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  3. The United States produced more crude oil in October than it imported for the first time since early 1995, as domestic shale oil

The United States produced more crude oil in October than it imported for the first time since early 1995, as domestic shale oil

admin2015-10-21  54
问题     The United States produced more crude oil in October than it imported for the first time since early 1995, as domestic shale oil output continued to surge and U. S. consumption of petroleum products remained relatively flat, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday. The figures mark a milestone in the rebound of U.S. oil production since drillers started using a combination of horizontal drilling and hydraulic fracturing to unlock oil previously trapped in layers of shale rock in states such as North Dakota and Texas. At the same time, gains in automobile fuel efficiency and other areas have been curbing U. S. oil consumption. The trend is expected to continue for another decade as U. S. domestic oil supplies grow and reliance on imports shrinks, easing one of the main sources of pressure on global oil markets.
    For now, however, the United States remains the world’s biggest oil-consuming nation and the largest importer of crude oil. Moreover, global crude oil prices remain high by historic measures. U.S. crude oil production reached 7. 74 million barrels a day in October, down slightly from September because of disruptions from Tropical Storm Karen, but up 17 percent from the year before. Aside from September, U. S. production in October was the highest level of any month since May 1989. Net crude oil imports in October fell to 7.57 million barrels a day, down from 7.92 million barrels in September and down 8 percent from the year before.
    The White House sought to take credit for the figures. It issued a statement calling them " a result of both increased production and administration policies like increased fuel economy standards that cut oil consumption, cut carbon pollution, and cut consumer bills."
    Economists welcomed the figures. "It highlights the reversal of fortune in our energy sector, that we are increasingly energy independent and prospects are good that we’ll be more energy independent going forward" , said Mark M. Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics. "It’s one of the reasons to be optimistic about our growth prospects. " Zandi added that rising domestic oil production "means a smaller trade and current account deficit, which is a big plus for the economy. We’ll be less sensitive to increases in global oil prices". According to figures compiled by Zandi, the oil import bill as a percentage of the gross domestic product in the third quarter of this year was lower than any quarter since 1986. The firm estimates that shale oil output will result in an $80 billion reduction in imports this year.
    Frank Verrastro, senior vice president and energy expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the milestone was important, although he warned that higher costs, geological variations and constrained exploration budgets at many independent drillers could make it a "challenge" to meet expectations for future crude oil output growth.
    The turnaround in U. S. oil fortunes has been rapid. Five years ago, U. S. oil production hit a 62-year low. Since then, domestic production has increased by more than 50 percent. Prices remain high. This is the third consecutive year in which the price has hovered above $ 105 a barrel for crude oil produced by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. The U. S. benchmark for crude oil, West Texas Intermediate, has tumbled to about $95 a barrel, down from $110 a barrel in September, but that is still high by historic standards. Some oil analysts note that prices would be even higher without the increase in U. S. production, which has helped offset oil disruptions in Libya, Iraq and Nigeria and sanctions on Iran.  
What is the main idea of the passage?
选项 A、The White House improves U. S. oil production.
B、U. S. oil production changes global oil prices.
C、U.S. oil production reaches milestone.
D、The rapid change in U.S. shale oil production.
答案C
解析 主旨题。文章第一段第一句点明美国的原油产量超过其进口量，这种情况自1995年以来还是首次出现，接着第二句说这是美国石油产量反弹的里程碑；第二段是以数字说明美国目前的石油生产情况；第三段中虽然提到白宫试图将功劳揽在自己身上，但也从一个侧面阐明了这一现象出现的原因；第四段和第五段是经济学家们对这一现象的态度，其中第五段借弗兰克的口，再次提到了里程碑这一说法；最后一段依然是在分析美国的油价。由此可见，整篇文章都是围绕美国石油生产的里程碑展开，故[C]为正确答案。白宫认为自己是美国石油可喜现状的功臣，这只是文章的部分内容，不能概括本文主旨，故排除[A]；文章第二段第二句和第六段第四句分别提到了国际石油价格居高不下，但并没有说明美国的石油生产会使国际石油价格发生变化，故排除[B]；虽然文章第一段就提到美国页岩油的产量大幅上涨，但从第二段开始，文章更多的是在讨论美国整体的石油生产，而不是集中讨论页岩油的变化，故排除[D]。
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