四川米易县高考英语阅读理解二轮摸底习题5及答案.docVIP

四川米易县2016高考英语阅读理解（二轮）摸底习题（5）及答案 阅读理解。阅读下列短文，从每题所给的四个选项(A、B、C和D)中，选出最佳选项。 For decades, Morocco, the only North African nation without large quantities of oil, combed the surrounding desert in search of fossil fuels. But roughly a year and a half ago, the country turned to a resource that exists in abundance across the region: the sun. Now Europe—long dependent on Middle Eastern oil and Russian natural gas—has begun to look toward the heat of the Sahara for some of its long-term energy needs. By 2050, roughly 15 percent of European energy could be produced by wind and solar-thermal(太阳能热) power in North Africa and parts of the Middle East, according to Dii, widely known as Desertec, a group of mostly European companies such as Siemens that are developing clean-energy technology in the region. Although the effort—expected to cost ＄510 billion—is still in the early stage of development, analysts say Morocco has far more aggressive investment plans than its regional rivals(竞争对手) and is well positioned to become North Africa’s leading provider of renewable energy, especially solar-thermal. In 2008, when global oil prices hit record highs, Morocco—which imports most of its power—saw energy costs nearly double, to roughly ＄9 billion annually. Soon after, King Mohamed VI issued a royal command making the development of alternative energy a top priority. He also put a legal framework in place to encourager European investment and has managed to limit instability in a region known for political confusion. Another advantage for Morocco: geography. The sun over the Sahara is far stronger than it is in Europe. But what distinguishes the country from its neighbors is that it is close to Spain. The two countries are separated by less than 16 km at some points, and they’re connected by an energy transmission line. Currently the line sends energy from Spain to Morocco, but it could work both ways, and analysts say the line’s existence gives Morocco an advantage over its neighbors f