Question

Nowadays people are facing lots of threats（威胁）all over the world.

A serious threat to farmers in many parts of the world is erosion（侵蚀）.Erosion happens if a large area of land is cleared of trees and is then badly treated by the farmers.The rain and winds may gradually wash away,or blow away much of the topsoil.When this happens,crops of wheat and corn become weaker and weaker until nothing grows well.If erosion continues,it will turn good land into a desert.

In the past,when erosion appeared,farmers sometimes moved to a new place to farm.Sometimes they could not move,but continued to try to grow food in the unhealthy soil.This caused them to sink into poverty.Soon some people realized that there was little rich,fertile soil in the world.The government began to try to stop erosion.

One of the first experiments to stop erosion began in the United States in 1933.The experiment was carried out in the area of the Tennessee River.Flood and bad farming in this area had ruined the land that had once been rich.As a result,most of the people living around the Tennessee River were very poor.

The government built big dams across the river and stored the water for use during the dry season,when there was no rain.The government workers also helped the farmers fertilize their soil and to learn new farming methods which could stop erosion.

In the beginning,the farmers were not interested.But soon,good healthy crops began to appear on the land where new methods were used.Ten years after that the crops were extremely good.The great success of this experiment led to similar projects in other parts of the world.

With the development of science and technology,people are trying to get rid of all the threats they are facing. However,it's not an easy job,because at the same time people are polluting their homeland.

1.Which of the following statements is NOT true about the Tennessee River area?

A. It was an area seriously affected by erosion.

B. It used to be a poor and infertile land.

C. It often suffered from floods.

D. It has become a model for other parts of the world to follow.

2.In the third paragraph “to sink into poverty” means_________.

A. to become very poor

B. to lose topsoil in erosion

C. to become weaker and weaker until nothing grows well

D. to return into a desert

3.The main purpose of this passage is to tell people________.

A. something can be done to prevent erosion

B. the importance of using new farming methods

C. the serious result of erosion

D. how erosion happens

Answer

become(变得)very poor和（sink into…陷入…，沉入…）poverty是词性转化 ☞A选项A. to become very poor

1.A

主旨大意题。通读全文可知，对世界许多地区的农民来说一个严重的威胁就是侵蚀。它将好的土地变成沙漠。1933年在美国开始阻止侵蚀实验，政府采取各种措施以防止水土流失，从而试图摆脱所面临的这一威胁。故A符合题意。

【解析】现在全世界人们面临着许多威胁。对世界许多地区的农民来说一个严重的威胁就是侵蚀。侵蚀会将好的土地变成沙漠，无法种植庄稼，许多农民只好搬迁。在1933年美国开始阻止侵蚀实验，政府采取各种措施以防止水土流失，从而试图摆脱所面临的这一威胁。

1.B

细节理解题。第四段中的“One of the first experiments to stop erosion began in the United States in 1933. The experiment was carried out in the area of the Tennessee”由此可知这儿是被侵蚀严重的地方才作为实验的试点，故A是正确的。“River.Flood and bad farming in this area had ruined the land that had once been rich.”（句意：这个地区的洪水和恶劣的农业破坏了曾经肥沃的土地）由此可判断出the Tennessee River area这一地区遭受洪涝灾害和恶劣的耕作，故C是正确的。这地方曾经是肥沃的土地，而不是贫瘠的土地（used to be a poor and infertile land）故B是错误的。

【名师点睛】词义猜测策略之一-----依据词性变化猜测词义

英语构词法给英语语言创造了丰富的词汇源泉，因此掌握构词规律是达到猜词目的有效捷径。这种猜词策略的主要表现在：依据词性变化猜测词义

英语语言的词性变化是非常活跃的，如名词动化，形容词名化，动词名化，形容词动化等，阅读时要充分抓住这一特点，从而准确地猜测词义。

2.A

A【解题剖析】此题属于猜测词义中的依据词性变化猜测词义。答案需要推断poor和poverty的词性转化关系。

【答案定位】根据文章第二段中的“ Sometimes they could not move, but continued to try to grow food in the unhealthy soil. This caused them to sink into poverty.”可推知：此处poverty是poor的名词。

【推理关系】题干In the third paragraph “to sink into poverty” means_________.☞文章内容“This caused them to sink into poverty.”