2001年06月英语四级试题（阅读1）

Part Ⅱ Reading Comprehension (35 minutes)
Directions: There are 4 passages in this part 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 the Answer Sheet with a single line through the centre.Passage One Questions 11 to 15 are based on the following passage.
People living on part of the south coast of England face a serious problem.In 1993, the owners of a large hotel and of several houses discovered,to their horror, that their gardens had disappeared overnight.The sea had eaten into the soft limestone cliffs on which they had been built.While experts were studying the problem.the hotel and several houses disappeared altogether, sliding down the cliff and into the sea.Erosion(侵蚀) of the white cliffs along the south coast of England has always been a problem but it has become more serious in recent years.Dozens of homes have had to be abandoned as the sea has crept farther and farther inland.Experts have studied the areas most affected and have drawn up a map for local people,forecasting the year in which their homes will be swallowed up by the hungry sea.Angry owners have called on the Government to erect sea defenses to protect their homes.Government surveyors have pointed out that in most cases ,this is impossible .New sea walls would cost hundreds of millions of pounds and would merely make the waves and currents go further along the coast ,shifting the problem from one area to another.The danger is likely to continue ,they say ,until the waves reach an inland area of hard rock which will not be eaten as limestone is .Meanwhile,if you want to buy a cheap house with an uncertain future,apply to a house agent in one of the threatened areas on the south coast of England.You can get a house for a knockdown price but it may turn out to be a knockdown home.

11. What is the cause of the problem that people living on parts of the south coast of England face?
A)The rising of the sea level.
B)The experts’lack of knowledge.
C)The washing-away of limestone cliffs.
D)The disappearance of hotels,houses and gardens.

12. The erosion of the white cliffs in the south of England________.
A)will soon become a problem for people living in central England
B)has now become a threat to the local residents
C)can be stopped if proper measures are taken
D)is quickly changing the map of England

13. The experts study on the problem of erosion can .
A) warn people whose homes are in danger
B) provide an effective way to slow it down
C) help to its eventual solution
D) lead to its eventual solution

14. It is not feasible to build sea defenses to protect against erosion because .
A) house agents along the coast do not support the idea
B) it is too costly and will endanger neighboring areas
C) the government it too slow in taking action
D) they will be easily knocked down by waves and currents

15. According to the author, when buying a house along the south coast of England, people should .
A) take the quality of the house into consideration
B) guard against being cheated by the house agent