15.Car makers have long told this story to Americans:"We don't have the technology to build good electric cars.Customers don't want electrics because they are so unattractive,slow and hard to charge.We would build them if only people wanted them."Chris Paine casts serious doubt on that story in his hard-hitting documentary film,Who Killed the Electric Car?The title suggests a murder mystery,and that's what Paine provides.Well,some of it is a mystery.We know the victim from the start-an electric car called the EV1.Also,we can see that Paine will largely blame the General Motors Corporation (GM).
GM built the EV1 because the California Air Resources Board (CARB) ruled that cars in the state had to stop adding pollution to the air.The EV1,being electric,did not bum gasoline or put out any pollution.With technology available in 1990,GM had no trouble producing a car that could go 100 miles on a single charge and could recharge from an ordinary household electrical outlet.Remember the auto companies'claim that they don't have good electric-car technology?If that were true,the EV1 would never have been born.The company made 1000 EV1s and leased them to customers in Southern California.(In a lease,a customer does not own a car but pays to use it for a certain time.)
Because of its anti-pollution rule,CARB was sued (起诉) by oil companies,car companies,and the federal government.Under such pressure,CARB dropped its rule.No longer needing the EV1 to obey California's rules,GM responded by attacking its own child.The company ran advertisements saying how bad the EV1 was.Company representatives went on TV and radio shows to say it was unreliable.The company wanted to get the cars back and destroy them.The fact that EV1 were leased,not sold,is an important part of Paine's tale.GM still owned every car and could legally take them back.A few of them went to museums,but GM crushed most of them flat.If EV1s had been owned by their drivers,they would probably still be on the road.Many people who drove them loved them.In fact a group of EV1 drivers offered GM $1.8 million to buy a large number of cars and keep them going.GM refused.The company wanted the car to disappear.
Paine's criticism of the car industry,Washington's close relationships with the oil industry,and California's state government are harsh.Each,he says,played a role in the murder of the EV1.Each has also defended itself in the wake of the film,but Paine's excellent documentary will be hard for them to dismiss.
74.What's Paine's attitude towards car makers'story?C
A.Supportive. B.Indifferent. C.Doubtful. D.Neutral.
75.The E VI is invented toB.
A.show the advanced technology of GM
B.obey California's rules about air pollution
C.help those who can't afford to buy a car
D.get rid of the cars burning gasoline
76.Which of the following statements is TRUE about EV1s?D
A.They are not popular because their users don't like them.
B.They are not reliable because of technical problems.
C.They need special equipment to get them charged.
D.They are owned by GM rather than customers.
77.What can be inferred from Paine's documentary?B
A.CARB is to blame for the murder of the EV1.
B.The drive of profits leads to the disappearance of the EV1.
C.People can no longer see EV1s because they have been destroyed.
D.Pressures from car-related companies forced CARB to stick to its rules.
分析 本文讲述了Chris Paine的一个纪录片.记录片中写到了潘恩对汽车行业的批评,而华盛顿的石油工业的密切关系,以及加利福尼亚政府对汽车行业的苛刻,或许导致无污染的EV1汽车会的消失.
解答 74.C.细节理解题.根据文章第一段"Chris Paine casts serious doubt on that story in his hard-hitting documentary film"可知,Chris Paine 对他的汽车纪录片充满了疑惑.故选C.
75.B.细节理解题.根据文章第二段"ruled that cars in the state had to stop adding pollution to the air.The EV1,being electric,did not bum gasoline or put out any pollution"可知,国家规定汽车不可再向空气中排放污染物.而EV1是不烧汽油且不污染的汽车,可见它符合加利福尼亚对汽车的规定.故选B.
76.D.推理判断题.根据文章第三段"The fact that EV1 were leased,not sold,is an important part of Paine's tale"可知,EV1只出租,不出售,可见,是属于公司而不是个人.故选D.
77.B.推理判断题.根据文章第三段"In fact a group of EV1 drivers offered GM $1.8 million to buy a large number of cars and keep them going.GM refused.The company wanted the car to disappear"可知,由于一些利益问题,公司想让EV1汽车消失.可见,利益驱动导致了EV1的毁灭.故选B.
点评 本文为政治经济类阅读.要做好这类阅读,平时就要注意了解国内外发生的政治经济大事,掌握一定背景知识,对这类文章的叙述特点及内容安排有一定了解,还要扩展这方面的词汇.阅读这类文章,要抓住文章的核心,即文章整体和各段主要在说什么,也要注意段落之间的逻辑关系.