The Norwegian government is doing its best to keep the oil industry under control. A new law limits exploration to an area 1_____ its long coastline. Oil companies are not allowed to employ more than a certain 2_____ of foreign workers. But the oil industry has a way of getting 3_____ such problems, and few people believe that the government will be able to hold things back 4_____.
Since World War Ⅱ, the 5_____ has been carrying out a programme of development in the area north of the Arctic Circle, 6_____ 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 7_____ people south, and within a few years the whole northern policy could be 8_____.
The 9_____ of the oil industry would not be limited to the north, however. As a result of nearly 100 per cent employment, tourism and service industries will lose most of their workers 10_____ the oil industry. Some smaller industries might even 11_____ altogether when it becomes cheaper to buy goods from abroad.
The real argument over oil is, as a matter of fact, its threat to the Norwegian 12_____ of life. Farmers and fishermen do not make up the majority of the population, but they are an important 13_____ of it. Norwegians see in them many of the qualities that they regard with 14_____ as essentially Norwegian. And it is 15_____ who are most critical of the oil industry. They fear it might cause damage to the countryside and to the sea.
1
A、of
B、off
C、on
D、about
【正确答案】：B
【题目解析】：本题考查介词用法。A项of常用于表示时空距离的词组中，如a village 5 miles north of Leeds利兹以北五英里的一个村庄，前面应有表示数量的词，所以A项不正确；B项off表示距离某处还有一段距离，与题目中“长长的海岸线”吻合；C项on表示（在某位五中或进入某位置中）覆盖，接触（某表面）或形成其一部分，所以不正确；D项about表示以某地为中心，往往呈分散状分布，与题意不符合。答案为B。
