2008年6月英语四级真题及答案(5)

Consider the Kyoto Protocol (京都议定书). It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn’t. But it hasn’t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories (签字国) didn’t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets.

The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the only solution is new technology. Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.

The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it’s really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don’t solve the engineering problem, we’re helpless.

57. What is said about global warming in the first paragraph?

A) It may not prove an environmental crisis at all. C) Serious steps have been taken to avoid or stop it.

B) It is an issue requiring world wide commitments. D) Very little will be done to bring it under control.

58. According to the author’s understanding, what is Al Gore’s view on global warming?

A) It is a reality both people and politicians are unaware of.

B) It is a phenomenon that causes us many inconveniences.

C) It is a problem that can be solved once it is recognized.

D) It is an area we actually have little knowledge about.

59. Green house emissions will more than double by 2050 because of _______.

A) economic growth C) wasteful use of energy

B) the widening gap between the rich and poor D) the rapid advances of science and technology

60. The author believes that, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, ________.

A) politicians have started to do something to better the situation

B) few nations have adopted real tough measures to limit energy use

C) reductions in energy consumption have greatly cut back global warming

D) international cooperation has contributed to solving environmental problems

61. What is the message the author intends to convey?

A) Global warming is more of a moral issue than a practical one.

B) The ultimate solution to global warming lies in new technology

C) The debate over global warming will lead to technological breakthroughs.

D) People have to give up certain material comforts to stop global warming.

Passage Two

Someday a stranger will read your e-mail without your permission or scan the Websites you’ve visited. Or perhaps someone will casually glance through your credit card purchase or cell phone bills to find out your shopping preferences or calling habits.

In fact, it’s likely some of these things have already happened to you. Who would watch you without your permission? It might be a spouse, a girlfriend, a marketing company, a boss, a cop or a criminal. Whoever it is, they will see you in a way you never intended to be seen — the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked.

Psychologists tell us boundaries are healthy, that it’s important to reveal yourself to friends, family and lovers in stages, at appropriate times. But few boundaries remain. The digital bread crumbs (碎屑) you leave everywhere make it easy for strangers to reconstruct who you are, where you are and what you like. In some cases, a simple Google search can reveal what you think. Like it or not, increasingly we live in a world where you simple cannot keep a secret. The key question is: Does that matter?

When opinion polls ask Americans about privacy, most say they are concerned about losing it. A survey found an overwhelming pessimism about privacy, with 60 percent of respondents saying they feel their privacy is ―slipping away, and that bothers me.‖

But people say one thing and do another. Only a tiny fraction of Americans change any behaviors in an effort to preserve their privacy. Few people turn down a discount at tollbooths (收费站) to avoid using the EZ-Pass system that can track automobile movements. And few turn down supermarket loyalty cards. Privacy economist Alessandro Acquisti has run a series of tests that reveal people will surrender personal information like Social Security numbers just to get their hands on a pitiful 50-cents-off coupon (优惠券).

But privacy does matter – at least sometimes. It’s like health: When you have it, you don’t notice it. Only when it’s gone do you wish you’d done more to protect it.

62. What does the author mean by saying ―the 21st century equivalent of being caught naked ‖(Lines 3-4, Para.2)?

A) People’s personal information is easily accessed without their knowledge.

B) In the 21st century people try every means to look into others’ secrets.

C) People tend to be more frank with each other in the information age.

D) Criminals are easily caught on the spot with advanced technology.

63. What would psychologists advise on the relationships between friends?