2015年考研英语阅读理解考前专项训练（30）
发布时间：2012/10/30 22:58:51 来源：城市网学院 编辑：admin
The unhappy history of Ukraine, Russia and gas is the story of energy security in miniature. When it #es to hydrocarbons, geopolitics and geology are inextricable. That is a problem for most countries in eastern Europe, which would love to get their energy from allies, and feel understandably twitehy about having their former master as a big supplier.
Russia sees it differently. It wants to use its energy riches to the maximum effect in the world market. It sees former #munist satellite countries as nuisances, which scrounge subsidised gas, pay late if at all, and jeopardise sales to western Europe by brinkmanship about transit fees.
It is easy to understand why Ukraine and other Russian neighbours are exasperating Gazprom, Russia's huge gas monopoly. Its gas has long been siphoned off in vast quantities and Ukraine, like Georgia, has a dreadful record of falling behind with its payments. The main power station that supplies Moldova doesn't pay its bills at all. In 2005 Ukraine paid only $ 50 per 1,000 cubic metres of Russian gas, #pared with the $ 240 paid by the EU. Now Gazprom says it wants to sell to these countries on a purely #mercial basis.
That seems fair enough, but there is another dimension. Formally, at least, the $ 50 price is part ofa framework that is supposed to last until 2009. Moreover, Gazprom is not asking for the same increase from each of Russia' s neighbours. The independent Baltic states have two years to adjust. Georgia, which like Ukraine has an independent streak, faces a doubling of prices. Belarus, still friendly and dependable, is keeping its price and giving away part of the control of the pipeline to Russia instead. Gazprom and its chairman, Dmitry Medvedev, who moonlights as the head of Vladimir Putin' s presidential administration, decided which deal is presented to which country. And Russia's way of pressing its case was an example of energy politics of the most brutal sort.
On January 1st, when Russia kept gas out of the Brotherhood pipeline crossing Ukraine, it also stopped gas from Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan, big suppliers to the country, from flowing through its pipes. Although enough was left for the rest of Europe, Ukraine simply tapped off some gas for itself as usual. Theft, Gazprom called it; though the Ukrainians asserted they were taking only the Turkmen and Kazakh gas that was due to them. For European consumers, the argument was academic. All that mattered was their shortages of gas. Italy experienced a fall of one-quarter; France, one-third; it was worse in countries such as Hungary, Austria and the Czech Republic, which get more of their supplies from Russia. [440 words]
1. The author tells us that______
A. Ukraine has a long unhappy history
B. energy security is closely related to geopolitics
C. energy security depends heavily on geology
D. most countries in eastern Europe are allies
2. According to the text, Russia______
A. manages to make the best use of its energy riches
B. holds its former satellite countries in high esteem
C. feels somewhat twitchy about being a big gas supplier
D. jeopardises its sales to countries in eastern Europe
3. That ______is enraging Gazprom.
A. gas is sold on a purely #mercial basis
B. subsidized gas is sold to some former allies
C. gas has to be sold at an unreasonably low price
D. the price paid by EU is much higher than by Ukraine
4. Which of the following can account for Russia's brutal energy politics?
A. Gazprom is Russias huge gas monopoly.
B. Gazprom requires the same increase from each of its consumers.
C. The chairman of Gazprom is highly regarded by Vladimir Putin.
D. The extreme unfairness in the way Russia uses to make a deal.
5. According to the author, what matters most is that ______
A. many countries depend on Russia for their energy supply
B. Russia cut gas supplies to Ukraine, thus causing a turmoil
C. Gazprom decides which deal is presented to which country
D. some countries unexpectedly steal gas from Russias pipelines [NextPage] 难句透析
①That is a problem for most countries in eastern Europe，[which would“love to get their energy from allies，and feel understandably twitchy about having their former master as a big supplier].
【结构】方括号部分是”most countries“的后置定语从句。其中，有两个并列的谓语动词”love“和”feel“。
【释义】那是东欧大多数国家共有的问题。这些国家愿意从同盟国获得能源，可是对于原来的主子变成了最大的能源供给商，感觉很别扭，这完全可以理解。
②It sees former #munist satellite countries as nuisances，[which”scrounge subsidised gas，pay late if at all， and“jeopardise sales to western Europe by brinkmanship about transit fees].
【结构】方括号部分是”countries“的后置定语从句。其中，有三个并列的谓语动词”scrounge“，”pay“和”jeopard— ise“。
【释义】俄罗斯非常讨厌原来那些共产主义的卫星国。这些国家骗取优惠天然气，付款能拖就拖，通过在过境费上冒险把危机局势推到极限的政策来影响对西欧的天然气销售。
③”Its gas has long been siphoned off in vast quantities and Ukraine，like Georgia，has a dreadful record of falling behind with its payments.
【结构】本句是由“and”连接的两个分句组成的并列句。
【释义】俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司的天然气长期以来被大量抽走。乌克兰和格鲁吉亚共和国一样，有拖延付款的恶劣记录。
④Gazprom and its chairman，Dmitry Medvedev，Ewho moonlights as the head of Vladimir Putin's presidential ad— ministration]，decided[-which deal is presented to which country].
【结构】第一个方括号部分是“Dmitry Medvedev”的后置定语从句。第二个方括号部分是“decided”的宾语从句。
【释义】对何国家作何交易要由俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司和其总裁德米特里·梅德维捷夫拍板决定。德米特里·梅德维捷夫同时兼任弗拉基米尔·普京的总统办公厅主任。
⑤All[that mattered]was their shortages of gas：“Italy experienced a fall of one—quarter；France，one-third；it was worse in countries such as Hungary，Austria and the Czech Republic，[which get more of their supplies from Russia].
【结构】第一个方括号部分是”All“的后置定语从句。冒号后面是由分号连接的三个分句组成的并列句，起补充说明作用。第二个方括号部分是”countries“的后置定语从句。
【释义】最重要的是那些欧洲国家天然气短缺：意大利缺四分之一，法国缺三分之一，像匈牙利、奥地利和捷克共和国等国家情况更糟，他们的天然气主要靠俄罗斯供给。
[NextPage] 全文翻译
关于乌克兰和俄罗斯之间爆发的关于天然气的不愉快的故事可以被看做是能源安全问题的一个缩影。当问题集中到这种碳氢化合物身上时，地缘政治和地理位置永远是分不开的。那是东欧大多数国家共有的问题。这些国家愿意从同盟国获得能源，可是对于原来的主子变成了最大的能源供给商，感觉很别扭，这完全可以理解。
俄罗斯对此问题持不同的态度。它希望利用本国丰富的能源在国际市场上获得最大的效益。俄罗斯非常讨厌原来那些共产主义的卫星国。这些国家骗取优惠天然气，付款能拖就拖，通过在过境费上冒险把危机局势推到极限的政策来影响对西欧的天然气销售。
从这些方面就可以了解到为什么乌克兰及俄罗斯周边的其他国家激怒了垄断全俄天然气销售的俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司。俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司的天然气长期以来被大量抽走。乌克兰和格鲁吉亚共和国一样，有拖延付款的恶劣记录。供应摩尔多瓦的主要电站实际上根本就没有清偿过账单。在2005年，乌克兰使用的每 1000立方米俄罗斯天然气只支付50美金，而相比之下欧盟支付了240美金。目前俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司宣称将完全按照商业基准向这些国家出售天然气。
这样的举措看上去很公平，但其中还有一层内情。原则上讲，50美金这个价格是一个框架协议内的一部分，至少应执行到2009年。除此之外，俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司也并非对俄罗斯的每一个邻国都开出同样的价码。独立了的波罗的海诸国有两年的时间来做调节。格鲁吉亚和乌克兰这样独立的有独自国格的国家则面临着价格翻倍。而像白俄罗斯这样维持友好关系并附属于俄罗斯的国家，就维持了价格不变并将输气管道的部分控制权交给了俄罗斯。对何国家作何交易要由俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司和其总裁德米特里·梅德维捷夫拍板决定。德米特里·梅德维捷夫同时兼任弗拉基米尔·普京的总统办公厅主任。俄罗斯通过这样的方式来逼迫其邻国，正是能源政治最残酷的例证。
在1月1号，俄罗斯不仅中断了通过“手足”管道供给乌克兰的天然气，同时它还阻止了作为乌克兰大供气商的土库曼斯坦和哈萨克斯坦的天然气由其境内的管道流通。尽管欧洲其他国家留有足够使用的天然气，但是乌克兰还是不得不像以前一样给自己弄了点天然气回来。俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司将其行为称作“盗窃”；但乌克兰坚称其只不过取用了本就属于它的来自土库曼和哈萨克的天然气。对欧洲各国来说，这些争论则更具有学术性。最重要的是那些欧洲国家天然气短缺：意大利缺四分之一，法国缺三分之一，像匈牙利、奥地利和捷克共和国等国家情况更糟，他们的天然气主要靠俄罗斯供给。
超纲词汇
Brinkmanship n.冒险把危机局势推到极限的政策
Exasperate v.激怒
Gazprom n.俄罗斯天然气工业股份公司
Geopolitics n.地缘政治学
Inextricable adj.纠缠的，分不开的
jeopardise v.使受危险，危及
Moonlight v.兼职
Scrounge vt.骗取，乞求到，擅自拿取，偷取
siphon off v.虹吸出去
attribute n.属性，品质，特征
streak n.气质，性情，倾向
hearsay adj.传闻的
Transit n.转运，转口，过境运输
testimonial adj.证明的，作证的
Twitchy adj.焦急的，焦躁不安的
circumstantial adj.依照情况的
authoritarian adj.专制的，独裁的
参考答案：1.B 2.A 3.C 4.D 5.A
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