2018年6月英语六级考试真题及答案4（第1套）

Section C

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

Passage One

Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.

The Ebro Delta,in Spain,famous as a battleground during the Spanish Civil War,is now the setting for a different contest,one that is pitting rice farmers against two enemies:the rice-eating giant apple snail,and rising sea levels.What happens here will have a bearing on the future of European rice production and the overall health of southern European wetlands.

Located on the Mediterranean just two hours south of Barcelona,the Ebro Delta produces 120 million kilograms of rice a year,making it one of the continent's most important rice-growing areas.As the sea creeps into these fresh-water marshes,however,rising salinity(盐分)is hampering rice production.At the same time,this sea-water also kills off the greedy giant apple snail,an introduced pest that feeds on young rice plants.The most promising strategy has become to harness one foe against the other.

The battle is currently being waged on land,in greenhouses at the University of Barcelona.Scientists working under the banner"Project Neurice"are seeking varieties of rice that can withstand the increasing salinity without losing the absorbency that makes European rice ideal for traditional Spanish and Italian dishes.

"The project has two sides,"says Xavier Serrat,Neurice project manager and researcher at the University of Barcelona,"the short-term fight against the snail,and a mid-to long-term fight against climate change.But the snail has given the project greater urgency."

Originally from South America,the snails were accidentally introduced into the Ebro Delta by Global Aquatic Technologies,a company that raised the snails for fresh-water aquariums(水族馆),but failed to prevent their escape.For now,the giant apple snail's presence in Europe is limited to the Ebro Delta.But the snail continues its march to new territory,says Serrat."The question is not whether it will reach other rice-growing areas of Europe,but when."

Over the next year and a half investigators will test the various strains of salt-tolerant rice they've bred.In 2018,farmers will plant the varieties with the most promise in the Ebro Delta and Europe's other two main rice-growing regions—along the Po in Italy,and France's Rhone.A season in the field will help determine which,if any,of the varieties are ready for commercialization.

As an EU-funded effort,the search for salt-tolerant varieties of rice is taking place in all three countries.Each team is crossbreeding a local European short-grain rice with a long-grain Asian variety that carries the salt-resistant gene.The scientists are breeding successive generations to arrive at varieties that incorporate salt tolerance but retain about 97 percent of the European rice genome(基因组).

46．Why does the author mention the Spanish Civil War at the beginning of the passage?

A．It had great impact on the life of Spanish rice farmers.

B．It is of great significance in the records of Spanish history.

C．Rice farmers in the Ebro Delta are waging a battle of similar importance.

D．Rice farmers in the Ebro Delta are experiencing as hard a time as in the war.

47．What may be the most effective strategy for rice farmers to employ in fighting their enemies?

A．Striking the weaker enemy first.

B．Killing two birds with one stone.

C．Eliminating the enemy one by one.

D．Using one evil to combat the other.

48．What do we learn about"Project Neurice"?

A．Its goals will have to be realized at a cost.

B．It aims to increase the yield of Spanish rice.

C．Its immediate priority is to bring the pest under control.

D．It tries to kill the snails with the help of climate change.

49．What does Neurice project manager say about the giant apple snail?

A．It can survive only on southern European wetlands.

B．It will invade other rice-growing regions of Europe.

C．It multiplies at a speed beyond human imagination.

D．It was introduced into the rice fields on purpose.

50．What is the ultimate goal of the EU-funded program?

A．Cultivating ideal salt-resistant rice varieties.

B．Increasing the absorbency of the Spanish rice.

C．Introducing Spanish rice to the rest of Europe.

D．Popularizing the rice crossbreeding technology.

【参考答案】

46-50：CDCBA

【参考翻译】

西班牙的埃布罗三角洲曾是西班牙内战时期的战场，现在是另一场比赛的场地，这场比赛让稻农们面对两个敌人:吃大米的巨型苹果蜗牛和不断上升的海平面。这里发生的事情将对欧洲水稻生产的未来和南欧湿地的整体健康产生影响。

埃布罗三角洲位于地中海沿岸，距巴塞罗那仅两小时车程，每年生产1.2亿公斤大米，是非洲大陆最重要的水稻种植区之一。海水涌入这些淡水沼泽,然而,增加盐度(盐分)是阻碍水稻生产。与此同时，海水也杀死了贪婪的巨型苹果蜗牛，一种引进的以水稻幼苗为食的害虫。最有希望的策略是利用一个敌人对付另一个敌人。

这场战斗目前正在巴塞罗那大学的温室里进行。在“新水稻工程”的旗帜下工作的科学家们正在寻找能在不失去吸收能力的前提下承受不断增加的盐度的水稻品种，这种水稻使欧洲水稻成为西班牙和意大利传统菜肴的理想选择。

“这个项目有两个方面，”巴塞罗那大学Neurice项目经理兼研究员Xavier Serrat说，“短期对抗蜗牛，中长期对抗气候变化。但蜗牛给了这个项目更大的紧迫性。

来自南美,蜗牛被意外地引入埃布罗河三角洲全球水产技术,该公司提高了淡水水族馆的蜗牛(水族馆),但未能阻止他们逃跑。目前，这种巨型苹果蜗牛在欧洲的存在仅限于埃布罗三角洲。但是蜗牛继续向新的领域前进，Serrat说。“问题不在于它是否会抵达欧洲其他水稻种植区，而在于何时到达。”

在接下来的一年半时间里，调查人员将测试他们培育出的各种耐盐水稻品种。2018年，农民们将在埃布罗三角洲和欧洲另外两个主要的水稻种植地区种植最有希望的水稻品种——沿着意大利的Po和法国的罗纳河。该领域的一个季节将有助于确定哪些(如果有的话)品种已经准备好商业化。

作为欧盟资助的一项努力，三个都在寻找耐盐水稻品种。每个研究组都在杂交一种当地的欧洲短粒水稻和一种亚洲长粒水稻，后者携带耐盐基因。科学家们培育一代又一代的到达品种将盐宽容但保留约97%的欧洲水稻基因组(基因组)。

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2018年6月英语六级考试真题及答案汇总（第1套）