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  3. The federal automobile efficiency standards announced this week are an important step on America’s path to a lower-carbon and mo

The federal automobile efficiency standards announced this week are an important step on America’s path to a lower-carbon and mo

admin2014-05-30  36
问题     The federal automobile efficiency standards announced this week are an important step on America’s path to a lower-carbon and more-secure energy future. They are expected to yield multiple benefits; reduced dependence on foreign oil, fewer greenhouse gas emissions, consumer savings at the pump and a more competitive auto industry. They may also serve as proof that well-tailored government regulation can achieve positive results and that consensus among old enemies—in this case environmentalists and the car companies—is possible even at a time of partisan(党派的)disagreement.
    The standards build on a 2009 agreement that established a unified set of rules governing fuel economy and carbon dioxide pollution from automobiles and light trucks. Those rules covered model years 2012-16; the new rules cover 2017 to 2025. Taken together, the two sets of rules would increase fuel efficiency from today’s average of about 29 miles per gallon to 54.5 miles per gallon when they are fully effective in 2025. This is expected to result in a cut of 40 percent to 50 percent in fuel consumption and roughly equivalent cuts in greenhouse gas emissions.
    The White House says the rules would reduce oil consumption by two million barrels a day by 2025; the nation now consumes 19 million barrels a day and imports just less than half that amount. And while fuel-efficient cars will cost more initially, lower fuel use is expected to save consumers up to $8,000 over the life of their vehicles.
    The battle for greater fuel economy goes back years and involved many players: California, which in 2002 passed its own law regulating greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles sold there; environmentalists, who pressured the Environmental Protection Agency to impose similar rules nationwide; the Supreme Court, which in 2007 authorized the agency to move forward; and Congress, which ordered the Department of Transportation to update fuel economy standards that had been largely untouched since 1975. President Obama’s contribution was to bring about a consensus among the agencies, the states, the automakers and the interest groups on federal and state standards that reduced fuel use and gave industry the regulatory certainty it needed to move forward.
    It is a model of public-private cooperation. Even so, the Romney campaign has called the rules "extreme" and House Republicans have threatened to roll them back. That would be a grave harm to consumers, the auto companies, the economy and the planet.
What can we learn from the second paragraph?
选项 A、The new rules aim at controlling the number of automobiles and light trucks.
B、Greenhouse gas emissions are expected to reduce by 40 percent to 50 percent.
C、The 2009 rules and the new rules are designed to push fuel consumption.
D、Fuel efficiency will increase by 54. 5 miles per gallon if fuel is effectively used.
答案B
解析 事实细节题。由定位句可知，当两项法规在2025年被充分施行之后，预计石油消耗能够降低40％至50％，而温室气体的排放量也会相应下降40％至50％，故B)“温室气体排放量预计能降低40％至50％”为本题答案。A)“新法规的目的在于控制小轿车和轻型卡车的数量”和原文不符，由上文可知，该法规的目的是降低污染，而不是控制车的数量，故排除；C)“2009年的法规和新法规都是为了推动汽油消费”和原文意思相反，这两项法规都是降低能源消耗而非促进能源消耗，故排除；D)“在燃料被充分利用的情况下，燃油经济性每加仑能提高54．5英里”和原文不符，燃油经济性能提高到每加仑54．5英里，而非提高的幅度为每加仑54．5英里，故排除。
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