[2017年职称英语 考试 报名]2017职称英语理工类阅读专项实战练习题二

Florida Hit by Cold Air Mass

In January, 2003, the eastern two-thirds of the United States was at the mercy of1 a bitterly cold air mass2 that has endangered Florida’s citrus trees, choked3 northern harbors with ice and left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow4.

The ice chill deepened as temperatures fell to the single digits5 in most of the South, with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark6 as far south as parts of interior South Florida. Temperatures in Florida plunged, with West Palm Beach dropping to a record low of 2 degrees7.

“We couldn’t believe how cold it was,” said Martin King, who arrived this week in Orlando8 from England. “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another cont.”

The temperature plunge posed a threat9 to Florida’s US $9.1 billion-a-year citrus crop, more of which is still on the trees. Growers were hurrying to harvest as much of the fruit as possible before it was damaged by cold.

“Time is of the essence10 in getting fruit to the plant,” said Tom Rogers, a citrus grower who expected to see damage to oranges and grapefruit at that time.

In Florida, Governor Jeb Bush signed an emergency order to eliminate the weight limit on trucks so citrus growers could get as much fruit to market as possible.

Casey Pace, a spokeswoman for Florida Citrus Mutual, said growers had sprayed trees with sprinklers, which created a layer of ice and helped maintain a temperature near freezing. Citrus trees are considered in danger of damage if the temperature drops below minus 2 degrees Celsius for four hours or more. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 contimeters11 blanketed12 the Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia.

词汇: citrus /5sItrEs/n.柠檬，柑橘，柑橘属果树 sprinkler /5spriNklE/ n.洒水器，洒水车

spokeswoman /5spEuks7wumEn/n.女发言人 Celsius /5selsjEs/ adj.摄氏的

bewilder /bi5wildE/v.使迷惑；使为难；把……弄湖涂 shorts /FC:ts/n.宽松运动裤，男用短衬裤

注释:

1. at the mercy of：意为 “without any protection against；helpless before”(任由……摆布；在……面前无助 )。如：

They were drifting in an open boat, at the mercy of the storm. 他们在一敞篷船中漂泊，任由暴风雨摆布。

2. air mass：大气团

3. choked：意为“to become blocked up or obstructed”(被堵塞或阻碍 )。

4. left bewildered residents of North Carolina’s Outer Banks digging out of up to a foot of snow: (冷空气团 )让北卡罗来纳州沿岸地区的居民不知所措，不停地铲着尺把深的积雪。 leave:意为“ cause or allow to be or remain in a specified state”(使处于某一特定状态 )。up to: (数目)到……之多，如 : up to 100 men可这一百人

5. as temperatures fell to the single digits：当气温下降到个位数

6. an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark: (气温)前所未有地骤降至冰点以下。 dip：意为“to drop suddenly”(骤降)：freezing mark：意为“freezing point”(冰点，凝冻点 )。

7. dropping to a record low of 2 degrees：创纪录地降至 2度之低。 record:在此作形容词用，意为“创纪录的”。

8. Orlando：奥兰多，美国佛罗里达州 ( Florida)中部城市，由于靠近迪斯尼世界而使得该城市成为一个旅游名城。

9. posed a threat：造成威胁。 pose：“造成，形成（问题 )”。如： to esipo an obstacle to (成为……障碍 )。

10. of the essence：非常重要的

11. Snow ranging from a dusting to up to 30 centimeters：厚度从薄薄的一层到 30厘米的雪。 range from … to:在……范围内变化；从……到……范围，如： ages that range from two to fiver(两岁至五岁年龄段 )。dusting：少量的、撒于某物表面的东西，如 : Sidewalks were covered with a dusting of new snow.人行道上覆盖着一层薄薄的新雪。

12. blanket(ed):在此作动词用，意思是“ to cover as if with a blanket”，如：Levaes blanketed the ground.叶子覆盖了地面。练习:

1. Which of the following statements is not meant in the first two paragraphs? A The cold air mass was a threat to Florida’s citrus crop. B The temperature in the United States except the South dropped below the freezing mark. C The northern harbors were blocked with ice. D The eastern two thirds of the United States was hit by cold air mass.

2. According to the second paragraph, in which area(s) did the temperature fall below zero? A Most of the South. B Parts of interior South Florida. C West Palm Beach. D All of the above.

3. King’s statement that “We brought shorts, T-shirt, and I had to go out and buy another coat.” shows thut A he was caught by the sudden cold. B he needed formal clothes. C fashion in Florida is tempting. D Florida is hot compared with England.

4. Governor Jeb issue the emergency order because he A thought speed limit for trucks was unreasonable.

B tried to improve the traffic condition of the express ways.

C wanted to encourage trucks to transport as much fruit to market as possible.

D wanted to stop trucks from carrying too much fruit to market.

5. Which statement is NOT true according to the last paragraph? A Sprinklers were used to protect citrus trees from heing damaged. B Citrus trees would be damaged if the temperature drops below minus 2℃ for four hours. C The Carolinas, Tennessee and parts of Virginia were covered with snow. D Florida Citrus Mutual sprayed trees with sprinklers for citrus growers.

答案与解释：

1. A 第二段中就有冷气团侵袭到 most of the South，所以，B是不符合原意的。

2. B … with an unfamiliar dip below the freezing mark as far south as parts of interior South Florida.在南至南佛罗里达州腹地的一些区域，气温前所未有地降至冰点以下这句话说明 B是正确选项。在 most of the South,气温降至 10℃以下，在 West Palm Bench，气温虽然降至历史昀低，但有 2℃。

3. A 佛罗里达位于炎热的南方。 King只带了短裤、 T恤。到了佛罗里达，寒潮来了，他只好去买御寒衣服。

4. C 第六段中“ Jeb Bush signed an emergency order to eliminate the weight limit on trucks so citrus growers could get as much fruit to market as possible.”这个句子提供了答案。

5. D 选项 A、B、C文章中都提到，而且， A、B、C的内容都符合原意，唯有 D不正确。因为，文章中只是说 Florida Citrus Mutual (佛罗里达柑橘互助协会 )通报了柑橘种植人采取的防冻措施，并没有说这个协会自己采取了防冻措施。

2017职称英语理工类阅读专项实战练习题二.doc

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