Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the size of the state of Texas. Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers. So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.
All together, this mass of waste flowing in the North Pacific Ocean is known as the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch. It weighs about 3 500 000 tons. The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.
The eastern part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch is about l 600 kilometers west of California. The western part is west of the Hawaiian Islands and east of Japan. The area has been described as a kind of oceanic desert，with light winds and slow moving water currents. The water moves so slow that garbage from all over the world collects there.
In recent years，there have been growing concerns about the floating garbage and its effect on sea creatures and human health. Scientists say thousands of animals get trapped in the floating waste，resulting in death or injury. Even more die from a lack of food or water after swallowing pieces of plastic. The trash can also make animals feel full，lessening their desire to eat or drink.
The floating garbage also can have harmful effects on people. There is an increased threat of infection of disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste. Divers can also get trapped in the plastic.
Its existence first gained public attention in l997. That was when racing boat captain and oceanographer Charles Moore and his crew sailed into the garbage while returning from a racing event. Five years earlier，another oceanographer learned of the trash after a shipment of rubber duckies got lost at sea. Many of those toys are now part of the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch.
In August，2009，a team from the University of California，San Diego became the
latest group to travel to it. They were shocked by the amount of waste they saw. They gathered hundreds of sea creatures and water samples to measure the garbage patch’s effect on ocean environment.
51.How did the writer introduce the topic of the passage?
A. By giving an example. B. By listing the facts.
C. By telling a story. D. By giving a comparison.
52.What do we know about the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
A. It is made up of various kinds of plastic products.
B. It is a solid mass of floating waste materials.
C. It lies l60 000 kilometers east of California.
D. It is described as a kind of oceanic desert.
53.Why do people pay attention to the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch?
A. Because it may prevent the flow of ocean water.
B. Because the polluted plastic articles will move up the food chain.
C. Because it may be from an island in the pacific.
D. Because ships may be trapped in the floating waste.
54.Which column can you find the passage on a newspaper?
A. Sports and entertainment. B. Media and culture.
C. Environment and society. D. Science and technology.
55.The purpose of writing this passage is to____________.
A. warn people of the danger to travel in the pacific
B. analyze what caused the waste patch in the pacific
C. give advice on how to recycle waste in the ocean
D. introduce the Great Pacific Ocean Garbage Patch
答案：
51.D。推理判断题。根据第一段”Imagine a mass of floating waste is two times the state of Texas.Texas has a land area of more than 678 000 square kilometers.So it might be difficult to imagine anything twice as big.”可知，作者拿得克萨斯州与大量的垃圾漂浮物进行比较，所以选D项。
52.A。细节判断题。根据第二段中的”The waste includes bags，bottles and containers—plastic products of all kinds.”可知，这些垃圾漂流物是塑料制品。
53.B。细节理解题。根据第五段中的”There is an increased threat of infection of
disease from polluted waste，and from eating fish that swallowed waste.”可知受污染的塑料制品会通过食物链来影响人类。
54.C。推理判断题。根据本文内容可知，这篇文章最有可能出现在报纸上”环境与社会”这个栏目里。
55.D。作者意图题。本文通过介绍太平洋上漂浮的大量的塑料垃圾废物的情况，指出了它们对海洋中的生物以及人类的影响，所以D项正确。
