名校最新大学英语四级阅读精讲的系列讲义：(129)

　　An important new industry, oil refining, grew after the Civil War. Crude oil, or petroleum a dark, thick ooze from the earth had been known for hundreds of years, but little use had ever been made of it. In the 1850s Samuel M. Kier, a manufacturer in western Pennsylvania, began collecting the oil from local scapages and refining it into kerosene. Refining, like smelting, is a process of removing impurities from a raw material.

　　Kerosene was used to light lamps. It was a cheap substitute for whale oil, which was becoming harder to get. Soon there was a large demand for kerosene. People began to search for new supplies of petroleum.

　　The first oil well was drilled by E. L. Drake, are tired railroad conductor. In 1859 he began drilling in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The whole venture seemed so impractical and foolish that onlookers called it Drakes Folly . But when he had drilled down about 70 feet, Drake struck oil. His well began to yield 20 barrels of crude oil a day.

　　News of Drakes success brought oil prospectors to the scene. By the early 1860s these wildcatters were drilling for black gold all over western Pennsylvania. The boom rivaled the California gold rush of 1848 in its excitement and Wild West atmosphere. And it brought far more wealth to the prospectors than any gold rush.

　　Crude oil could be refined into many products. For some years kerosene continued to be the principal one. It was sold in grocery stores and door-to-door. In the 1880s and 1890s refiners learned how to make other petroleum products such as waxes and lubricating oils. Petroleum was not then used to make gasoline or heatingoil.

　　1.What is the best title for the passage?

　　A) Oil Refining: A Historical Perspective

　　B) The California Gold Rush: Get Rich Quickly

　　C) Private Property: Trespassers Will Be Prosecuted

　　D) Kerosene Lamps: A Light in the Tunnel

　　2.It can be inferred form the passage that kerosene was preferable to whale oil because whale oil was too____.

　　A) expensive B) thick C) hot D) polluted

　　3.According to the passage, many people initially thought that E. L. Drake had made a mistake by____.

　　A) going on a whaling expedition B) moving to Pennsylvania

　　C) searching for oil D) retiring from his job

　　4.Why does the author mention the California gold rush?

　　A) To explain the need for an increased supply of gold

　　B) To indicate the extent of United States mineral wealth

　　C) To describe the mood when oil was first discovered

　　D) To argue that gold was more valuable than oil

　　5. Which of the following words could best replace the word one ?

　　A) Oil. B) Door. C) Store. D) Product.

　　答案与解析：

　　1.A。

　　本篇文章的最佳标题是什么?主旨归纳型，通过详细阅读文章，找出该文章的最佳标题。选项A的意思是 炼油业-历史的展望 ，与全文的内容完全一致;选项B的意思是 加利福尼亚的淘金热-迅速致富 ，这只是文章中一个非常小的细节;选项C的意思是 个人财产-入侵者将被起诉 ，这与本文的内容压根无关;选项D的意思是 煤油灯-隧道里的亮光 ，这只是文章第三段中的一个小细节。故本文的最佳标题是选项A。

　　2.A。

　　我们可以从文章中得出结论与煤油相比，鲸油的缺点是什么。细节推理型，通过对某一段话的理解，并进行总结和概括。文章第二段第二句话It was a cheap substitute for whale oil, which was becoming harder to get.告诉我们鲸油很难得到，而且煤油是一个比较便宜的替代品。故本题的正确答案是A。

　　3.C。

　　根据文章内容，刚开始很多人认为E. L. Drake开始寻找石油是一个重大的错误。细节推理型，通过对某一段话的理解，并进行总结和概括。文章第三段话中的The first oil well was drilled by E. L. Drake, a tired railroad conductor. In 1859 he began drilling in Titusville, Pennsylvania. The whole venture seemed so impractical and foolish that onlookers called it Drakes Folly .告诉我们E. L. Drake开始寻找石油时，被人们认为是愚蠢的行为。故本题的正确答案是C。

　　4.C。

　　作者为什么提到加利福尼亚的淘金热?细节推理型，通过对某一段话的理解，并进行总结和概括。文章第四段中The boom rivaled the California gold rush of 1848 in its excitement and Wild West atmosphere.提到了 淘金热 。仔细阅读前后的句子，我们可以得出结论：这里是把 淘金热 和发现石油的狂热加以对比。而在四个选项中，只有C在意思和观点上与原文相一致。故本题的正确答案是C。

　　5.D。

　　下面哪个单词能够替换第五段第二行中的代词one?词义推测型，通过对上下文的理解，推测出代词所代指的含义。做这类题目时，首先找到该代词所在的位置，并把上下文的句子仔细研读。它们所提供的线索和提示会告诉我们这个陌生单词的意思。特别是该代词前面的名词短语或从句。一般来说，这类题目的答案都能在同一句话的主语或宾语，或者在前一句话的主语和宾语中找到。仔细阅读完前面的句子后，我们可以得知这里one指的是product。故本题的正确答案是D。