2015年考研英语阅读理解考前专项训练（55）
发布时间：2012/10/31 13:28:16 来源：城市网学院 编辑：admin
Polluted water is nothing new in the United States.We have lived through flaming rivers and caustic creeks that could take the hide off a hound.For decades，however，efforts to safeguard drinking water were hampered beeause no one had an accurate sense of the full range of contaminants in the watef supply，nor of the geographic extent of the pollution.①This year two separate research teams unveiled sophisticated new tools to find out exactly what chemical dangers are lurking in freshwater streams.
“Research in Europe in the l990s showed that pharmaceuticals were turning up in the water，”says Dana Kolpin，leader of a U.S.Geological Survey Water Resources Division research team that develoPedI five new analyrtic methods for measuring water contaminants.“0ur big effort was tO develop methods to measure very small amounts of organic chemicals.”The research team fanned out across 30 states nationwide and conducted two years of sampling from 139 streams.They were chosen，says Kolpin，on the basis of their location downstream from“intense urbanization and livestock production.”In a study published in the March l 5 Journal of Environmental Science&Technology.Kolpin and his colleagues reported they looked for 95 different contaminants， such as antibiotics，steroids，hormones， antioxidants，plasticizers，and various solvents.They found 82 0f them.Nearly 80 percent of the streams showed one or more of the contaminants.The median stream contained seven.Even the good news--that the most frequently detected contaminants like fecal steroids，cholesterol，insect repellent， caffeine，disinfectant，fire retardant，and detergents were found in generally low concentrations--had to be qualified.Many of those #pounds have no guidelines for safe amounts，and little is known about the effects of chronic exposure or the interactive effects of #pounds that have been detected together.②
In a related Environmental Protection Agency study that is still in progress，a team of scientists at the Johns Hopkins Whiting School of Engineering is using gas chromatography and mass spectrometry to detect the presence of various anticonvulsants and anticancer drugs in drinking water.Led by Lynn Roberts and Ed Bouwer，the researchers track samples at sewage-treatment facilities in Massachusetts and Maryland to determine whether and in what quantities pharmaceuticals are getting through the waste— treatment plants and the extent to which they may be accumulating in coastal waters.
The goal of both research teams is to provide a baseline of what organic #pounds are in the water， in what quantities，and how they are getting there--key steps toward ensuring that the water we drink isn't killing us.
1.The second sentence of the first paragraph，“We have lived through…off a hound”，intends to say that______
A.many rivers and creeks have been excessively polluted by various contaminants
B.our lives depend on flaming rivers and caustic creeks
C.we cannot prevent rivers and creeks from being hounded
D.people cannot live without the supply of water from rivers and creeks
2.According to this passage，two research teams______
A.have determined the full range of contaminants in the water supply
B.have ascertained the geographic extent of the water pollution
C.have developed new methods to measure water contaminants
D.have succeeded in preventing drinking water from being polluted
3.Which of the following statements is TRUE?
A.Altogether 95 different contaminants have been found in streams.
B.Nearly 80 percent of the streams surveyed contains only the familiar contaminants.
C.The most frequently detected contaminants are usually in low concentrations.
D.The average number of contaminants in each stream surveyed is seven.
4.The two research teams mentioned in the passage endeavor______
A.to track samples at more sewage-treatment facilities
B.to determine latent chemical dangers in the water
C.to measure the exact amount of any drug found in drinking water
D.to find out the precise number of contaminants in freshwater streams
5.Which of the following can serve as the best title of the passage?
A.The Organic Compounds in the Water
B.Drinking Water Drugged
C.Polluted Rivers and Streams
D.Guidelines for Safe Water [NextPage] 难句透析
①For decades，however，efforts[to safeguard drinking water]were hampered because no one had an accurate sense“of the full range of contaminants in the water supply.nor of the geographic extent of the pollution].
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的动词不定式短语用做后置定语，修饰”efforts“。第二个方括号所标示的部分是由”because“引导的原因状语从句。两个并列的介词短语”of the full range…“和”0f the geographic extent…“用做”an accurate sense“的后置定语。
【释义】但是，几十年来，保护饮用水的努力一直受到阻碍，因为没有任何人确切了解供水系统中污染物的种类总共有多少，污染的地理范围有多广。
②”Many of those #pounds have no guidelines for safe amounts，and little is known about the effects of chronic exposure or the interactive effects of #pounds[that have been detected together].
【结构】整句是由“and”连接的两个分句组成的并列句。方括号所标示的部分用做后置定语从句，修饰“tom— pounds”。
【释义】那些化合物中，许多种都没有含量安全标准的规定。对于长期接触这些化合物的后果或同时检测到的各种化合物之间相互反应的后果，人们几乎毫无所知。
③[Led by Lynn Roberts and Ed Bouwer]，the researchers track samples at sewage-treatment facilities in Massa— ehusetts and Maryland[to determine（whether and in what quantities pharmaceuticals are getting through the waste-treatment plants）and the extent（to which they may be accumulating in coastal waters）].
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的过去分词短语用做状语。第二个方括号所标示的动词不定式短语用做目的状语。第一个圆括号所标示的部分是动词不定式“to determine”的宾语从句。第二个圆括号所标示的部分是“the extent”的后置定语从句。
【释义】在林恩·罗伯特和爱德华·布维尔的领导下，研究人员跟踪研究马萨诸塞州和马里兰州污水处理厂处理的污水抽样，以确定是否有药物从污水处理厂排放出去，量有多大，并判定这些药物在沿海水域会积聚到多大程度。
④The goal of both research teams is Eto provide a baseline of（what organic #pounds are in the water，in what quantities.and how they are getting there）]--key steps toward[ensuring（that the water（we drink）isn't killing us）].
【结构】第一个方括号所标示的动词不定式短语用做整句的表语。第二个方括号所标示的动名词短语用做介词“toward”的宾语。
【释义】两个研究小组的目标都是要对水中存在哪些有机化合物、它们的含量以及进入水中的途径确定基线——而这是保证我们喝的水不至于毒死我们的关键步骤。
全文翻译
水污染在美国已经不是什么新鲜事了。我们所经历的时代曾有像着火一般的河和极具腐蚀性的溪水从我们身边流过，它们的水足以把猎狗的毛皮腐蚀掉。但是，几十年来，保护饮用水的努力一直受到阻碍，因为没有任何人确切了解供水系统中污染物的种类总共有多少，污染的地理范围有多广。今年有两支独立的研究组为人们揭示了新的复合检测方法，以测定到底有多少有害物质正汇入淡水的水流。
丹纳·科尔平是美国地质勘探局水资源分部下属的一支研究小组的带头人，根据科尔平的说法，“20世纪90年代欧洲所进行的研究就已经证明水中出现了制药剂成份”，该研究小组发明了5种新的分析检测方法以测量水中污染物的情况。“我们所做的最大努力就是开发能检测出微量有机化合物的方法。”研究小组走过全国30个州，在两年中从139条河流中进行了取样。科尔平说选择这些河流是基于他们的位置都处在“城市化高度集中以及生物繁衍密集地区”的下游。在3月15号发表在《环境科技学报》上的一篇研究报告中，科尔平和他的同事们称他们在这些水域中寻找95种不同的污染物，比如说抗生素、类固醇、荷尔蒙、抗氧化剂、可塑剂以及各种溶剂等。他们发现了其中的82类。所调查河流中的80％都至少含有l至2种污染物。中等河流达到7种。甚至就连好消息——就是常见的污染物比如排泄物所含类固醇、胆固醇、驱虫剂、咖啡因、消毒剂、防燃剂以及去污剂都只是很少量的出现——也只是在有限的区域内存在。那些化合物中，许多种都没有含量安全标准的规定。对于长期接触这些化合物的后果或同时检测到的各种化合物之间相互反应的后果，人们几乎毫无所知。
目前，由环境保护总局牵头的一项相关研究也正在进行中。来自约翰霍普金斯大学怀汀工程学院的科学家们正利用气相色谱法和质谱法来侦测饮用水中各类抗惊厥药剂和抗癌药剂的含量。在林恩·罗伯特和爱德华·布维尔的领导下，研究人员跟踪研究马萨诸塞州和马里兰州污水处理厂处理的污水抽样，以确定是否有药物从污水处理厂排放出去，量有多大，并判定这些药物在沿海水域会积聚到多大程度。
两个研究小组的目标都是要对水中存在哪些有机化合物、它们的含量以及进入水中的途径确定基线——而这是保证我们喝的水不至于毒死我们的关键步骤。
超纲词汇
anticonvulsant adj.／n.抗惊厥的（药物），抗痉挛的（药物）
antioxidant n.[化]抗氧化剂，硬化防止剂
caffeine n.咖啡因，茶精（兴奋剂）
caustic adj.腐蚀性的，刻薄的
cholesterol n.胆固醇
chromatography n.[印刷]套色版
creek n.（美）小溪，小河；（英）小港，小湾
disinfectant n.消毒剂
fecal adj.排泄物的，渣滓的，糟粕的
hound n.猎犬，卑鄙的人
pharmaceutical n.制药的，药用的
plasticizer n.可塑剂
repellent adj.排斥的
retardant n.延缓（作用）剂
spectrometry n.[物]光谱测定法，度谱术
steroid n.[生化]类固醇
unveil vt.／vi.使公之于众，揭开，揭幕，除去…的面纱
参考答案：1.A 2.C 3.D 4.B 5.B
