閱讀C

　　U.S. Farms Can't Compete Without Foreign Workers

　　The visa system for temporary agricultural workers is broken.

　　American farmers have been complaining of labor shortages for several years now. Given a multi-year decline in illegal immigration, and a similarly sustained pickup in the U.S. job market, the complaints are unlikely to stop without an overhaul of immigration rules for farm workers.

　　Efforts to create a more straightforward agricultural-workers visa that would enable foreign workers to stay longer in the U.S. and change jobs within the industry have so far failed in Congress. If this doesn't change, American businesses, communities and consumers will be the losers.

　　Perhaps half of U.S. farm laborers are undocumented immigrants. As fewer such workers enter the U.S., the characteristics of the agricultural workforce are changing. Today's farm laborers, while still predominantly born in Mexico, are more likely to be settled, rather than migrating, and more likely to be married than single. They are also aging. At the start of this century, about one-third of crop workers were over the age of 35. Now, more than half are. And crop picking is hard on older bodies.

　　One oft-debated cure for this labor shortage remains as implausible as it has been all along: Native U.S. workers won't be returning to the farm.

　　In a study published in 2013, economist Michael Clemens analyzed 15 years of data on North Carolina's farm-labor market and concluded, "There is virtually no supply of native manual farm laborers" in the state. This was true even in the depths of a severe recession.

　　In 2011, with 6,500 available farm jobs in the state, only 268 of the nearly 50000 unemployed North Carolinians applied for these jobs. More than 90 percent (245 people) of those applying were hired, but just 163 showed up for the first day of work. Only seven native workers completed the entire growing season, filing only one-tenth of 1 percent of the open farm jobs.

　　Mechanization is not the answer either--not yet at least. Production of corn, cotton, rice, soybeans and wheat have been largely mechanized, but many high-value, labor- intensive crops, such as strawberries, need labor. Even dairy far, where robots currently do only a small share of milking, have a long way to go before they are automated.

　　As a result, farms have grown increasingly reliant on temporary guest workers using the H-2A visa to fill the gaps in the agricultural workforce. Starting around 2012, requests for the visas rose sharply, from 2011 to 2016 the number of visas issued more than doubled.

　　The H-2A visa has no numerical cap, unlike the H-2B visa for nonagricultural work, which is limited to 66,000 annually. Even so, employers frequently complain that they aren't allotted all the workers they need. The process is cumbersome, expensive and unreliable. One survey found that bureaucratic delays led H-2A workers to arrive on the job an average of 22 days late. And the shortage is compounded by federal immigration raids, whích remove some workers and drive others underground.

　　Petitioning each year for laborers—and hoping the government provides enough, and that they arrive on time--is no way to run a business. In a 2012 survey by the California Farm Bureau, 71 percent of tree-fruit growers and nearly 80 percent of raisin and berry growers said they were short of labor. Some western growers have responded by moving operations to Mexico. Without reliable access to a reliable workforce, more growers will be tempted to move south.

　　According to a report by the Partnership for a New American Economy, Americans are consuming more fresh produce, which is good. But a rising share of it is grown elsewhere. In 1998-2000 14.5 percent of the fruit Americans consumed was imported. Little more than a decade later, the share of imported fruit had increased to 25.8 percent. Rural US. communities that might have benefited didn't.

　　In effect the U.S. can import food or it can import the workers who pick it The U.S. needs a simpler, streamlined multi-year visa for agricultural workers, accompanied by measures to guard against exploitation and a viable path to U.S. residency for workers who meet the requirements. Otherwise growers will continue to struggle with shortages and uncertainty, and the country as a whole will lose out.

　　31. 【題干】What problem should be addressed according to the first two paragraphs?

　　【選項】

　　A.Discrimination against foreign workers in the U.S.

　　B.Biased laws in favor of some American businesses.

　　C.Flaws in U.S. immigration rules for farm workers.

　　D.Decline of job opportunities in U.S. agriculture.

　　【答案】C

　　【解析】根據(jù)題干提示詞first two paragraphs可知本題依據(jù)文章前兩段命制，為雙段推理型題目�？焖賿咦x可知前兩段大意為：美國針對外來農(nóng)民所定移民規(guī)則中存在一些問題，并指出如不及時解決美國商業(yè)，社會以及消費者都會受到影響。比對選項可直接判斷正確選項為C項，其余選項均屬無中生有，直接排除。

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　　32. 【題干】One trouble with U.S. agricultural workforce is_______.

　　【選項】

　　A.the rising number of illegal immigrants

　　B.the high mobility of crop workers

　　C.the lack of experienced laborers

　　D.the aging of immigrant farm workers

　　【答案】D

　　【解析】細節(jié)推理題。根據(jù)題干中的trouble, U.S. agricultural workforce以及段落序列定位到文中第三段第二句。定位段第三至七句都在論證第二句的內(nèi)容，其中第三句論證的是勞動力的來源及其傾向，第四至七句論證的是勞動力在變老并指出picking crops is hard on older bodies.與選項D吻合。選項A中的rising及illegal屬于無中生有，選項B中的high mobility與定位段中的farm labors are more likely to be settled rather than immigrating矛盾，選項C屬無中生有。

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　　33. 【題干】What is the much-argued solution to the labor shortage in U.S. farming?

　　【選項】

　　A.To attract younger laborers to farm work.

　　B.To get native U.S. workers back to farming.

　　C.To use more robots to grow high-value crops.

　　D.To strengthen financial support for farmers.

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】細節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干中的much-argued solution to the labor shortage定位到第三段最后一句，其中oft-debated對應原文的much-argued，solution對應原文的cure，剩余信息出答案，冒號解釋了這個經(jīng)常被談論的方法：美國本國工人不會重返農(nóng)場。說明本身的解決方法是讓美國本國工人回到農(nóng)場，與選項[B]一致。[A]選項attract younger laborers在文章未體現(xiàn)，文章只是提到現(xiàn)在的farm laborer在老齡化。[C]選項出現(xiàn)在文章的第四段，文章只是說在high-value crops上需要勞動力。在乳牛場機器人只做了一小部分工作。選項將兩部分雜糅在一起了。[D]選項中financial support在文中未提及，屬于無中生有。

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　　34. 【題干】Agricultural employers complain about the H-2A visa for its ___.

　　【選項】

　　A.slow granting procedures

　　B.limit on duration of stay

　　C.tightened requirements

　　D.control of annual admissions

　　【答案】A

　　【解析】因果細節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干中的具體信息，agricultural employers，complain，about the H-2A visa。回文定位到第六段。根據(jù)具體信息定位到第六段的，Employers complain they aren't given all the workers they need.這句話是抱怨的內(nèi)容，文中問的是原因，緊接著下面一句話，the process is cumbersome，expensive，and unreliable.并且在這句話后面one survey 是例子。根據(jù)例子證明論點，下面的例子和前面的the process這句話表達的觀點是一致的。同時，在例子中有for的同義詞lead to，導致了arrive on the job 22 days late. Delay，late 對應選項中的slow，procedure對應process。所以選A。B中的limit，原文后面跟著是人數(shù)66,000，偷換概念。C中的request出現(xiàn)在例子中，說的是visa rose sharply。D項文中未提及，無中生有。

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　　35. 【題干】Which of the following could be the best title for this text?

　　【選項】

　　A.U.S. Agriculture in Decline?

　　B.Import Food or Labor?

　　C.America Saved by Mexico?

　　D.Manpower vs. Automation?

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】主旨題。文章第一段明確指出美國農(nóng)民面臨勞動力短缺的問題，而這一問題的根源在于針對農(nóng)場工人的移民制度。二段和三段分析了移民簽證和移民現(xiàn)狀的沖突。第四段指出機械化并不能解決該問題。第五和六段分析了現(xiàn)在農(nóng)場工人所依賴的H-2A簽證政策也沒能有助于解決勞動力短缺。第七段通過研究調(diào)查再次確定了勞動力短缺的問題。最后一段總結(jié)指出解決方案，美國要么進口食品，要么進口農(nóng)場勞動力。Labor為本文中復現(xiàn)的主題詞。故正確答案為B選項。A選項中的decline夸大概念。C選項中的saved無中生有，D選項中的Automation斷章取義，且與原文表述相反。

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　　閱讀D

　　Let's Stop Pretending Quitting Straws Will Solve Plastic Pollution

　　By Tess Riley

　　Arnold Schwarzenegger, Dia Mirza and Adrian Grenier have a message for you: It's easy to beat plastic. They're part of a bunch of celebrities starring in a new video for World Environment Day-encouraging you, the consumer, to swap out your single-use plastic staples like straws and cutlery to combat the plastics crisis.

　　Phew! If only I'd realized that we can buy our way out of the problem. Except we can't.

　　The key messages that have been put together for World Environment Day do include a call for governments to enact legislation to curb single-use plastics. But the overarching message is directed at individuals: Lead with your wallets.

　　The problem of perpetuating this individualistic narrative is that it's not going to get us very far and the plastics crisis we face is immense. Our oceans are blighted by the stuff, it's in our drinking water(including bottled water), and we could even be breathing it in.

　　I'm not dismissing individual actions like ordering straw-free drinks at bars, or opting for a reusable water bottle over a cup that' s going in the trash as soon as you've used it. I can't imagine not at least trying to minimize my own plastics footprint, whether it's lugging home my newly-refilled gallon bottle of washing-up liquid every few months, or buying packaging-free food, clothing and toiletries where possible.

　　On their own, however, none of these things is enough.

　　Part of my worry about leaving it up to the individual is that we're all just guessing at what's going on out there- and that's if we haven't been scared off from doing anything to start with in the face of such a huge challenge. As consumers, we have little idea about how much plastic has been used and discarded along the supply chain, for example.It' s also hard to compare, say, going to a bulk store that sells plastic-free products but requires you to drive some distance versus a more local shop where you may end up taking home some packaged items.

　　There's also a time and cost issue. Realistically, I'm not going to start making my own laundry detergents so I can avoid the plastic bottles they come in, and there can be extra costs associated with environmentally friendly products.

　　My biggest concern with leaving it up to the individual, however, is our limited sense of what needs to be achieved. On their own, taking our own bags to the grocery store or quitting plastic straws, for example, will accomplish little and require very little of us. They could even be detrimental, satisfying a need to have "done our bit "without ever progressing onto bigger, bolder, more effective actions-a kind of "moral licensing" that allays our concerns and stops us doing more and asking more of those in charge.

　　While the conversation around our environment and our responsibility toward it remains centered on shopping bags and straws, we're ignoring the balance of power that implies that as "consumers" we must shop sustainably, rather than as "citizens" hold our governments and industries to account to push for real systemic change. Nowhere in World Environment Day 2018's key messages is there anything about voting for environmentally progressive politicians, for example. Why not?

　　It' s important to acknowledge that the environment isn't everyone's priority-or even most people' S. We shouldn't expect it to be In her latest book, Why Good People Do Bad Environmental Things, Wellesley College professor Elizabeth R. DeSombre argues that best way to collectively change the behavior of large numbers of people is for the change to be structural.

　　This might mean implementing policy such as a plastic tax that adds a cost to environmentally problematic action, or banning single-use plastics altogether. India has just announced it will "eliminate all single-use plastic in the country by 2022." There are also incentive-based ways of making better environmental choices easier, such as ensuring recycling is at least as easy as trash disposal.

　　DeSombre isn't saying people should stop caring about the environment. It' s just that individual actions are too slow, she says, for that to be the only, or even primary, approach to changing widespread behavior.

　　None of this is about writing off the individual. It's just about putting things into perspective. We don't have time to wait. We need progressive policies that shape collective action (and rein in polluting businesses), alongside engaged citizens pushing for change. That' s not something we can buy.

　　36. 【題干】Some celebrities star in a new video to

　　【選項】

　　A.demand new laws on the use of plastics

　　B.urge consumers to cut the use of plastics

　　C.invite public opinion on the plastics crisis

　　D.disclose the causes of the plastics crisis

　　【答案】A

　　【解析】從題干“some celebrities star in a new video to”定位第一段第3句：“They're part of a bunch to celebrities starring in a new video for......to swap out your single-use plastic staples to combat the plastics crisis.”意為：“鼓勵消費者減少單一使用塑料制品，與塑料制品危機抗爭”，與A 選項“urge consumers to cut the use of plastics”“鼓勵消費者減少塑料袋的使用”含義相符合。

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　　37. 【題干】The author is concerned that “moral licensing” may

　　【選項】

　　A.mislead us into doing worthless things

　　B.prevent us from making further efforts

　　C.weaken our sense of accomplishment

　　D.suppress our desire for success

　　【答案】A

　　【解析】根據(jù)題干the author is concerned that “crisis licensing”定位到第3段，最后一句：“they could even ...to have done our bit without ever progressing onto bigger, bolder, more effective actions---.... a kind of “crisis licensing “ that eases our concerns and stops us doing more and asking more of those in charge” 意為：“.....他們沒有采取更大，更明顯，更有效的舉措...”與A選項“prevent us from making further efforts”“妨礙我們進一步的舉措”含義相符。

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　　38. 【題干】By pointing out our identity as “citizens,”,the author indicates that

　　【選項】

　　A.our focus should be shifted to community welfare

　　B.our relationship with local industries is improving

　　C.We have been actively exercising our civil rights

　　D.We should press our government to lead the combat

　　【答案】C

　　【解析】根據(jù)題干...“ citizens”, the author indicates that,定位到第4段，最后半句 rather than as “citizens” hold our governments and industries to account to push for real systemic change.意為： 而不是作為“citizens”去要求政府和工業(yè)去推行真正的系統(tǒng)化的改變。言外之意，就是作者希望政府做出改變?nèi)�應對現(xiàn)在的情形。與C選項中“we should press our governments to lead the combat”“我們應該向政府施壓，使之主導這次抗爭”相符合。

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　　39. 【題干】DeSombre argues that the best way for a collective change should be

　　【選項】

　　A.a win-win arrangement

　　B.a self-driven mechanism

　　C.a cost-effective approach

　　D.a top down process

　　【答案】C

　　【解析】根據(jù)題干可知這是一道觀點細節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞可定位在第五、六段“Elizabeth R. DeSombre argues that the best way to collectively change the behavior of large number of people is for the change to be structural” 由該段可知，DeSombre認為集體性的改變大多數(shù)人行為的最好的方式就是使其變成結(jié)構(gòu)性的。六段進一步從人們和政府的角度，闡述了這種結(jié)構(gòu)化的改變，所以選項C a top-down process，自上而下的過程，符合文意。

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　　40.【題干】The author concludes that individual efforts

　　【選項】

　　A.can be too aggressive

　　B.can be too inconsistent

　　C.are far from sufficient

　　D.are far from rational

　　【答案】B

　　【解析】根據(jù)題干可知這是一道觀點細節(jié)題。根據(jù)題干關(guān)鍵詞可定位在最后一段，“None of this is about writing off the individual. It's just about putting things into perspective. We don't have time to wait. We need progressive policies that shape collective action, alongside engaged citizens pushing for change.”由該段可知，作者認為并不是要抹殺個人，只是換一個角度去思考問題，我們沒時間再等待，我們需要能夠形成集體行為的進步政策，以及推動變革的熱心公民。所以作者強調(diào)個人的努力還遠遠不夠，還需要政策的進一步支持，選擇B選項，are far from sufficient。

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