1 . When 62-year-old fisherman Kpana Charlie finished the day’s catch, he liked to settle into a wooden chair, thinking about his childhood. Back then, his life on Sierra Leone’s Nyangai Island seemed excellent. He spent endless hours playing with his friends on the island’s white beaches. Whenever he wanted to avoid having to do his housework, he could simply disappear into the forest that covered much of the island. He remembers as recently as ten years ago, it still measured some 2, 300 feet from end to end.
Today, Nyangai is disappearing before his very eyes, covered by the endless sea. The forests are gone. And the land on which Charlie’s family home once stood, has long since disappeared beneath the waves.
In fact, the local government has responded to the sharp increase of sea level by building a concrete (混凝土制的) seawall along the length of the town. But in the many smaller coastal towns and villages in the area, there simply aren’t the resources. Then, the government made a project to protect some of the settlements by planting trees, but this has had limited success. With the population relying on woods for building and smoking-fish, few trees lived longer than the project, which ended in 2021.
Sierra Leone has been identified as one of the world’s most weak countries to the effects of climate change, despite having little influence on global CO2 emissions (排放). “Weak countries should be getting some support from wealthy nations to strengthen their climate defenses (防御),” says Gabriel Kpaka, the head of the country’s Meteorological Agency. “But we’re not really seeing that.”
With global sea level expected to rise by anywhere between 1 and 3 feet by the end of the century, along with an increase in extreme weather events, the experience of this West African island offers an understanding of the possible future of countless other low-lying areas around the world.
1. Why does the author tell Charlie’s story in paragraph 1?
A.To describe his wonderful life at present. | B.To offer-readers-background information |
C.To call on local people to protect the seen | D.To attract more visitors to Nyangai Island. |
2. What is paragraph 3 mainly about?
A.The reasons for the changes on the island. | B.The rich natural species in coastal areas. |
C.The measures taken to deal with rising sea level. | D.The way to build a concrete seawall on the island. |
3. What can be done to help Nyangai Island according to Kpaka?
A.Local government should build a stronger seawall. |
B.Local people on the island limit their CO2 emissions. |
C.Countries in low-lying areas work together for their rights. |
D.Rich countries should offer support about climate defenses. |
4. What is the author’s attitude towards the future of other low-lying areas?
A.Concerned. | B.Doubtful. | C.Uncertain. | D.Positive. |