Section C

Directions:There are 2 passages in this section.Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements.For each of them there are four choices marked A),B),C)and D).You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

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(鹽分)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(水族館),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(基因組).

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.

【參考答案】

46-50：CDCBA

【參考翻譯】

西班牙的埃布羅三角洲曾是西班牙內戰時期的戰場，現在是另一場比賽的場地，這場比賽讓稻農們面對兩個敵人:吃大米的巨型蘋果蝸牛和不斷上升的海平面。這里發生的事情將對歐洲水稻生產的未來和南歐濕地的整體健康產生影響。

埃布羅三角洲位于地中海沿岸，距巴塞羅那僅兩小時車程，每年生產1.2億公斤大米，是非洲大陸最重要的水稻種植區之一。海水涌入這些淡水沼澤,然而,增加鹽度(鹽分)是阻礙水稻生產。與此同時，海水也殺死了貪婪的巨型蘋果蝸牛，一種引進的以水稻幼苗為食的害蟲。最有希望的策略是利用一個敵人對付另一個敵人。

這場戰斗目前正在巴塞羅那大學的溫室里進行。在“新水稻工程”的旗幟下工作的科學家們正在尋找能在不失去吸收能力的前提下承受不斷增加的鹽度的水稻品種，這種水稻使歐洲水稻成為西班牙和意大利傳統菜肴的理想選擇。

“這個項目有兩個方面，”巴塞羅那大學Neurice項目經理兼研究員Xavier Serrat說，“短期對抗蝸牛，中長期對抗氣候變化。但蝸牛給了這個項目更大的緊迫性。

來自南美,蝸牛被意外地引入埃布羅河三角洲全球水產技術,該公司提高了淡水水族館的蝸牛(水族館),但未能阻止他們逃跑。目前，這種巨型蘋果蝸牛在歐洲的存在僅限于埃布羅三角洲。但是蝸牛繼續向新的領域前進，Serrat說。“問題不在于它是否會抵達歐洲其他水稻種植區，而在于何時到達。”

在接下來的一年半時間里，調查人員將測試他們培育出的各種耐鹽水稻品種。2018年，農民們將在埃布羅三角洲和歐洲另外兩個主要的水稻種植地區種植最有希望的水稻品種——沿著意大利的Po和法國的羅納河。該領域的一個季節將有助于確定哪些(如果有的話)品種已經準備好商業化。

作為歐盟資助的一項努力，三個都在尋找耐鹽水稻品種。每個研究組都在雜交一種當地的歐洲短粒水稻和一種亞洲長粒水稻，后者攜帶耐鹽基因。科學家們培育一代又一代的到達品種將鹽寬容但保留約97%的歐洲水稻基因組(基因組)。

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