泽熙美文Reading Comprehension
Almost every day the media discovers an African American community fighting some form of environmental threat from land fills, garbage dumps, petrochemical plants, refineries, bus depots, and the list goes on. For years, residents watched helplessly as their communities became dumping grounds.
But citizens didn’t remain silent for long. Local activists have been organizing under the mantle of environmental justice since as far back as 1968. More than three decades ago, the concept of environmental justice had not registered on the radar screens of many environmental or civil rights groups. But environmental justice fits squarely under the civil rights umbrella. It should not be forgotten that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis on an environmental and economic justice mission in 1968, seeking support for striking garbage workers who were underpaid and whose basic duties exposed them to environmentally hazardous conditions.
In 1979, a landmark environmental discrimination lawsuit filed in Houston, followed by similar litigation efforts in the 1980s, rallied activists to stand up to corporations and demand government intervention.
In 1991, a new breed of environmental activists gathered in Washington, D. C., to bring national attention to pollution problems threatening low-income and minority communities. Leaders introduced the concept of environmental justice, protesting that Black, poor and working-class communities often received less environmental protection than White or more affluent communities. The first National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit effectively broadened what “the environment” was understood to mean. It expanded the definition to include where we live, work, play, worship and go to school, as well as the physical and natural world. In the process, the environmental justice movement changed the way environmentalism is practiced in the United States and, ultimately, worldwide.
Because many issues identified at the inaugural summit remain unaddressed, the second National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit was convened in Washington, D. C., this past October. The second summit was planned for 500 delegates; but more than 1,400 people attended the four-day gathering.
“We are pleased that the Summit II was able to attract a record number of grassroots activists, academicians, students, researchers, planners, policy analysts and government officials. We proved to the world that our movement is alive and well, and growing,” says Beverly Wright, chair of the summit. The meeting produced two dozen policy papers that show powerful environmental and health disparities between people of color and Whites.
1. In Paragraph 1, the word “residents” underlined refers to ______ in particular.
A.ethnic groups in the U.S.
B.the American general public
C.African Americans
D.the U. S. working-class
正确答案：C
[解析] 根据文中第一段的内容“Almost every day the media discovers an African American community fighting some form of environmental threat from land fills, garbage dumps, petrochemical plants, refineries, bus depots, and the list goes on. For years, residents watched helplessly as their communities became dumping grounds.”可知，第一句话中出现了an African American community，所以第二句中的residents应该指African Americans，所以C项符合题意。A项“美国的种族”，B项“美国的普通大众”，D项“美国的工人阶级”，这三项在文中第一段没有出现相关内容。
2. The word “squarely” underlined in Paragraph 2 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.fairly
B.precisely
C.honestly
D.well
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第二段的内容“But environmental justice fits squarely under the civil rights umbrella”可知，但环境公正却公平地处于民权的保护伞下。选项中的A项为“公平地，公正地”符合文意。B项“准确地”，C项“诚实地”，D项“非常好地”，这三项均不符合题意。
3. More than three decades ago, environmental justice was ______.
A.controversial among local activities
B.first proposed by Martin Luther King Jr.
C.fascinating to the civil rights groups
D.barely realized by many environmentalists
正确答案：C
[解析] 根据文中第二段的内容“More than three decades ago，the concept of environmental justice had not registered on the radar screens of many environmental or civil rights groups. But environmental justice fits squarely under the civil rights umbrella.”可知，30多年前，环境公正却-正当地躲在公民权的保护伞之下。所以C项符合题意。A项“在当地活动中是引起争议的”，B项“是马丁·路德·金首先提出来的”，D项“几乎不被环境保护者意识到”，这三项和文中内容不符合。
4. The word “intervention” underlined in Paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.interposition
B.participation
C.involvement
D.management
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第三段的内容“rallied activists to stand up to corporations and demand government intervention”可知，积极分子对抗公司，要求政府干预。选项中的A项为“干预”符合文意。B项“参加”，C项“参与”，D项“管理”，这三项均不符合题意。
5. In 1968, Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis to help the garbage workers ______.
A.get relieved of some of their basic duties
B.know what environmental justice was
C.fight for better working conditions
D.recognize their dangerous surroundings
正确答案：C
[解析] 根据文中第二段的内容“Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. went to Memphis on an environmental and economic justice mission in 1968, seeking support for striking garbage workers who were underpaid and whose basic duties exposed them to environmentally hazardous conditions.”可知，马丁·路德·金博士前往孟斐斯是为了给工人争取更高的3-资和好的工作环境，所以C项“力争好的工作条件”符合题意。A项“减轻一些他们的基本工作”，B项“帮助工人了解环境公平是什么”，D项“帮助他们认识到他们危险的处境”，这三项和文意不符合。
6. The word “protesting” underlined in Paragraph 4 is closest in meaning to ______.
A.combat
B.confirm
C.consider
D.affirm
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第四段的内容“protesting that Black, poor and working-class communities often received less environmental protection than White or more affluent communities”可知，抗议黑人，穷人和工薪阶层受到的环境保护比白人或富人少很多。选项中的A项为“抗议，反对”符合文意。B项“确认”，C项“认为”，D项“断言”，这三项均不符合题意。
7. Paragraph 3 implies that, in 1979, ______.
A.the environmental justice issues were first brought to court in Houston
B.environmental activists cooperated in defying the U. S. government
C.the government intervention helped promote environmental justice
D.environmental problems attracted the attention of the government
正确答案：D
[解析] 根据文中第三段的内容“In 1979, a landmark environmental discrimination lawsuit filed in Houston, followed by similar litigation efforts in the 1980s, rallied activists to stand up to corporations and demand government intervention.”可知，环境公平问题需要政府的干预，所以D项“环境问题引起了政府的关注”符合文意。A项“环境公平问题在休斯敦第一次被诉诸法律”，文中说这是一个里程碑，但是没有说是第一次；B项“环境活动家合作一起对抗美国政府”，文中说的是与公司对抗，不是对抗政府；C项“政府的干预帮助促进了环境公平”，政府干预起到的效果文中没有提到，所以这三项都不符合题意。
8. The word “grass root” underlined in Paragraph 6 refers to ______.
A.basic level
B.middle class
C.peasant
D.worker
正确答案：A
[解析] 根据文中第六段的内容“attract a record number of grassroots
