Question

【題目】 Something’s happening at the lowest point on our planet.

The Dead Sea, a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west, is shrinking at an alarming rate - about 3. 3 feet per year, according to the environmentalist group Eco Peace Middle East. And human actions are largely to blame.

"It's not just like one country is punishing the Dead Sea: it's more like the whole area,” said photographer Moritz Kustner, who visited the area in February to work on his series "The Dying Dead Sea”.

The Dead Sea needs water from the other natural sources surrounding it, such as the Jordan River basin. But around the 1960s, some of the water sources it relied upon were diverted. Israel, for instance, built a pipeline during that time so it could supply water throughout the country.

Mineral extraction industries are another main reason the water levels are falling, experts say. The Dead Sea's minerals have been used as medicine and can often be found in cosmetics and other consumer products.

And then, of course, there's the Middle East's hot, dry climate, which makes it difficult for the lake to replenish itself. Last year, Israel and Jordan signed a $900 million deal in an effort to keep the Dead Sea's water levels stable. It includes building a canal from the Red Sea to the Dead Sea which would be able to not only supply water to Israel and Jordan but also to pump water into the Dead Sea.

But for now, Kustner shows us that the Dead Sea remains very much a place of interest, with people from all over the world going there to swim in its salty waters

The Dead Sea, known as the Salt Sea in the language of Hebrew, is one of the saltiest bodies of water in the world. And because of what has been happening over the years, the salt is only getting saltier.

【1】How many reasons for the Dead Seas shrinking does the author mention in the text?

A.OneB.Two

C.ThreeD.Four

【2】What can we learn about the Dead Sea 's minerals?

A.They have practical value.

B.They are controlled by Israel.

C.They can be extracted very easily.

D.They are mainly used in heavy industry.

【3】What does the underlined word "replenish” in Paragraph 6 probably mean?

A.To clean something.B.To improve something.

C.To fill something again.D.To find something again.

【4】What would be the best title for the text?

A.What we should do to save the Dead Sea.B.More people travel to the Dead Sea.

C.Why the Dead Sea is salty.D.The Dead Sea is drying out.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】C

【4】D

【解析】

這是一篇說明文。本文主要講了死海，位于約旦和以色列交界，它是世界上最咸的湖，由于人為的原因，這里的水位正在以驚人的速度下降。

【1】細節(jié)理解題。由But around the 1960s, some of the water sources it relied on were diverted.可知，上世紀60年代，死海賴以生存的部分流域被改道，這是死海萎縮的原因之一；由Mineral extraction industries are another main reason the water levels are falling，experts say. The Dead Sea's minerals have been used as medicine and can often be found in cosmetics and other consumer products可知專家表示，礦物開采是死海水位下降又一主因。死海中富含的礦物因其良好的療效而受到歡迎，常被添加在護膚品以及其它消費品上，這是死海萎縮的原因之二；由And then, of course, there’s the Middle East’s hot, dry climate, which makes it difficult for the lake to replenish itself.可知中東炎熱的天氣，干燥的氣候，也使得死海很難能夠重新積蓄水分，這是死海萎縮的原因之三。故選C。

【2】推理判斷題。由第五段中的Mineral extraction industries are another main reason the water levels are falling, experts say. The Dead Sea’s minerals have been used as medicine and can often be found in cosmetics and other consumer products（礦物開采是死海水位下降又一主因。死海中富含的礦物因其良好的療效而受到歡迎，常被添加在護膚品以及其它消費品上。）由此推斷出死海的礦物質(zhì)有實用價值，故選A。

【3】詞義猜測題。上文提到了死海萎縮的幾個原因，所以這里意思是：此外，中東炎熱的天氣，干燥的氣候，也使得死海很難能夠重新積蕃水分。由劃線單詞所在句子的下句話：Last year, Israel and Jordan signed a $900 million deal in an effort to keep the Dead Sea's water levels stable（去年，以色列和約旦簽署了9億美金的生意，試圖保持死海的水位保持穩(wěn)定）也可推知，劃線句句意是強調(diào)死海的自我修復(fù)功能。所以“replenish”的意思是再加滿，故選C。

【4】主旨大意題。由文章第一段和第二段中的Something’s happening at the lowest point on our planet. The Dead Sea, a salt lake bordered by Jordan to the east and Israel and Palestine to the west, is shrinking at an alarming rate（在地球的最低點有事情在發(fā)生。位于約旦和以色列交界，世界上最咸的湖死海，正在以驚人的萎縮）可知，這篇文章主要講死海的萎縮、枯萎。故選D。

主旨大意題是篇章閱讀一個主要的考查方式，標(biāo)題題（best title）是其一個典型的考點，也是高考閱讀中每年的必考題。主旨大意題解題技巧是不要被文章細節(jié)所干擾。一般有兩種方式解題：一是看首尾段，根據(jù)首尾段內(nèi)容總結(jié)主題思想；二是看每段段首句，根據(jù)所有段首句總結(jié)主題思想。本文中第四題就是此類的主旨大意題，由于這是一篇說明文，文章開頭就給我們點明了本文想要講述的話題。所以由文章第一段和第二段中的內(nèi)容可知，這篇文章主要講死海的萎縮、枯萎。具體的解題步驟參看詳解。同學(xué)們要抓住說明文標(biāo)題題的這個技巧。