2019年12月英语四级阅读真题预测：水资源短缺
无论是在四六级考试还是在专四专八考试中，江湖上始终流传着这么一句话：得阅读者得天下。此言非虚。横向对比四级考试试卷的四大组成部分(写作、听力、阅读和翻译)之后不难发现，无论是考试中心所建议的时间分配比还是各部分的分值占比，阅读都举足轻重。为了帮助考生们更好的备考，文都四六级为大家分享2019年12月大学英语四级阅读真题预测：水资源短缺，希望对您有所帮助。
大学英语四级阅读真题预测：水资源短缺
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the followingpassage.
California has been facing a drought for many yearsnow, with certain areas even having to pumpfreshwater hundreds of miles to their distributionsystem. The problem is growing as the populationof the state continues to expand. New research has found deep water reserves under the statewhich could help solve their drought crisis. Previous drilling of wells could only reach depths of1,000 feet, but due to new pumping practices, water deeper than this can now be extracted(抽取). The team at Stanford investigated the aquifers(地下蓄水层)below this depth andfound that reserves may be triple what was previously thought.
It is profitable to drill to depths more than 1,000 feet for oil and gas extraction, but onlyrecently in California has it become profitable to pump water from this depth. The aquifersrange from 1,000 to3,000 feet below the ground, which means that pumping will be expensiveand there are other concerns. The biggest concern of pumping out water from this deep is thegradual setting down of the land surface. As the water is pumped out, the vacant space left iscompacted by the weight of the earth above.
Even though pumping from these depths is expensive, it is still cheaper than desalinating(脱盐)the ocean water in the largely coastal state. Some desalination plants exist where feasible, but they are costly to run and can need constant repairs. Wells are much more reliablesources of freshwater, and California is hoping that these deep wells may be the answer to theirsevere water shortage.
One problem with these sources is that the deep water also has a higher level of salt thanshallower aquifers. This means that some wells may even need to undergo desalination afterextraction, thus increasing the cost. Research from the exhaustive study of groundwaterfrom over 950 drilling logs has just been published. New estimates of the water reserves nowgo up to 2,700 billion cubic meters of freshwater.
46. How could California's drought crisis be solved according to some researchers?
A) By building more reserves of groundwater.
B) By drawing water from the depths of the earth.
C) By developing more advanced drilling devices.
D) By upgrading its water distribution system.
47. What can be inferred about extracting water from deep aquifers?
A) It was deemed vital to solving the water problem.
B) It was not considered worth the expense.
C) It may not provide quality freshwater.
D) It is bound to gain support from the local people.
48. What is mentioned as a consequence of extracting water from deep underground?
A) The sinking of land surface.
B) The harm to the ecosystem.
C) The damage to aquifers.
D) The change of the climate.
49. What does the author say about deep wells?
A) They run without any need for repairs.
B) They are entirely free from pollutants.
C) They are the ultimate solution to droughts.
D) They provide a steady supply of freshwater.
50. What may happen when deep aquifers are used as water sources?
A) People's health may improve with cleaner water.
B) People's water bills may be lowered considerably.
C) The cost may go up due to desalination.
D) They may be exhausted sooner or later.
四级阅读真题参考答案：
46.B
47.B
48.A
49.D
50.C
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