英语阅读2

Many ecologists have expressed great concern about the lack of a clean environment by the end of the century, and they agree that controlling pollution is the key to the solution. Gasoline-operated vehicles are the main source of air pollution. Industrial processes also add to the pollution of our atmosphere. New technological advances, such as nuclear power generators, have created new forms of toxic (有毒的) pollutants. In addition, untreated chemical wastes are disposed of at unsecured dump-sites. Industrial firms lack genuine concern for our natural environment and lack the willingness to control pollution. Our environment will soon be drenched (充满) with intoxicants and our existence will be at stake if pollution is not properly controlled by industries.

Air pollution can be reduced, and industries play a vital role. Most of the air pollution is caused by petroleum-operated vehicles and industrial processes such as the burning of coal. In view of today's advanced technology, it would seem effortless for car manufacturers to provide an efficient exhaust system so as to eliminate the emission of poisonous fumes from most vehicles. Poisonous vapors such as carbon monoxide can be easily filtered within the system before they enter the open air. The effectiveness of the system should last as long as the planned life of the car. The reason why this is not done is simply that an effective pollution control system is not vital to the success of a car model. Similarly, had industries the willingness to control air pollution, vapor wastes from industrial processes could be reduced significantly. According to many ecologists, the vapors from most industrial smokesta cks consist mainly of sulphur dioxide (二氧化硫), a chemical which causes acid rain. This sam e chemical can be converted to sulphuric acid, a useful industrial chemical, by simply dissolving it in water. Often impurities in the vapor waste could be easily filtered out. Therefore, much of the air pollution problem could be solved if industries were willing to conform to their moral duty of keeping our atm osphere clean.

1. The factors mentioned in the passage as the sources of pollution are the following except ____.

A) wastes from households B) vapor waste from industrial processes

C) toxic element sent off by cars D) untreated chemicals in factories

2. According to the passage, air pollution is not well controlled because ____.

A) it is very difficult to develop the efficient exhaust system for motor vehicles

B) it contains sulphur dioxide, a chemical element difficult to filter from the air

C) the industries are not interested in taking any action against air pollution

D) we lack the technology to reduce the toxic element in the air

3. According to the passage, one way to get the sulphur acid is to ____.

A) dissolve sulphur dioxide in water B) filter it out from the gas sent off by cars

C) purify the industrial vapor waste D) filter it out from acid rain

4. The word “impurities” in the second paragraph probably means ____.

A) cleaning the polluted air B) toxic elements in vapor waste

C) untreated vapor waste D) the polluted air

5. From the passage we may assum e that the ____ is partly responsible for the air pollution.