快速阅读技巧

第三节　快速阅读技巧

一、快速阅读的基本技巧

(一)避免发声

出声阅读是影响阅读速度的重要因素。实验统计表明，朗读的速度最快每分钟只能达到200字，而默读每分钟可达800字左右，是朗读的4倍。因此，提高阅读首先要学会默读。默读的关键在于避免出声，有的人在读时虽然听不到有明显的出声现象，但是仔细观察会发现他的唇或舌在动，说明其阅读仍有不易觉察的潜在发声现象，这仍会影响到阅读的速度。在实际阅读训练中，要有意识地克服唇动、舌动的现象。

(二)减少注视点

阅读过程中，眼睛是以快速眼跳运动的方式进行的。其中眼跳运动的时间只占10%，而眼睛停留在各个注视点上停顿的时间占到总时间的90%。可见，眼睛主要不是靠眼跳的运动，而是通过眼跳中的注视停顿来获取信息。这样，减少一行乃至一页文字中的注视点，也就相应使得视觉幅度扩大，每次眼停获得的信息增多，从而可以节省阅读时间，提高阅读的效率。

(三)缩短眼停时间

眼停时间是指眼睛在每个注视点上停留的时间。减少停留的时间，也会相应提高整体阅读的速度。

(四)避免回视

回视是指眼跳经过某一注视点后又重新返回。回视的次数越多，阅读的速度就会越慢。因此，必须努力克服回视的毛病。一般来说，回视的出现是由于注意力不够集中，阅读缺乏自信，总担心没有完全看清楚。要避免回视，就应从这些方面多加注意。阅读时，眼脑并用，注意力高度集中，尽量避免回视，要看完一篇全文后再考虑是否重读。

(五)要灵活运用多种筛选信息的方法

利用已具备的有关知识，从整体上理解材料的内容;阅读时抓住材料的思路，根据上文判定下文属于何种语言模式，大胆猜读，不要消极地等待下一语句的出现;只选取主要的信息供大脑编码，排除次要信息、无关信息。浏览式阅读、选择式阅读、排外式阅读、鉴别式阅读均是快读法中筛选信息的有效方法，可结合运用。

运用快读法，一定要保证快读的质量。快读能力的提高必须经过严格的训练，而且要长期坚持，才能真正掌握快读的技能。初学快读法，可编写提纲、复述大意、缩写要点等方式来检验阅读的效果。

二、快速阅读需要注意的问题

(一)要保持注意力的集中

快速阅读不只是求速度，还要求达到理解的准确，如果注意力不集中就很难保证在极短的时间内能够对内容理解，更谈不上对内容的记忆和掌握。因此，阅读的速度越快，就越需要读者的注意力保持高度集中。这对于保证快速阅读的效率是非常重要的。

(二)提高整体识读的能力

阅读速度的提高，与阅读者的整体识读能力有着很直接的关系。逐字逐句读书的习惯使注视点增多，眼跳次数增多，势必影响阅读的速度。而如果将许多字词、一句或数句甚至一段作为一个整体来识读，就会大大减少注视点和眼跳次数，使每次眼停的阅读视野扩大，阅读速度也会成倍地提高。因此，在阅读中注意养成整体识读的习惯，也是提高快速阅读能力的一个重要方面。

(三)正确处理好阅读速度与理解、记忆的关系

我们所说的快速阅读，当然是在理解、记忆基础上的阅读。如果抛开了对所读材料的理解和记忆，而单纯追求速度，那这个速度即使再快也是没有意义的。因此，提高阅读的速度，一定要处理好速度与理解、记忆之间的关系。快速阅读必须以一定的理解水平、记忆掌握能力为前提。一般来说，快速阅读的理解率应保持在70%左右的水平。

三、新英语四级快速阅读技巧

新四级阅读的最大变化，是新增了专门的“快速阅读” ，对考生心理挑战最大。似乎对速度的要求突然间猛增，让人手足无措，其实不然。快速阅读要求考生在15分钟内完成一篇1 200字左右的文章和后面的10道题。前面7个题是判断正误(包括NOT GIVEN) ，后3个是填空题(答案基本都是原文中出现的原词) 。此前四篇文章的那种传统阅读，我们也会感觉到速度有问题。而问题的症结，正是在于这两大技术的掌握。因为一篇文章四五道题，也就是说只考文章重要信息和一部分特定信息。而如果能有过硬的略读术，快速找到文章的核心信息;又能够快速扫描，找到题目所需要的具体信息，而不在无关信息上纠缠，速度自然就快了起来。

信息社会，对速度的要求越来越高。然而很多人如老牛破车，总是怪那个单词不认识，那个句子读不懂，苦苦挣扎，不知所以，他所纠缠的那个词或者句子，可能根本与解题无关。所以快速阅读其实不是新的玩意儿，只是将我们在阅读中最常见而又最被忽略的问题专门提出，加以强化，借以引起我们的重视。

从历史上看，四级对于阅读速度的要求，也不是一时的心血来潮，而是一个连续的过程。2002年，四级平均阅读量是284个单词/文; 2003年6月，这个数字增加到300个单词/文;而到了2005年两次考试，分别达到320和333。所以快速阅读实在与传统阅读相辅相成。传统阅读很好，尤其如果速度不成问题，快速阅读自在掌握之中;而快速阅读如果练好了，对于传统阅读，当有如虎添翼之功。

快速阅读题型需要通过略读和寻读法，乃至文章逻辑关系、标点符号等方面的综合运用，实现对随后的题目有效的判断和填写。因此，在解答题目方面，快速阅读并不强调一定要像精读文章那样通篇认真研究，相反，快速阅读题目更强调测试考生在实践语言环境中查询有效信息的能力，这也反映出四六级考试试图提升考生实际应用能力的改革方向。

快速阅读文章的篇幅和题目的设置都让我们感觉到它区别于精读文章，考生在解答题目的时候，需要使用特定的阅读方法和思路。从这个意义上讲，在进行快速阅读时，应该从以下几个环节着手:

(一)阅读题目以预测文章内容

预测是指在阅读正文前，对文章进行的预测性的主动思维。应该先读题目，后看文章，同时根据题目设想一下文章可能涉及的内容，以及所使用的词汇量的类型与范围，乃至题目涉及到的关键性的词汇。诸如，大写字母、时间、数字等用词，这些词汇都是在阅读文章查询信息过程中重要的提示。阅读题目，一方面可以知道文章内容涉及的话题，另一方面还提示我们在阅读文章时要留意相关的特殊信息点。

(二)略读和寻读巧妙搭配

面对快速阅读这样一种新题型，考生应该巧妙地将略读和寻读两种方法结合起来，而不要机械、孤立地使用某一种阅读方法。

略读(或称为跳跃式阅读) ( skimming)的重点在于快速了解文章的中心思想。略读的方法是首先看一下标题(在有标题的情况下) ，接着读第一段，抓住中心思想，再浏览一下其他段落的首句和末句，最后读完结尾段。

寻读的重点在于有目标地去找出文中某些特定的信息。寻读时，要以很快的速度扫视文章，确定所查询的信息范围。同时明确查询信息的特点。如:问题或选项中所涉及到的人名、地名，则主要寻找首字母大写的单词;有关日期、数目的问题，则主要查找具体数字;有关某个事件、某种观点等，就需要寻找与此相关的关键词，而与所查信息无关的内容可一掠而过。

在使用这些方法时候，还要注意几个问题:

1．注意首尾句的出现

如果短文包括几个自然段，则应注意第一、二段和最后一段，力求抓住文章的主旨大意，注意了解文章的主题句及结论句。

2．注意标点符号的使用

可以运用标点符号(破折号、小括号、冒号)了解抽象的词汇或句子的含义。因为这些标点符号的出现就是为了更进一步地解释其前的信息。但同时，由于快速阅读用词相对比较简单，很容易理解和把握标点前的被解释信息，所以，可以将这些标点符号后面的信息删除，从而更加快速地把握文章，提高阅读效率。

3．注意逻辑关系的运用

逻辑关系分布在文章的句子内部，句句之间，以及段落之间。最基本的逻辑关系有因果关系，并列、递进关系，转折关系等等。(详解见第一章)这些我们其实已经很熟悉的逻辑提示词在文章中起的效果，并非仅仅是衔接文章的句子，从阅读的角度来看，它们同时在给我们某种提示，告诉我们哪些句子是有效信息和相对重要的信息，哪些信息是相对不重要的信息。因为我们在处理文章的时候，有一条清晰的思路，你不是为了完整翻译文章而进行阅读，而是为了获取某些信息而进行阅读，所以，要利用逻辑关系简化阅读。例如，并列、递进关系词，意味着它们前后衔接的信息从主旨的体现上没有发生变化，而更多的表现为前后句子主旨的相似性，所以我们选择其中的一半进行阅读。这样，在保证了阅读质量的基础上，也极大地提高了阅读速度。

4．注意特殊标记的使用

用最快的速度通读文章，找到自己需要的细节描述部分，并在有关的句子下做出各种记忆符号。文章浏览完毕，再将划线部分(或做其它符号)重新详读一次，并进行适当的判断。

(三)研读法以辅助

除了在阅读理解中运用略读法和寻读法之外，有时还需要仔细阅读文章的某一特定部分，力求对其有较深的理解，或对其进行归纳、总结、推断等，这时就需要对这部分进行仔细阅读，理解作者的言外之意。这种仔细的阅读方法就是研读法( study reading) ，通常适用于推断型阅读理解试题。这种方法在快速阅读中使用并不多，但它对于快速阅读的解题方法来说绝对是一个有力的补充。

总的来说，在试题中快速阅读理解部分篇幅长，题目灵活，会让考生感觉无从下手。但是，对于该题型我们应该有一个清晰的概念，那就是快速阅读测试的重点是考考生在短时间内获取篇章主旨和特定信息的能力，因此，它更强调了正确的阅读方法和技巧。只要我们巧妙地运用略读和寻读，必要的时候辅助以研读的方法，培养好的阅读习惯，还是很容易取得满意的成绩的。

练习

Reading Comprehension ( Skimming and Scanning) ( 15 minutes)

Directions: In this part，you will have 15 minutes to go over the passage quickly and answer the questions on Answer Sheet 1． For questions 1- 7，mark

Y ( for YES) if the statement agrees with the information given in the passage;

N ( for NO) if the statement contradicts the information given in the passage;

NG ( for NOT GIVEN) if the information is not given in the passage．

Passage 1

Theft Deterrent System

To deter the vehicle theft，the system is designed to give an alarm and keep the engine from being started if any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood is forcibly unlocked or the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected when the vehicle is locked．

The alarm blows the horn intermittently and flashes the headlights，tail lights and other exterior lights． The engine cannot be started because the starter circuit will be cut．

Setting the System

1． Turn the ignition key to the“LOCK”position and remove it．2． Have all passengers get out of the vehicle．

3． Close and lock the front，sliding and back doors and hood．

The indicator light will come on when the front，sliding and back doors and hood are closed and locked．

As the front doors are locked，the system will give you a preparation time of 30 seconds before the setting，during which the front，sliding and back doors and hood may be opened to prepare for the setting．

Be careful not to use the key when opening either front door． This will cancel the system．

4． After making sure the indicator light starts flashing，you may leave the vehicle．

The system will automatically be set after the preparation time elapses． The indicator light will flash to show the system is set． If any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood is opened at that time，the setting is interrupted until it is closed and locked．

Never leave anyone in the vehicle when you set the system，because unlocking from the inside will activate (使起动) the system．

When the System Is Set

Activating the system

The system will give the alarm and cut the starter circuit under the following conditions:

If any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood is unlocked without using the key

If the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected

After one minute，the alarm will automatically stop with the starter circuit cut kept on．

Reactivating the Alarm

Once set，the system automatically resets the alarm each time the front，sliding and back doors and hood are closed after the alarm stops．

The alarm will be activated again under the following conditions:

If any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood is opened

If the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected

Stopping the Alarm

Turn the ignition key from the“LOCK”to“ACC”position． The alarm will be stopped with the starter circuit cut kept on． Stopping the alarm in this manner will keep the alarm from being reactivated when any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood is opened．

Interrupting the Setting

With the system set， the back door can be opened with the key without activating or canceling the system． While it is open， the front and sliding doors and hood may be opened in addition，and the system can be activated only by the battery terminal disconnection．

To resume the setting，close and lock the front，sliding and back doors and hood． The back door must be closed with the key removed．

Cancelling the System

Unlock either front door with the key，or unlock the sliding door with the key when it has been closed． This cancels the system completely and the starter circuit cut will be cancelled at once．

Indicator Light

The indicator light gives the following three indications when the system is in use． When the light is:

FLASHING- The system is set． You need the key to open the front，sliding and back doors and hood．

ON- The system will automatically be set when the time comes． The front，sliding and back doors and hood may be opened without a key．

OFF- The system is inactive． You may open any door and hood．

Testing the System

1． Open the driver's and front passenger's windows．

2． Set the system as described above． The front doors should be locked with the key． Be sure to wait until the indicator light starts flashing．

3． Unlock one of the front，sliding and back doors from the inside． The sys tem should activate the alarm．

4． Cancel the system by unlocking either front door with the key．

5． Repeat this operation for the other doors and hood． When testing on the hood，also check that the system is activated when the battery terminal is disconnected and then reconnected．

If the system does not work properly，have it checked by your Toyota dealer．Questions:

1． The system is used to deter the vehicle theft according to the instructions．

2． In order to set the system，you should have all passengers get out of the vehicle．

3． The system will be cancelled when you use the key to open the back door．4． The system will be not be activated unless you use the key to open any of the front，sliding and back doors and hood．

5． In order to stop the alarm，you have to turn the ignition key from the“ACC”to“LOCK”position．

6． When the indicator light is flashing，it is needless to use the key to open any of the doors and hood．

7． The passage tells us that the system works so effectively that it never breaks down．

8． As the front doors are locked，the theft deterrent system will give you aprepa ration time of__________before setting．

9． Before leaving the vehicle，make sure that the indicator light__________．

10． According to the passage，if the system refuses to work properly，have it checked by your__________．

Passage 2

Will We Run Out of Water?

Picture a“ghost ship”sinking into the sand，left to rot on dry land by a receding sea． Then imagine dust storms sweeping up toxic pesticides and chemical fertilizers from the dry seabed and spewing them across towns and villages．

Seem like a scene from a movie about the end of the world? For people living near the Aral sea (咸海) in Central Asia，it's all too real． Thirty years ago，government planners diverted the rivers that flow into the sea in order to irrigate ( provide water for) farmland． As a result，the sea has shrunk to half its original size，stranding (使搁浅) ships on dry land． The seawater has tripled in salt content and become polluted，killing all 24 native species of fish．

Similar large- scale efforts to redirect water in other parts of the world have al so ended in ecological crisis，according to numerous environmental groups． But many countries continue to build massive dams and irrigation systems，even though such projects can create more problems than they fix． Why? People in many parts of the world are desperate for water，and more people will need more water in the next century．

“Growing populations will worsen problems with water， ”says Peter H． Gleick，an environmental scientist at the Pacific Institute for Studies in Development，Environment，and Security，a research organization in California． He fears that by the year 2025，as many as one third of the world's projected (预测的) 8． 3 billion people will suffer from water shortages．

Where Water Goes

Only 2． 5 percent of all water on Earth is freshwater，water suitable for drinking and growing food，says Sandra Postel，Director of the Global Water Policy Project in Amherst，Mass． Two thirds of this freshwater is locked in glaciers (冰山) and ice caps(冰盖) ． In fact，only a tiny percentage of freshwater is part of the water cycle， in which water evaporates and rises into the atmosphere， then condenses and falls back to Earth as precipitation ( rain or snow) ．

Some precipitation runs off land to lakes and oceans，and some becomes groundwater，water that seeps into the earth． Much of this renewable freshwater ends up in remote places like the Amazon river basin in Brazil，where few people live． In fact，the world's population has access to only 12， 500 cubic kilometers of freshwater—about the amount of water in Lake Superior(苏必利尔湖) ． And people use half of this amount already． “If water demand continues to climb rapidly， ”says Postel ， “there will be severe shortage and damage to the aquatic (水的) environment． ”

Close to Home

Water woes(灾难) may seem remote to people living in rich countries like the United States． But Americans could face serious water shortages，too，especially in areas that rely on groundwater． Groundwater accumulates in aquifers (地下蓄水层) ， layers of sand and gravel that lie between soil and bedrock． ( For every liter of surface water，more than 90 liters are hidden underground． ) Although the United States has large aquifers，farmers，ranchers，and cities are tapping many of them for water faster than nature can replenish(补充) it． In northwest Texas，for example，overpumping has shrunk groundwater supplies by 25 percent，according to Postel．

Americans may face even more urgent problems from pollution． Drinking water in the United States is generally safe and meets high standards． Nevertheless，one in five Americans every day unknowingly drinks tap water contaminated with bacteria and chemical wastes，according to the Environmental Protection Agency．In Milwaukee， 400， 000 people fell ill in 1993 after drinking tap water tainted with cryptosporidium (隐孢子虫) ， a microbe (微生物) that causes fever，diarrhea(腹泻) and vomiting．

The Source

Where do contaminants come from? In developing countries， people dump raw(未经处理的) sewage(污水) into the same streams and rivers from which they draw water for drinking and cooking; about 250 million people a year get sick from water borne (饮水传染的) diseases．

In developed countries，manufacturers use 100， 000 chemical compounds to make a wide range of products． Toxic chemicals pollute water when released un treated into rivers and lakes． ( Certain compounds，such as polychlorinated biphenyls (多氯化联二苯) ， or PCBs，have been banned in the United States． )

But almost everyone contributes to water pollution． People often pour house hold cleaners，car antifreeze，and paint thinners (稀释剂) down the drain; all of these contain hazardous chemicals． Scientists studying water in the San Francisco Bay reported in 1996 that 70 percent of the pollutants could be traced to household waste．

Farmers have been criticized for overusing herbicides and pesticides，chemicals that kill weeds and insects but that pollute water as well． Farmers also use nitrates，nitrogen—rich fertilizer that helps plants grow but that can wreak havoc(大破坏) on the environment． Nitrates are swept away by surface runoff to lakes and seas． Too many nitrates“overenrich”these bodies of water，encouraging the buildup of algae，or microscopic plants that live on the surface of the water． Algae deprive the water of oxygen that fish need to survive，at times choking off life in an entire body of water．

What's the Solution?

Water expert Gleick advocates conservation and local solutions to water- related problems; governments，for instance，would be better off building small- scale dams rather than huge and disruptive projects like the one that ruined the Aral Sea．

“More than 1 billion people worldwide don't have access to basic clean drinking water， ”says Gleick． “There has to be a strong push on the part of everyone，governments and ordinary people，to make sure we have a resource so fundamental to life． ”Questions:

1． That the huge water projects have diverted the rivers causes the Aral Sea to shrink．

2． The construction of massive dams and irrigation projects does more good than harm．

3． The chief causes of water shortage are population growth and water pollution．

4． The problems Americans face concerning water are ground water shrinkage and tap water pollution．

5． According to the passage all water pollutants come from household waste．

6． The people living in the United States will not be faced with water shortages．

7． Water expert Gleick has come up with the best solution to water- related problems．

8． According to Peter H． Gleick，by the year 2025，as many as__________of the world's people will suffer from water shortages．

9． Two thirds of the freshwater on Earth is locked in__________．

10． In developed countries，before toxic chemicals are released into rivers and lakes，they should be treated in order to avoid__________．

Passage 3

Computer Crime

A computer crime is generally defined as one that involves the use of computers and software for illegal purposes． This doesn't mean that all the crimes are new types of crime． On the contrary，many of these crimes，such as embezzlement of funds，the alteration of records， theft， vandalism， sabotage， and terrorism， can be committed without a computer． But with a computer，these offenses can be carried out more quickly and with less chance that the person responsible for the crime will be discovered．

The Criminal

Movies and newspaper stories might lead us to believe that most computer crimes are committed by teenage “hackers”— brilliant and basically good children who let their imagination and technical genius get them into trouble． But a realistic look at the crimes reveals that the offender is likely to be an employee of the firm against which the crime has been committed，i． e． ，an“insider” ．

Difficulty of Detection and Prevention

Given the kind of person who commits a computer crime and the environment in which the crime occurs， it is often difficult to detect who the criminal is． First of all，the crime may be so complex that months or years go by before anyone discovers it．

Second，once the crime has been revealed，it is not easy to find a clear trail of evidence that leads back to the guilty party． After all，looking for“weapons”or fingerprints does not occur as it might in the investigation of more conventional crimes．

Third，there are usually no witnesses to the computer crime，even though it may be taking place in a room filled with people． Who is to say if the person at the next terminal，calmly keying in data，is doing the company's work or committing a criminal act?

Fourth，not enough people in management and law enforcement know enough about computer technology to prevent the crimes． Authorities have to be familiar with the computer's capabilities within a given situation to guard against its misuses． In some large cities，such as Los Angeles，police departments have set up specially trained computer crime units．

But even when an offender is caught，the investigators，attorneys (律师) ，judges，or juries may find the alleged crime too complicated and perplexing to handle． More attorneys are specializing in computer law and studying the computer's potential for misuse．

After a computer crime has been discovered，many companies do not report it or prosecute(起诉) the person responsible． A company may not announce the crime out of fear that the pubic will find out the weaknesses of its computer system and lose confidence in its organization． Banks，credit card companies，and investment firms are especially sensitive about revealing their vulnerabilities (脆弱性) because they rely heavily on customer trust．

To avoid public attention，cautious companies will often settle cases of computer tampering out of court． And if cases do go to trial and the offenders are convicted，they may be punished only by a fine or light sentence because the judge or jury isn't fully trained to understand the nature and seriousness of the crime．

Not all companies are timid in apprehending computer criminals． For example，Connecticut General Life Insurance Company decided it had to get tough on violators． So when the company discovered that one of its computer technicians had embezzled $ 200， 000 by entering false benefit claims，it presented its findings to the state's attorney and aided in the prosecution of the technician． The technician was found guilty and sentenced to prison，not just for the computer misuse，but al so for grand theft and insurance fraud． Connecticut General now has a policy of re porting all incidents of theft or fraud，no matter how small．

Questions:

1． The FBI knows exactly how large a loss is involved in computer crimes．

2． It has become easy for microcomputer owners to use huge mainframe data ba ses．

3． It is implied in Paragraph 3 that most computer criminals are the employees of the companies concerned．

4． Many companies don't report computer crimes because law procedures against computer crimes usually cost a lot of money．

5． When computer crime takes place in a room filled with people，there are usu ally many witnesses to the crime．

6． The passage is mainly about the increase of computer crimes in America and the difficulties in combating computer crimes．

7． Computer crimes are on the rise because more cheap microcomputers are avail able．

8． According to the passage，computer crimes has been on the rise for the last years__________．

9． Connecticut General Life Insurance company is cited as__________of com panies that took serious measures to fight against computer crimes．

10． Banks，credit card companies，and investment firms are especially sensitive a bout revealing their vulnerabilities because they place too much reliance on__________．

Passage 4

Landfills

You have just finished your meal at a fast food restaurant and you throw your uneaten food，food wrappers，drink cups，utensils and napkins into the trash can．You don't think about that waste again． On trash pickup day in your neighborhood，you push your can out to the curb，and workers dump the contents into a big truck and haul it away． You don't have to think about that waste again， either． But may be you have wondered， as you watch the trash truck pull away， just where that gar bage ends up．

Americans generate trash at an astonishing rate of four pounds per day per person，which translates to 600， 000 tons per day or 210 million tons per year! This is almost twice as much trash per person as most other major countries． What happens to this trash? Some gets recycled (回收利用) or recovered and some is burned，but the majority is buried in landfills．

How Much Trash Is Generated?

Of the 210 million tons of trash， or solid waste， generated in the United States annually，about 56 million tons，or 27 percent，is either recycled ( glass，paper products，plastic，metals) or composted (做成堆肥) ( yard waste) ． The remaining trash，which is mostly unrecyclable，is discarded．

How Is Trash Disposed of?

The trash production in the United States has almost tripled since 1960． This trash is handled in various ways． About 27 percent of the trash is recycled or com posted， 16 percent is burned and 57 percent is buried in landfills． The amount of trash buried in landfills has doubled since 1960． The United States ranks some where in the middle of the major countries ( United Kingdom，Canada，Germany，France and Japan) in landfill disposal． The United Kingdom ranks highest，bury ing about 90 percent of its solid waste in landfills．

What Is a Landfill?

There are two ways to bury trash:

Dump—an open hole in the ground where trash is buried and that is full of various animals ( rats，mice，birds) ． ( This is most people's idea of a landfill! )

Landfill—carefully designed structure built into or on top of the ground in which trash is isolated from the surrounding environment ( groundwater，air，rain) ． This isolation is accomplished with a bottom liner and daily covering of soil．

Sanitary landfill—landfill that uses a clay liner to isolate the trash from the environment．

Municipal solid waste ( MSW) landfill—landfill that uses a synthetic ( plastic) liner to isolate the trash from the environment．

The purpose of a landfill is to bury the trash in such a way that it will be iso lated from groundwater，will be kept dry and will not be in contact with air． Under these conditions，trash will not decompose (腐烂) much． A landfill is not like a compost pile，where the purpose is to bury trash in such a way that it willdecom pose quickly．

Proposing the Landfill

For a landfill to be built，the operators have to make sure that they follow certain steps． In most parts of the world，there are regulations that govern where a landfill can be placed and how it can operate． The whole process begins with someone proposing the landfill．

In the United States，taking care of trash and building landfills are local government responsibilities． Before a city or other authority can build a landfill，an environmental impact study must be done on the proposed site to determine:

the area of land necessary for the landfill

the composition of the underlying soil and bedrock

the flow of surface water over the site

the impact of the proposed landfill on the local environment and wildlife the historical value of the proposed site

Building the Landfill

Once the environmental impact study is complete，the permits are granted and the funds have been raised，then construction begins． First，access roads to the landfill site must be built if they do not already exist． These roads will be used by construction equipment，sanitation (环卫) services and the general public． After roads have been built， digging can begin． In the North Wake Country Landfill， the landfill began 10 feet below the road surface．

What Happens to Trash in a Landfill?

Trash put in a landfill will stay there for a very long time． Inside a landfill，there is little oxygen and little moisture． Under these conditions，trash does not break down very rapidly． In fact， when old landfills have been dug up or sampled，40- year- old newspapers have been found with easily readable print． Landfills are not designed to break down trash，merely to bury it． When a landfill closes，the site，especially the groundwater，must be monitored and maintained for up to 30 years!

How Is a Landfill Operated?

A landfill， such as the North Wake County Landfill， must be open and available every day． Customers are typically municipalities and construction companies，although residents may also use the landfill．

Near the entrance of the landfill is a recycling center where residents can drop off recyclable materials ( aluminum cans，glass bottles，newspapers and paper products) ． This helps to reduce the amount of material in the landfill． Some of these materials are banned from landfills by law because they can be recycled．

As customers enter the site，their trucks are weighed at the scale house． Customers are charged tipping fees for using the site． The tipping fees vary from $10 to $40 per ton． These fees are used to pay for operation costs． The North Wake County Landfill has an operating budget of approximately $4． 5 million，and part of that comes from tipping fees．

Along the site，there are drop- off stations for materials that are not wanted or legally banned by the landfill． A multi- material drop- off station is used for tires，motor oil，lead- acid batteries． Some of these materials can be recycled．

In addition，there is a household hazardous waste drop- off station for chemicals ( paints， pesticides， other chemicals) that are banned from the landfill． These chemicals are disposed of by private companies． Some paints can be recycled and some organic chemicals can be burned in furnaces or power plants．

Other structures alongside the landfill are the borrowed area that supplies the soil for the landfill，the runoff collection pond and methane (甲烷) station．

Landfills are complicated structures that，when properly designed and man aged，serve an important purpose． In the future，new technologies called bioreactors will be used to speed the breakdown of trash in landfills and produce more methane．

Questions:

1． The passage gives a general description of the structure and use of a landfill．

2． Most of the trash that Americans generate ends up in landfills．

3． Compared with other major industrialized countries，America buries a much higher percentage of its solid waste in landfills．

4． Landfills are like compost piles in that they speed up decomposition of the buried trash．

5． In most countries the selection of a landfill site is governed by rules and regulations．

6． In the United States the building of landfills is the job of both federal and local governments．

7． Hazardous wastes have to be treated before being dumped into landfills．

8． Typical customers of a landfill are__________．

9． To dispose of a ton of trash in a landfill，customers have to pay tipping fee of__________．

10． Materials that are not permitted to be buried in landfills should be dumped at__________．

Answers:

Passage 1

1． Y．该句句意为:根据说明，该系统是用来防止车辆偷盗的。本题解题依据为文章第一段第一句话，与原文之意相符。

2． Y．该句句意为:设定该防盗系统时，你应该让所有乘客下车。本题依据为Setting the System标题下列出的第二点，与原文之意吻合。

3． N．该句句意为:当用钥匙打开车后门时，该系统设置将被取消。本题解题依据为Cancelling the System下面一段，该段大意为:用钥匙打开前门或滑门该系统将完全取消，显然本题句意与原文所述不符。

4． N．该句句意为:该系统只有在使用钥匙打开前门、滑门、后门及发动机罩时才会起动。本题解题依据为Activating the system下面第二句话即: If any of the front， sliding and back doors and hood is unlocked without using the key(如不用钥匙打开前门、滑门、后门和发动机罩，该系统将发出警报并切断起动机电路) ，由此可见，该句意与本题之意相反。

5． N．该句句意为:如果终止警报，你得把车的点火钥匙从“ACC”位置拨到“LOCK”位置。本题解题依据为Stopping the alarm下面第一句话: Turn the ignition key from the“LOCK”to“ACC”position (把点火钥匙从“LOCK”拨到“ACC”位置) ，显然与原文不符。

6． N．该句句意为:当指示灯闪烁时，不需要用钥匙打开任何门和发动机罩。本题解题依据为Indicator Light下面的第二句话: You need the key to open the front，sliding and back doors and hood． (你需要钥匙打开前后门、滑门和发动机罩) 。显然本题句意与原文所述不符。

7． NG．该句句意为:本文告诉我们该系统能有效工作以致于从未出现故障。通览全文，本文根本未提及该信息。因而无法得知。

8． 30 seconds答案依据为本文Setting the System标题下“...the system will give you a preparation time of 30 seconds before the setting...” 。

9． starts flashing答案依据为Setting the System标题下，小标题4后面的内容。

10． Toyota dealer答案依据为文章最后一句话。Passage 2

1． Y．该句句意为:巨大河流改道水利工程导致咸海缩小。解题依据为本文第二段倒数第二句话As a result，the sea has shrunk to half its original size...(结果，咸海缩减至原来的一半……) ，与原文之意吻合。

2． N．该句句意为:巨坝和灌溉工程的建设好处多于坏处。解题依据为本文第三段第二句话But many countries continue to build massive dams and irri gation systems，even though such projects can create more problems than they fix．(虽然产生更多问题，许多国家仍继续建巨坝和灌溉工程。 )由此可知，坏处多于好处，所以该题与原文之意不合。

3． Y．该句句意为:缺水的主要原因是人口增长和水污染。本题解题依据可定位到本文第四段第一句话Growing populations will worsen problems with water...及第十一段第一句话But almost everyone contributes to water pollution．两者都是水资源缺乏的原因，与原文之意相符。

4． Y．该句句意为:美国人面临的有关水的问题为地下水的减少和污染。本题解题依据为第七段第二句话和第八段第三句话，这两句话加在一起即为美国人所面临的水资源方面的问题，与原文之意相符。

5． N．该句句意为:根据这篇文章，所有水的污染都来自于家庭废弃物。本题解题依据为第十一段最后一句话...70 percent of the pollutants could be traced to household waste (百分之七十的污染物源于家庭废弃物) ，据此，本题之意与原文之意不合。

6． N．该句句意为:美国人将不会面临缺水问题。该题解题依据为文章第七段第二句话But Americans could face serious water shortages，too，especial ly in areas that rely on groundwater，显然本题之意与原文之意不合。

7． NG．该句句意为:水利专家Gleick提供了与水相关的最佳解决方案。根据本文第十三段第一句话所述，专家Gleick并未提供任何最佳解决方案。

8． one- third解题依据为第四段最后一句话。

9． glaciers and ice caps解题依据为第五段第二句话。

10． water pollution解题依据为第十段第二句话。Passage 3

1． N．该句句意为:美国联邦调查局确切知道计算机犯罪造成了多大损失。本题解题依据为本文第二段“Even the FBI，which attempts...is in volved” ，该句大意为:尽管FBI致力于对各种犯罪的上升和下降有清晰认识，但并不能精确说明损失多大，所以与原文之意不合。

2． Y．该句句意为:计算机拥有者很容易利用大量计算机数据库，本题解题依据为第二段最后一段话“...the easy access of microcomputers to huge ma inframe data bases． ”与原文之意吻合。

3． Y．该句句意为:本文第三段暗示大多数利用计算机犯罪者是相关公司雇员。本题解题依据为文章第三段最后一句话，其大意为:现实情况表明很可能是该公司雇员内部人……，与原文所述之意吻合。

4． N．该句句意为:许多公司不举报计算机犯罪是因为法律诉讼通常花费很多钱。解题依据为本文第九段第一和第二句话，他们不举报是害怕公众发现其计算机系统的弱点而对其丧失信心。据此可确定与原文所述不符。

5． N．该句句意为:当计算机犯罪在满是人的房间里发生时，通常有很多证人指证犯罪。本题解题依据为本文第六段第一句话，该句大意为:即使计算机犯罪发生在满是人的房间里，通常也无证人。据此可知该句所述之意与原文不符。

6． Y．该句句意为:本篇文章主要是关于计算机犯罪的增长及与之作斗争的困难性，通览全文，尤其根据小标题的提示，我们不难看出文章主要论述了计算机犯罪与日俱增及难于发觉和阻止诸方面的原因，即文章的中心思想，与原文所述主旨吻合。

7． NG．该句句意为:计算机犯罪上升是因为有更多便宜的计算机。本文第二段用a， b， c列出了计算机犯罪增加的三大原因，其中并未提及计算机便宜这一点。

8． twelve答案依据为第二段第一句话。

9． an example“...be cited as an example” ，表示“引用……来作为一个例证”答案依据为文章最后一段第二句话。但原文没有直接照抄的语言，只能根据理解完成此空。

10． customer trust答案依据为本文第九段最后一句话。

Passage 4

1． Y2． Y3． N4． N5． Y6． N7． NG

8． municipalities and construction companies

9． $ 10 to $ 40

10． drop- off stations