14.It is ________ that even if we can save much energy, we can only delay the energy crisis.

A.similar B.steady

C.distinctive D.obvious

答案：D　题意：很明显，即使我们能够节约能源，我们也只能推迟能源危机。obvious “显然的;显而易见的”，符合题意。similar“相似的”;steady“稳定的”;distinctive“与众不同的”

15.They seem to be good friends although they have nothing ________ common.

A.on B.for

C.in D.with

答案：C　题意：他们看起来是好朋友，尽管他们几乎没有相似之处。have...in common“有相同的特点”，为固定搭配。

Ⅱ.完形填空(每小题1分，共20分)

阅读下面短文，理解大意，从题中所给的A、B、C、D四个选项中选出一个最佳答案。

The British Isles is made up of two large islands: One is called Ireland and the other __16__. Britain, or Great Britain, is the larger of these two islands, and it is __17__ into three parts：Scotland, Wales and England.

The United Kingdom is that __18__ of the British Isles ruled over by the Queen. It is made up of Scotland, Wales and England, that is, the __19__ of Britain, and also about one sixth of Ireland, the Northern part. The __20__ of Ireland is self­governing. The __21__ name of the Untied Kingdom is __22__ “The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.”

__23__ is larger and richer than Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and has the largest __24__ of the United Kingdom, so people often use the __25__ “England” and “English” when they __26__ “Britain” and “British”. This sometimes makes the Scots and the Welsh a little __27__. The Scots in particular are very __28__ of their separate nationality. The Welsh too do not regard __29__ as English, and have a culture and even a __30__ of their own.

Ireland became part of the United Kingdom in 1801, but for forty years the “Irish __31__ ”was the greatest headache of the United Kingdom. __32__， Ireland is divided into two：Northern Ireland still __33__ to the United Kingdom, and in 1922 the rest of Ireland __34__ to found an Irish Free State, later called Eire and now the Republic of Ireland.

The Republic of Ireland does not regard itself as part of Britain, and is not now even a supporter of the Commonwealth of Nations (英联邦). Unlike the major Commonwealth countries it did not lift a finger to __35__ British in the Second World War and now wants the whole of Ireland to be a republic.

本文从政治、历史、地理、文化几个方面详尽介绍了大不列颠及北爱尔兰联合王国的一些情况，突出介绍了英国与爱尔兰共和国之间的关系，使我们对这个国家有更详尽的了解。

16.A.Wales B.Britain

C.England D.Scotland

答案：B　从下文“Britain, or Great Britain, is the larger of these two islands”可知B项正确。