Section A: Banked Cloze
Directions: In this section, there is a passage with ten blanks. You are required to select one word for each blank from a list of choices given in a word bank following the passage. Read the passage through carefully before making your choices. Each choice in the bank is identified by a letter. Please mark the corresponding letter for each item on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre. You may not use any of the words in the bank more than once.
Colleges Reducing Coal Use
American colleges and universities are using 64 percent less coal than they did a decade ago, burning 700,000 tons last year, down from 2 million tons in 2008, the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA) said in a report (26) ______ yesterday.
All 57 schools that were burning coal in 2008 are using less now, and 20 have (27) ______ coal completely, EIA found.
Most universities have turned to natural gas as a (28) ______, with state funding backing the fuel switch.
While academic institutions use less than 0.1 percent of U.S. coal burned for power, campus coal use has a history dating back to the 1800s when (29) ______ to power was scarce.
Many universities still operate their own power plants. The Public Utility Regulatory Policies Act of 1978 encouraged more electricity generation by allowing institutions to sell (30) ______ power to utilities.
But EIA noted many coal-fired universities have signed onto the American College and University Presidents Climate Commitment, which was launched in 2007.
About 665 schools are part of the program, which aims to (31) ______ greenhouse gas emissions. Thirty percent of the participants have pledged to be carbon (32) ______ within 20 years.
The Sierra Club’s Beyond Coal campaign, which also leads campaigns for universities to withdraw their (33) ______ in coal and other fossil fuels, lists 22 schools that have pledged to move “beyond coal,” including Clemson University, Indiana University, Ohio University, Penn State University, the University of Louisville and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
The largest coal use (34) ______ at colleges were in Michigan, Missouri, Tennessee and Indiana.
Indiana’s universities alone cut coal (35) ______ by 81 percent between 2008 and 2015.
During the same period, Michigan made an 80 percent cut and Tennessee cut back by 94 percent at state institutions.
Answers & Explanations (答案与解析)
Section A: Banked Cloze
26. K (released)。解析：空格修饰名词
report，其后有时间状语 yesterday，需要填入过去分词作后置定语，表示被动。句意：美国能源信息署在昨天“发布”的一份报告中说……因此填入 released。27. A (abandoned)。解析：空格在助动词
have 之后，需要填入过去分词构成现在完成时。根据前半句 using less now（现在用得更少了）以及后半句的 completely（完全地），可知这20所学校已经完全“放弃/停止使用”煤炭。因此填入 abandoned。28. L (replacement)。解析：空格在不定冠词
a 之后，需要填入单数名词。前文说到各大学减少使用煤炭，本句指出他们转向天然气作为“替代品”。因此填入 replacement。29. B (access)。解析：空格在
to power 之前，作从句主语，需要填入名词。access to power 是固定搭配，意为“获取电力的途径/能力”。句意：校园用煤可以追溯到19世纪，那时获取电力是很困难的。因此填入 access。30. N (surplus)。解析：空格在动词
sell 和名词 power 之间，需要填入形容词作定语。该法案鼓励机构将自己电厂发电的“剩余”电力卖给公用事业公司。因此填入 surplus。31. M (slash)。解析：空格在不定式符号
to 之后，需要填入动词原形。句意：该项目旨在“大幅削减”温室气体排放。因此填入 slash。32. I (neutral)。解析：空格在系动词
be 之后，需要填入形容词作表语。carbon neutral 是环保领域的专有固定词组，意为“碳中和”（指排放的二氧化碳与吸收的二氧化碳达到平衡）。因此填入 neutral。33. F (investments)。解析：空格在物主代词
their 之后，介词 in 之前，需要填入名词。withdraw their investments in... 意为“撤回他们在...的投资”（即撤资）。句意：该运动领导各大学撤回在煤炭和其他化石燃料方面的投资。因此填入 investments。34. J (reductions)。解析：空格作主语的核心词，根据谓语动词
were 可知需要填入复数名词。前文一直在讨论“削减”煤炭使用量，本句列举了“削减量/降幅”最大的几个州。因此填入 reductions。35. C (consumption)。解析：空格在
coal 之后，构成复合名词作 cut 的宾语。句意：印第安纳的大学在2008至2015年间就削减了81%的煤炭“消耗量”。因此填入 consumption。【核心搭配与亮点句型】
turn to：转向，求助于（turned to natural gas）
date back to：追溯到（dating back to the 1800s）
access to：获取...的途径/权利（access to power）
carbon neutral：碳中和（pledged to be carbon neutral）
withdraw investment：撤资（withdraw their investments in coal）
cut back by：削减了（某一百分比）（cut back by 94 percent）