Question

Energy independence. It has a nice ring to it. Doesn’t it? If you think so, you’re not alone, because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades, and never more so than in the past few years, when the most recent oil price shock has been partly responsible for kicking off the great recession.

“Energy independence” and its rhetorical (修辞的) companion “energy security” are, however, slippery concepts that are rarely though through. What is it we want independence from, exactly?

Most people would probably say that they want to be independent from imported oil. But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.

The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. Yes, there is a trickle（涓涓细流）of biofuel available, and more may become available, but most biofuels cause economic waste and environmental destruction.

Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. They value the environmental quality they preserve over their oil imports from abroad. Vast areas of the United States are off-limits(禁止) to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection. To what extent are Americans really willing to endure the environmental impacts of domestic energy production in order to cut back imports?

Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency, and when we buy things from places that have lower production costs than we do, we benefit. And although you don’t read about this much, the United States is also a large exporter of oil products, selling about 2 million barrels of petroleum products per day to about 90 countries.

There is no question that the United States imports a great deal of energy and, in fact, relies on that steady flow to maintain its economy. When that flow is interrupted, we feel the pain in short supplies and higher prices, At the same time, we derive(得到，获得) massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world market and when we engage in energy trade around the world.

1.What does the author say about energy independence for America?

A. It sounds very attractive.

C. It will bring oil prices down.

B. It ensures national security.

D. It has long been everyone’s dream.

2.Why does America rely heavily on oil imports?

A. It wants to expand its storage of crude oil.

B. Its own oil reserves are quickly running out.

C. It wants to keep its own environment intact.

D. Its own oil production falls short of demand.

3.What is the author’s purpose in writing the passage?

A. To arouse Americans’ awareness of the energy crisis.

B. To stress the importance of energy conservation.

C. To explain the increase of international oil trade.

D. To justify(证明… 有理的) America’s dependence on oil imports.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.D

【解析】

试题分析：能源是世界各地的人们都会谈论到的问题。各个国家都想实现能源独立，美国也不例外。但是，美国的能源严重依赖进口。美国这样做是有原因的，美国需要能源来维持经济的运转；美国所需要的能源不会全部依靠国产，因为美国更看重对环境的保护；进行能源交易能够提高经济效率。

1. 细节理解题。根据第一段“because energy independence has been the dream of American president for decades”可知，能源独立一直都是美国的梦想，说明能源独立对美国很有吸引力，故选A。

2. 细节理解题。根据第五段第一句“they don’t really want to produce all their own oil”可知，美国只生产部分石油，其余依靠进口；根据第五段“Vast areas of the United States are off-limits to oil exploration and production in the name of environmental protection.”可知，美国为了保护环境，禁止大面积开采石油，由此可知，美国国内的石油供应不足，只能依赖进口，故选C。

3. 推理判断题。根据第三段“But there are reasons that we buy all that oil from elsewhere.”和下面三段的首句“The first reason is that we need it to keep our economy running. ...Second, Americans have basically decided that they don’t really want to produce all their own oil. ...Third, there are benefits to trade. It allows for economic efficiency...”及最后一段“At the same time, we get massive economic benefits when we buy the most affordable energy on the world”可知，文章主要讲的是美国能源依赖进口的原因，故选D。

考点：政治经济类短文阅读