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第二部分：閱讀理解（共兩節，第一節20小題，第二節5小題；每小題2分，滿分50分）
第一節：閱讀下列短文，從每題所給的四個選項（A、B、C、D）中，選出最佳選項，并在答題紙上將該選項標號涂黑。
A
The economic growth that many nations in Asia and increasingly Africa have experienced over the past couple of decades has transformed hundreds of millions of lives – almost entirely for the better. But there's a byproduct to that growth, one that's evident – or sometimes less than evident – in the smoggy, smelly skies above cities like Beijing, New Delhi and Jakarta. Thanks to new cars and power plants, air pollution is bad and getting worse in much of the world, and it's taking a major toll (傷亡人數，代價) on global health.
How big? According to a new analysis published in the Lancet, more than 3.2 million people suffered deaths from air pollution in 2010, the largest number on record. That's up from 800,000 in 2000. And it's a regional problem: 65% of those deaths occurred in Asia, where the air is choked by diesel soot (內燃發動機煙霧) from cars and trucks, as well as the song from power plants and the dust from endless urban construction. In East Asia and China, 1.2 million people died, as well as another 712,000 in South Asia, including India. For the first time ever, air pollution is on the world's top – 10 list of killers, and it's moving up the ranks faster than any other factor.
So how can air pollution be so damaging? It is the very finest soot – so small that it roots deep within the lungs and from the enters the bloodstream – that contributes to most of the public – health toll of air pollution including death. Diesel soot, which can also cause cancer, is a major problem because it is concentrated in cities along transportation zones affecting overpopulated areas. It is thought to contribute to half the deaths from air pollution in urban centers. Fro example, 1 in 6 people in the U.S. live near a diesel – pollution hot spot like a rail yard, port terminal or freeway.
We also know that air pollution may be linked to other non – deadly diseases. Fortunately in the U.S. and other developed nations, urban air is for the most part cleaner than it was 30 or 40 years ago, thanks to regulations and new technologies like the catalytic converters (催化式排氣凈化器) that reduce automobile emissions. Govemments are also pushing to make air cleaner – see the White House's move last week to further tighten soot standards. It's not perfect, but we've had much more success dealing with air pollution than climate change.
Will developing nations like India eventually catch up? Hopefully – though the problem may get worse before it gets better. The good news is that it doesn't take a major technological advance to improve urban air. Switching from diesel fuel to unleaded (無鉛燃油) helps, as do newer and cleaner cars which are less likely to send out pollutants. Power plants – even ones that burn mineral fuels like coal – can be fitted with pollution – control equipment that, at a price, will greatly reduce smog and other pollutants.
But the best solutions may involve urban design. In the Guardian, John Vidal notes that Delhi now has 200 cars per 1,000 people, far more than much richer Asian cities like Hong Kong and Singapore. Developing cities will almost certainly see an increase in care ownership as residents become wealthier – and that doesn't have to mean deadly air pollution. Higher incomes should also lead to tougher environmental regulations, witch is exactly what happened in the West. We can only hope it happens before the death toll from bad air gets even higher.
41. What tends to give rise to the highest death toll according to the passage?
A. The lack of tight environmental protection standards.
B. The increasing numbers of the diesel cars and trucks.
C. The frighteningly high death rate from deadly cancer.
D. The world's serious air pollution such as soot and dust.
42. The “byproduct” (Paragraph 1) most probably refers to .
A. consequence B. solution C. reform D. design
43. The basic reason why so many people die from air pollution is that .
A. the diesel soot is too small to be seen
B. the diesel soot is much too poisonous to breathe
C. the diesel soot roots in lungs and gets into blood
D. the diesel soot can also contribute to deadly cancer
44. According to the passage, the writer actually wants to convince the readers that .
A. the global economic growth is mainly to blame for air pollution and climate change
B. the developing countries are repeating the same mistakes as the developed ones made
C. the ecological situation and air pollution in India are becoming worse and worse
D. the unbeatable air is increasingly becoming a major killer throughout the world
45. By describing urban design as “the best solution” in the last paragraph, the writer means that .
A. the making of tougher environmental regulations alone is of little use
B. more sever regulations should be made to handle air pollution
C. the urban construction in western developed countries is the best choice
D. the pace of development has to be slowed down to reduce air pollution
B
Below are two on – line ads of electronic devices.
46. With a Kindle Paper white, one can .
A. text messages to his friends B. take photos of his friends
C. read even in strong sunlight D. download music and movies
47. One of the features of Kindle Paperwhite is that .
A. it provides books not available elsewhere B. it can greatly increase your reading speed
C. it can store as many as 180,000 books D. it helps parents keep kids under control
48. The reason why Franklin electronic dictionary appeals to low level readers may be that .
A. definitions are read out as well as words
B. it has a large screen for as many as 11 lines
C. it helps correct spelling mistakes
D. it offers guide on how te write in style
49. We can learn from the above passage that .
A. Owen has bought at least three Franklin electronic dictionaries
B. young kids dislike looking words up in traditional dictionaries
C. Franklin electronic dictionaries are designed specially for children
D. users can get their voices recorded into Kindle Paper white.
