考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit25
Jim Boon is a hybrid kind of guy. He drives a Toyota hybrid to work, a Honda hybrid on weekends and, as a manager for Seattle public transit he recently placed the world's largest order for hybrid electric buses.
Now, with the biggest hybrid-bus fleet in the world, Seattle has become the main testing ground for a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption. In the 1990s, demo fleets of 35 buses or fewer started cropping up in cities such as Tempe, Ariz. Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures. But no city has gone as far as Seattle, which last year bought 235 GM hybrid buses at $645,000 a pop. When the final one rolls out this December, the region's bus system will be 15 percent hybrid.
But why Seattle, and why now? The Pacific Northwest has long been a hotbed of both Green politics and cutting-edge technology. Fourteen years ago the Seattle area bought 236 Italian-made Breda buses to service a mile-long downtown tunnel. They were supposed to operate as clean electric trolleys underground, but the switching mechanism often failed and "the bus drove through the tunnel as a diesel," says Boon. "It was pretty loud and smoky."
When the Bredas hit retirement age in 2002, Boon went shopping. He chose the GM buses because they use an automatic transmission and diesel boosters that provide power to scale inclines without strain. In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus. "The days of seeing a diesel pull away and pour out smoke are over," says Boon. "After we drove these hybrid buses across the country, I wiped a handkerchief inside the tailpipe. It came out spotless."
Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air. It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year. GM claims that compared with conventional diesels, its new buses also churn out 90 percent less particulate matter--a known carcinogen. "Buses are a major source of pollution in any city," says Dave Kircher of the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency. "They operate where people are breathing this exhaust, so this is a major step forward in terms of emissions."
And a major step forward in the marketplace: Philadelphia; Honolulu; Long Beach, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M., have all bought the GM buses in recent months. GM is now touting itself in ads as the top hybrid-bus innovator, but Siemens is among the global giants dueling GM for new business, and New York plans to deploy 325 BAE Systems hybrids by 2006. "There's room for competition," says James Cannon, editor of Hybrid Vehicles newsletter. Seems Seattle isn't the only city trying to leave grunge behind.
注（1）：本文选自Newsweek; 9/20/2004；
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2004年Text 1.
1． How does Genoa protect its architectural treasures?
[A]Following Seattle’s steps to reduce pollution.
[B]Using electric power of the car when crossing.
[C]Shifting the power of the hybrids when crossing.
[D]Reducing the number of the buses crossing there.
2． Which of the following can be the main advantage of hybrid bus?
[A]Cutting air pollution and fuel consumption
[B]Producing less smoke and noise.
[C]Owning strong switching mechanism.
[D]Producing less dangerous matter.
3． The expression “churn out”(Line 4, Paragraph 5) most probably means ______.
[A]increase
[B]destroy
[C]reduce
[D]produce
4． Why buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of higher efficiency?
[A]Buses are a major source of pollution.
[B]A single bus saves much more gas than a single car.
[C]Buses carry more passengers.
[D]New buses produce less harmful material.
5． Which of the following is true according to the text?
[A]Many cities plan to buy GM buses.
[B]GM buses have the incomparable advantages over other buses.
[C]There is severe competition in the field of hybrid vehicles.
[D]The best way to keep the city clean is to buy hybrid buses.
答案：CADBC
篇章剖析
本文采用的是提出问题——分析问题的模式，指出混合动力公交车的优点，并分析了西雅图为什么会成为世界上拥有这种汽车最多的城市。第一段介绍了西雅图公共交通系统经理吉姆·布恩；第二段指出西雅图是世界上拥有混合动力公交车最多的城市；第三段和第四段分析了为什么会是西雅图这座城市，而且又是现在购买这么多GM公交车的原因；第五段介绍了同柴油机相比，混合动力公交车的性能优点；第七段介绍了其市场经营情况。
词汇注释
hybrid[5haIbrId]n.杂种, 混血儿, 混合物adj.混合的, 杂种的
place an order for sth. with v.向...定购某物
drastically adv.激烈地, 彻底地
demo[5demEJ]n.演示, 民主党员, 样本唱片
crop up v.突然出现
diesel[5di:z(E)l]n.柴油机
a pop每个，各
roll out v.铺开, 低沉地讲出, 离开, 动身, 大量生产, 滚出
hotbed[5hRtbed]n.温床
cutting-edge 尖端的，先进的
trolley[5trRlI]n.电车
accelerate[Ek5selEreIt]v.加速, 促进
belch[beltF]v.打嗝, (火山、炮等)冒烟、喷出
tailpipe[`teIlpaIp]n.[汽]排气管
churn out 大量产出；以一种丰富的和自动的方式产生
carcinogen[kB:5sInEdV(E)n]n.致癌物质
exhaust[I^5zC:st]n.废气
tout[taJt]v.吹捧
duel[5dju:El; (?@) 5du:El]v.决斗
deploy[dI5plCI]v.展开, 配置
grunge[^rQndV]n.<美俚>蹩脚货,难看的东西,乏味的东西
难句突破
1．In hilly Seattle, the prospect of a hybrid that could climb like a diesel but accelerate without belching black fumes helped justify a price $200,000 higher than that of a regular bus.
主体句式：… the prospect … helped justify a price …
结构分析：这句话的主语是“the prospect of a hybrid”，之后跟的是由that引导的定语从句来修饰“a hybrid”。在这个定语从句中，“climb”和“accelerate”都是谓语动词。“help”是谓语，后面经常跟“to do sth”， 其中“to”常被省略。“$200,000 higher than that of a regular bus”修饰“a price”，其中 “that”指代的是“price”。
句子译文：在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。
题目分析
1.答案为C, 属事实细节题。原文对应信息是：“Sixteen of these early hybrids still service Genoa, Italy, where drivers switch from diesel to electric power when passing the city's downtown architectural treasures.”
2.答案为A，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是第二段第一句话“a technology that claims it can drastically cut air pollution and fuel consumption”。第五段第一句话“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”又进一步印证了这一点。
3.答案为D，属猜词题。本段的主题句是“Experts say buses are critical to realizing the hybrid dream of greater efficiency and cleaner air.”其中已经介绍过了高功效，接下来要介绍高清洁。 “churn out”所在的句子是在说明这种新型公交车在减少大气污染方面的优良性能，根据语境可猜出词组的含义。
4.答案为B，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“It would take thousands of hybrid cars to save as many gallons of gas (750,000) as Boon expects his buses to save Seattle each year.”作对本题的关键是对此句的正确理解。参照“难句突破”部分的解释。
5.答案为C，属推理判断题。本段指出虽然美国通用汽车公司自诩是最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是GM在这一市场中做的并不是独家生意，也还存在着激烈的竞争，其中主要竞争对手是劲敌西门子公司，而且纽约作为一大客户，准备订购的是BAE系统混合动力车，而不是GM公司的车。由此我们可作出判断。
参考译文
吉姆·布恩是个混血儿。他上班开丰田混合动力车，周末开本田混合动力车。作为西雅图公共交通系统经理，他最近订购了世界上最大一批混合电力公交车。
现在，拥有世界上最大的混合动力公交车车队的西雅图已经成为一项技术的主要试验地。这项技术据说能大幅度降低空气污染和燃料消耗。在二十世纪九十年代，就有35辆或再少几辆这样的示范车突然出现在诸如亚利桑那州滕比这样的城市里。这些早年的混合动力车至今仍有16辆服务于意大利的热那亚。在热那亚，途经城市市区的建筑瑰宝时，司机就会把柴油动力转换成电力动力。但是没有哪座城市的做法赶得上西雅图，去年它以每辆645，000美元的价格购买了235辆美国通用汽车公司生产的混合动力公共汽车。今年十一月，当最后一辆车生产出来的时候，这个地区的公交汽车系统中混合动力车将占到15%。
可为什么是西雅图？为什么又是现在呢？美国太平洋西北部长期以来一直是绿色政治和尖端科技产生的摇篮。十四年前，西雅图地区曾购买了236辆意大利制造的布雷达（Breda）公共汽车用于一英里长的市区隧道的使用。本指望能把它们当作洁净的电力有轨电车在地下使用，但是车上的转换装置经常出毛病，“而且汽车在穿越隧道时就像是辆柴油机，”布恩说，“噪音太大，烟雾太多。”
2002年，当布雷达汽车到了“退休”的年龄时，由布恩进行新的采购。他之所以选择美国通用汽车是因为他们使用的是自动转换装置和能够提供动力来测量没有张力的斜坡的柴油推进器。在多山的西雅图，能够像柴油机那样上下行驶，加速时又不冒黑烟这样的混合动力车比普通汽车高出200，000美元的价位还是合理的。“看着柴油机冒着黑烟开走的日子终于结束了，”布恩说，“我们开车驶过乡村，我拿出手绢擦拭排气管的内部。手绢洁白无暇。”
专家认为汽车是实现高功效和高清洁梦想的关键。上千辆混合动力小汽车节省下来的汽油（750，000加仑）才和布恩预计他的汽车每年为西雅图节省的石油一样多。美国通用汽车公司声称，同传统柴油机相比，他们的这种新型汽车还能把产生的某种物质—— 一种已知的致癌物减少90%。“公共汽车在任何一座城市里都是主要的污染源，”普吉特海湾清洁空气监测站（the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency）的戴夫·奇瑟说，“汽车一开动，人们就开始在呼吸这种废气。因此这是在汽车排放物方面迈出的重大一步。”
在市场方面也向前迈出了重大一步：最近几个月，费城、火奴鲁鲁、长堤、加州和新墨西哥州的阿尔伯克基都购买了美国通用公共汽车。现在，美国通用汽车公司在广告中把自己吹嘘成最棒的混合动力公共汽车的改革者，但是与通用公司竞争这一新生意的还有全球性的大公司西门子公司；纽约计划到2006年配备325辆BAE系统的混合动力车。“这大有竞争的余地。”《动力机动车时事通讯》的编辑詹姆士·坎农是这样说的。看来好象不只西雅图一座城市想要把肮脏抛在身后。
考研英语阅读理解精读100篇unit26
Imagine asking a presidential candidate to sit down for a sensitivity session on gay and lesbian issues. That's exactly what we did last week in Austin, Texas. George W. Bush invited us, a dozen gay Republicans, after he'd refused to meet with a gay Republican group that had criticized him. Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.
Bush didn't like everything we had to say. I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn. I described how my partner, Rob Morris, and I have been in a 17-year relationship. We both come from healthy, strong, religious families. Rob grew up in a conservative Republican family in Georgia; I come from a longtime Republican family in Wisconsin. I'm now the vice president of my Lutheran church. I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community.
Our stories had an impact. Bush admitted that, growing up in Texas, he had not been as open to elements of America's diverse culture. He had a narrow set of friends and a firm set of traditions. But he was surprised and dismayed to hear that people saw him as intolerant. "What have I said that sent that signal?" he asked repeatedly. We confronted him about his reported statement that if you were openly gay or lesbian you would not be considered for a job in his administration. "I never said that," he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.
Our perspective was clearly eye-opening to him. When one of us talked about his lesbian sister and her partner adopting children, the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt. "Now you're telling me of a very loving, caring relationship," he said. "I really appreciate hearing that." We stressed that a Bush administration could not roll back any of the progress made in recent years. We talked about AIDS funding and research. Though Bush was attentive--and does show a willingness to hear all sides--I don't think we changed his positions. He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes. To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.
注（1）：本文选自Newsweek，04/24/2000, p43
注（2）：本文习题命题模仿对象2003年真题Text 4
1. What is implied in the first paragraph?
[A]A gay Republican group criticized Bush for his political views.
[B]It is impossible to invite a president for discussing the gay issues.
[C]No president candidate can ignore gay and lesbian issues at the present time.
[D]Gay and lesbian issues are hot issues for the president.
2. The author uses himself as an example to show _________.
[A]what it is like in the gay and lesbian community
[B]what it is like to be a gay.
[C]what kind of a family the gays come from.
[D]what it is like to maintain a gay relationship
3. The author’s attitude toward Bush’s performance at the meeting is _________.
[A]scornful
[B]satisfactory
[C]supporting
[D]objective
4. In spite of his careful listening, Bush still opposes the following behaviors except _________.
[A]adopting the child
[B]getting married
[C]redefining hate crimes
[D]employing the gays and lesbians
5. The text intends to express the idea that _________.
[A]the gays and lesbians long for the normal life
[B]Bush has partly changed his views about the gay issues
[C]there is still a long way to go to deal with the gay issues properly
[D]the gays has had a successful talk with Bush
答案：CABDC
篇章剖析
本文可以说是一篇记叙文，作者以第一人称的身份讲述了十几个共和党人同总统候选人布什的会面，并就男女同性恋问题进行了探讨和交流。第一段指出这一会面蕴涵的意义；在第二段，作者以自己为例，向布什具体讲述有关同性恋者的家庭、宗教信仰以及他（她）们之间的关系；第三段和第四段指出这一交流对布什产生的影响和作用。
词汇注释
behind the scenes adv.在后台, 在幕后
gay[^eI] n.<美俚> 同性恋者, 尤指男性同性者
sit down v.坐下, 扎营, 坐下来商讨, 停止, 降落
lesbian[5lezbIEn]n.同性恋的女性
precedent[5presIdEnt]n.先例
major party n.（有竞选力量、可能入主政府或成为主要反对党的）大党；主要政党
intolerant[In5tRlErEnt]adj.不宽容的, 偏狭的
eye-opening[`aI9EJpEnIN]adj.使瞠目吃惊的, 很有启发的
acknowledge[Ek5nRlIdV]vt.承认, 答谢, 报偿
难句突破
Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.
主体句式：Our meeting set an important precedent…
结构分析：“Our meeting set an important precedent”和“never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues”是一种并列关系。在这个句子中，需要注意这么一个语法点：如果否定词（never, hardly, seldom, etc）位于句首，谓语动词要倒装。注意掌握词组“run for”，意为“竞选”，“address”意为“处理”。
句子译文：我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。
题目分析
1.答案为C, 属推理判断题。原文对应信息是：“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues. ”这一句话点出了此次会谈的意义。
2.答案为A，属推理判断题。原文对应信息是“I wanted Governor Bush to understand that long-term, loving relationships, stable families, strong faith-based traditions and Republican voting histories are all part of the gay and lesbian community. ”作者以自己为例，是为了向布什更好地解释有关同性恋的问题。
3.答案为B，属情感态度题。原文对应信息是“I was struck by his lack of familiarity with the issues, as well as by his desire to learn.”其中“strike”的含义为“打动；感动；给…印象； 吸引”等等。文章最后两句话“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go. But I think he's a lot farther along today than he was last week.”意为“老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。”表现出对布什的赞赏和肯定。
4.答案为D，属事实细节题。原文对应信息是“He still opposes gay marriage and classifying crimes against gays as hate crimes.”由此我们可以确定选项B和C是正确的；从原文“the governor acknowledged his often-stated belief that gays should not adopt”，我们可以确定选项A是正确的；选项D在文中对应的信息是“he insisted, assuring us he would hire gays and lesbians who both were qualified and shared his political views.”
5.答案为C，属推理判断题。从文中第一段“Our meeting set an important precedent: never again will a major-party candidate be able to run for president without addressing gay and lesbian issues.”我们可看出同性恋问题的严重性。最后一段“To be honest, Bush still has a long way to go.”我们可看出这一问题的长期性和复杂性。由此可作出判断。
参考译文
想象一下，要求一位总统候选人坐下来参加“敏感会议”来商讨有关男女同性恋问题。但这正是我们上周在德克萨斯州的奥斯汀所做的事情。乔治·沃特·布什在拒绝会见批判他的共和党同性恋团体之后，邀请了我们十几位同性恋共和党人。我们的会面开创了一个重要的先河：主要政党的候选人不处理男女同性恋问题就能竞选总统的日子一去不复返了。
布什并不赞同我们不得不说出的一切。他对此类事情的陌生以及想要去了解的愿望使我深有感触。我向他讲述我和我的同伴罗布·莫理斯是如何处于这种长达17年的同性恋关系的。我们双方都是出自健康、健全、有宗教信仰的家庭。罗布生长在乔治亚州的一个保守的共和党家庭；我来自威斯康星州的一个老共和党人家庭。我现在是我所在的路德教堂的副会长。我想让领导人布什明白的是，男女同性恋团体拥有持久恩爱的关系，稳定的家庭，坚定的有宗教信仰的传统和共和党派选举史。
我们的讲述起了作用。布什承认，因为在德州长大，所以他对美国多元文化的构成不够敏感。他的交友圈很窄，而且他还固守传统。但是当他听说人们认为他很偏狭的时候，他还是感到吃惊和沮丧。“我说了什么话传递了这样的信息？”他反复地问。我们就他在报导声明里提到的如果你公然表示是男同性恋或女同性恋的话，那么将不予考虑你在政府部门任职这一观点进行了对质。“我从未说过这样的话。”他是这样强调的，并向我们保证他会任用那些能干并且与他政治观点相同的男、女同性恋的。
我们的看法对他而言显然是有启发性的。当我们中的一个人谈到他的同性恋姐姐和她的同伴收养孩子的问题时，这位领导人承认了他经常陈述的观点，那就是同性恋不应该收养孩子。“你们给我讲述了一种很忠情、很关爱的关系，”他说，“我真的很重视我所听到的有关情况。”我们强调说布什政府不会使我们近几年所取得的进展付之东流。我们还谈到了有关艾滋病资助和研究问题。虽然布什很专注——也确实表现出愿意倾听各方的意见——但我认为我们并没有改变他的观点。他仍然反对同性恋人结婚，反对把迫害同性恋者的犯罪归为仇视罪。老实说，布什要走的路还很长。但是我认为与上周相比，他今天已走了很远。
