Passage Twenty (The Law to Keep the Oil Industry under Control)

       The Norwegian Government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting over such problems, and few people believe that the Government will be able to hold things back for long. As on Norwegian politician said last week: “We will soon be changed beyond all recognition¹.”

       Ever since the war, the Government has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic² Circle. During the past few years this programme has had a great deal of success: Tromso has been built up into a local capital with a university, a large hospital and a healthy industry. But the oil industry has already started to draw people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be in ruins.

       The effects of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. With nearly 100 percent employment³, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even disappear altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.

      The real argument over oil is its threat to the Norwegian way of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially⁴ Norwegian. And it is the farmers and the fishermen who are most critical of the oil industry because of the damage that it might cause to the countryside and to the sea.

1.       The Norwegian Government would prefer the oil industry to
[A] provide more jobs for foreign workers.
[B] slow down the rate of its development.
[C] sell the oil it is producing abroad.
[D] develop more quickly than at present.

2.       The Norwegian Government has tried to
[A] encourage the oil companies to discover new oil sources.
[B] prevent oil companies employing people from northern Norway.
[C] help the oil companies solve many of their problems.
[D] keep the oil industry to something near its present size.

3.       According to the passage, the oil industry might lead northern Norway to
[A] the development of industry.
[B] a growth in population.
[C] the failure of the development programme.
[D] the development of new towns.

4.       In the south, one effect to the development of the oil industry might be
[A] a large reduction⁵ on unemployment.
[B] a growth in the tourist industry.
[C] a reduction in the number of existing industries.
[D] the development of a number of service industries.

5.       Norwegian farmers and fishermen have an important influence because
[A] they form such a large part of Norwegian ideal⁶.
[B] their lives and values represent the Norwegian ideal.
[C] their work is so useful to the rest of Norwegian society.
[D] they regard oil as a threat to the Norwegian way of life.

Vocabulary

1. Norwegian        挪威的；挪威人
2. coastline           海岸线
3. recognition              承认；认识；赞赏
4. countryside       乡下；乡民

难句译注

1.       A new law limits exploration to an area south of the southern end of the long coastline; production limits have been laid down (though these have already been raised); and oil companies have not been allowed to employ more than a limited number of foreign workers.
【结构简析】用两个分号连接三句句子。
【参考译文】一条新的法律限制人们仅在长长的海岸线南端以南地区进行勘探考察；规定了石油生产限量（虽然已提高）；石油公司雇佣外国工人不许超出限定额。

2.       With nearly 100 percent employment, everyone can see a situation developing in which the service industries and the tourist industry will lose more of their workers to the oil industry.
【参考译文】由于将近百分之一百就业率，每个人都能看出形式发展中服务行业和旅游行业的大部分工人会跑到石油工业方面去。

3.       Farmers and fishermen do not make up most of the population, but they are an important part of it, because Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with pride as essentially Norwegian.
【结构简析】复合句。在because状语从句中that是定语从句修饰qualities。
【参考译文】虽然农民和渔民并不占人口的绝大多数，可是他们都是人口的重要组成不分，因为挪威人在他们身上看到许多他们自豪地认为是挪威人的基本品质。

写作方法与文章大意

       文章论述“挪威政府意欲控制石油工业”。采用对比写法。先提出政府新政策的种种限制。但石油工业有办法对付。人们都认为限制难以长久。其次讲述，从战时起，挪威政府一直执行开发北极圈北部地区的发展规划，也取得成功。但石油工业已经开始向南方进军，北方政策可能会失败。石油工业之影响超出北方，有些企业缩小，减少。最后一段是讲争论的焦点：石油对挪威生活方式构成了威胁，具体表现在对挪威理想的代表――渔民和农民的威胁。

答案详解

1.       B 减慢发展速率。文章开始就阐明挪威政府正竭尽全力把石油工业控制起来，制定新法律来限制勘探开采，限制产量，限制雇佣外国工人人数。
A. 为外国工人提供更多的工作。C.卖掉正在国外生产的石油。D.比现在发展更快。

2.       D 使石油工业保持在接近现在的规模。
A. 鼓励石油公司去发现新石油资源。B.制止石油公司雇佣来自挪威北方的人。C.帮助石油公司解决许多问题。

3.       C 发展规划的失败。这在第二段最后一句：“可是石油工业已经开始把人们吸引到南方去，所以不出几年，整个北方政策可能成泡影。”
A.工业发展。B.人口增长。D.新城市的发展。文内没有涉及。

4.       C 现存工业数的减少。第三段开始“可是石油工业的影响并不仅仅限于北方。近百分之一百的就业率，使每个人都见到发展的势头，服务业和旅游业的好多工人转向石油工业。某些较小的工业，在从国外购进货物更便宜的情况下，很可能会全部消失。”这说明工业数减少。
A.大大减少失业。B.旅游行业增长。D.许多服务公司发展。文内没有提。

5.       B 他们的生活和价值代表了挪威人的理想。
A.他们组成了那么大一部分挪威理想。C.他们的工作对挪威社会的其他方面非常有用。D.他们认为石油是对挪威生活方式的威胁。最后一段第一句话：“对石油真正的争论点是它对挪威生活方式的一种威胁。”并不是他们认为威胁。