"( Paragraph 3)probably meansA.
A.the first design or model from which other forms are copied or developed
B.the glacier that provides the farmland and nearby rivers with water
C.a(chǎn) tall concrete building that consists of at least three floors
D.a(chǎn) small hill in cold areas where trees and grass can be planted
43.One problem with Wangchuk's method is thatB.
A.the ice pyramid can't store enough water
B.it is quite expensive to lay the pipes
C.the ice pyramid can't be built high enough
D.the weather can be too warm for the water to freeze
44.According to the above passage,one advantage of Wangchuk's method is thatD.
A.it can stop glaciers from shrinking
B.ice pyramids can be built anywhere in Leh valley
C.you can build as manyice pyramids as you like
D.there is no need to build concrete dams
45.Where can you possibly find the above passageA?
A.In a newspaper.
B.In an official document.
C.In a travel journal.
D.In a research paper.
分析 這是新聞報(bào)道類(lèi)文章閱讀.該文章主要介紹了Wangchuk's帶領(lǐng)村民們采取建冰金字塔的方式儲(chǔ)存冰水,用于農(nóng)田灌溉的經(jīng)過(guò)以及該設(shè)備的優(yōu)勢(shì)和不足.
解答 41-45 CABDA
41.C.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.通讀前兩段可知這主要是為了提供背景資料.故選C.
42.A.詞意猜測(cè)題.通讀第三段,并根據(jù)關(guān)鍵詞pyramid,piping water,attempt等可知這種設(shè)置是復(fù)制了古埃及的金字塔,故選A.
43.B.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文章第三段的But the cost of piping water from the Phyang stream,1.5miles away,was a huge$100,000可知這種金字塔放管子很貴的.故選B.
44.D.細(xì)節(jié)理解題.根據(jù)文章第二段的This method stores water without the need for concrete water storage tanks or dams可知這種設(shè)備就不用再建混凝土的大壩.故選D.
45.A.文章出處題.通讀全文,該文章主要介紹了Wangchuk's帶領(lǐng)村民們采取建冰金字塔的方式儲(chǔ)存冰水,用于農(nóng)田灌溉的經(jīng)過(guò)和該設(shè)備的優(yōu)勢(shì)和不足.由此可推斷應(yīng)是源于一家報(bào)紙.故選A.
點(diǎn)評(píng) 本文為政治經(jīng)濟(jì)類(lèi)閱讀文章,該類(lèi)文章時(shí)代氣息濃郁,語(yǔ)言鮮活,但熟字新義詞、超綱詞及專(zhuān)業(yè)詞語(yǔ)多,長(zhǎng)句、難句多.政治類(lèi)文章大多數(shù)是同學(xué)們感性趣的內(nèi)容,讀起來(lái)倒有似曾相識(shí)的感覺(jué),閱讀這類(lèi)文章,要抓住文章的核心,即文章整體和各段主要在說(shuō)什么,也要注意段落之間的邏輯關(guān)系.