Text3Transportinglargecontainersisnotasglamorousasmakingfilms,butshippingisdoingmorethanHollywoodtoboostsouthernCalifornia'seconomythesedays.ThenearbyportsofLosAngelesandLongBeach,alreadythetwobiggestinthecountr y,aregrowingquicklythankstotr adewithChina.Theyareagiantjob-creatingengine,stimulatingindustr ialandwarehouseemploymentonascalenotseenintheregionsincetheriseoftheaerospaceindustr yaftertheSecondWorldWar.Sadly,likemostengines,theyarefilthy.
Theportsthemselvesreckontheyareresponsibleforabout12%ofallthedieselparticleemissionsand45%ofthesulphuroxides(硫的氧化物)insouthernCalifornia.Carriedeastbyprevailingwinds,suchpollutantshelptocreatesomeofAmerica'sworstairmorethan50milesinland.Thosewholiveclosetothefreewaysleadingoutoftheportssufferthemost.Researchershavefoundthatchildrenlivingwithinafewhundredmetersofsuchroadsarenotonlymorelikelytosufferfromasthma,adiseaseofthebreathingsystemandcharacterizedbysuddenrecurringattacksoflaboredbreathing,andcoughing.Theyactuallyhavesmallerlungs.
Themostambitiousefforttocontr olpollution,andtheonethatmayaffectthelocaleconomymostd rastically,involvestr uckers.Some16,000lorriescurrentlyhaulcontainersbetweenshipsandwarehouses,mostofwhomareownedbyHispanicimmigrants.Thedriversputinlonghours:13adayisnotunusual,accordingtoasurvey.Theyearn,onaverage,justunder$35,000ayear.Suchjobs,likemanyconnectedtotheport,areanimportantstepping-stoneonthepathtothemiddleclass.
Theportswanttoremovetheoldesttr ucksandgraduallyupgradetheotherssothat,withinfiveyears,thefleetemitsfour-fifthslesspollutionthanatpresent.Tohelppayforthis,theyintendtolevy(征收-)afeeof$34to$54onevery“dirty”vehicleenteringtheport.Mostimportant,theywanttoturnalarge,unwieldynetworkofindependentcontr actorsintoamoreorderlygroupofcompanies,ashappensinanairport.“Weneedtohavemorecontr ol,”explainsGeraldineKnatz,theheadofLosAngeles'port.
Thereformsdononethelessposeathreattotheports'competitiveness.Atpresent,thetr uckerswhoworkatthedocksareprice-takers,notprice-setters.Becausetheyareself-employed,theyarealmostimpossibletounionize,andconsequentlyhavelittlebargainingpower.Allthatcouldquiteeasilychangeiftheyweretobecometheemployeesofafewlargefirms.Indeed,themostenthusiasticwelcomefortheports'planshascomenotfromenvironmentalgroupsbutfromtheTeamsters'union.
第31题：Whatisthepassagemainlyabout?
［A］Theconsequencesofshippingindustr yinsouthernCalifornia.
［B］ThecausesofpollutionalongthecoastofsouthernCalifornia.
［C］Thepollutionproblemoftheshippingindustr yinsouthernCalifornia.
［D］Theroleofshippingindustr yinsouthernCalifornia'seconomy.
正确答案：C从文章结构来看，作者谈到航运业和港口的作用，该行业存在污染问题，又讨论了解决措施，并指出改革会带来的问题。因此C项符合要求，它整体概括了南加州航运业的问题。A、B、D都只是这个大的主题讨论的一部分，属于以偏概全，故应排除。
