Passage One
Questions 46 to 50 are based on the following passage.
The Ebro Delta, in Spain, famous as a battleground during the Spanish Civil War, is now the setting for a different contest, one that is pitting rice farmers against two enemies: the rice-eating giant apple snail, and rising sea levels. What happens here will have a bearing on the future of European rice production and the overall health of southern European wetlands.
Located on the Mediterranean just two hours south of Barcelona, the Ebro Delta produces 120 million kilograms of rice a year, making it one of the continent's most important rice-growing areas. As the sea creeps into these fresh-water marshes, however, rising salinity (盐分) is hampering rice production. At the same time, this sea-water also kills off the greedy giant apple snail, an introduced pest that feeds on young rice plants. The most promising strategy has become to harness one foe against the other.
The battle is currently being waged on land, in greenhouses at the university of Barcelona. Scientists working under the banner "Project Neurice" are seeking varieties of rice that can withstand the increasing salinity without losing the absorbency that makes European rice ideal for traditional Spanish and Italian dishes.
"The project has two sides," says Xavier Serrat, Neurice project manager and researcher at the University of Barcelona, "the short-term fight against the snail, and a mid- to long-term fight against climate change. But the snail has given the project greater urgency."
Originally from South America, the snails were accidentally introduced into the Ebro Delta by global Aquatic Technologies, a company that raised the snails for fresh-water aquariums (水族馆), but failed to prevent their escape. For now, the giant apple snail's presence in Europe is limited to the Ebro Delta. But the snail continues its march to new territory, says Serrat. "The question is not whether it will reach other rice-growing areas of Europe, but when."
Over the next year and a half investigators will test the various strains of salt-tolerant rice they've bred. In 2018, farmers will plant the varieties with the most promise in the Ebro Delta and Europe's other two main rice-growing regions—along the Po in Italy, and France's Rhone. A season in the field will help determine which, if any, of the varieties are ready for commercialization.
As an EU-funded effort, the search for salt-tolerant varieties of rice is taking place in all three countries. Each team is crossbreeding a local European short-grain rice with a long-grain Asian variety that carries the salt-resistant gene. The scientists are breeding successive generations to arrive at varieties that incorporate salt tolerance but retain about 97 percent of the European rice genome (基因组).
46. Why does the author mention the Spanish Civil War at the beginning of the passage?
A) It had great impact on the life of Spanish rice farmers.
B) It is of great significance in the records of Spanish history.
C) Rice farmers in the Ebro Delta are waging a battle of similar importance.
D) Rice farmers in the Ebro Delta are experiencing as hard a time as in the war.
47. What may be the most effective strategy for rice farmers to employ in fighting their enemies?
A) Striking the weaker enemy first.
B) Killing two birds with one stone.
C) Eliminating the enemy one by one.
D) Using one evil to combat the other.
48. What do we learn about "Project Neurice"?
A) Its goals will have to be realized at a cost.
B) It aims to increase the yield of Spanish rice.
C) Its immediate priority is to bring the pest under control.
D) It tries to kill the snails with the help of climate change.
49. What does Neurice project manager say about the giant apple snail?
A) It can survive only on southern European wetlands.
B) It will invade other rice-growing regions of Europe.
C) It multiplies at a speed beyond human imagination.
D) It was introduced into the rice fields on purpose.
50. What is the ultimate goal of the EU-funded program?
A) Cultivating ideal salt-resistant rice varieties.
B) Increasing the absorbency of the Spanish rice.
C) Introducing Spanish rice to the rest of Europe.
D) Popularizing the rice crossbreeding technology.
答案解析：
由题干中的关键词“the Spanish Civil War”定位到第一段。第一段提到埃布罗三角洲现在是另一场不同竞赛的场地，这场竞赛是水稻种植者与两个敌人对抗，就像西班牙内战是一场战斗一样，暗示埃布罗三角洲的水稻种植者正在进行一场类似重要性的战斗，所以选C。
根据题干关键词“the most effective strategy for rice farmers to employ in fighting their enemies”定位到第二段最后一句。该句提到最有希望的策略是利用一个敌人对抗另一个敌人，即“以毒攻毒”，所以选D。
由题干关键词“Project Neurice”定位到第四段。第四段中Xavier Serrat说“the short - term fight against the snail, and a mid - to long - term fight against climate change. But the snail has given the project greater urgency”，表明“Project Neurice”的当务之急是控制害虫，所以选C。
根据题干关键词“Neurice project manager say about the giant apple snail”定位到第五段最后一句。Xavier Serrat说“The question is not whether it will reach other rice - growing areas of Europe, but when”，说明巨型苹果蜗牛会入侵欧洲其他水稻种植区，所以选B。
由题干关键词“the ultimate goal of the EU - funded program”定位到最后一段。最后一段提到科学家们正在培育能耐盐且保留约97%欧洲水稻基因组的品种，说明欧盟资助项目的最终目标是培育理想的耐盐水稻品种，所以选A。
