2 . The Impact of Climate Change on Global Agriculture

Climate change has become a pressing issue in recent years, with its effects being felt across various sectors, including agriculture. Rising global temperatures, changing precipitation (rainfall) patterns, and increasingly frequent extreme weather events pose significant challenges to agricultural systems worldwide.

One of the main impacts of climate change on agriculture is crop yield reduction. Higher temperatures can decrease crop productivity, as certain crops have specific temperature requirements for optimal growth. Changes in rainfall patterns can lead to droughts or floods, both of which can negatively affect crop health and yield.

Additionally, the increase in extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heatwaves can cause extensive damage to crops and infrastructure (基础设施).

Climate change also interrupts the ecology of agricultural regions. Shifts in temperature and precipitation can affect the distribution of pests and diseases, leading to increased pest outbreaks and the spread of plant infections. This puts further pressure on farmers to adapt their practices and find alternative methods for pest control and crop protection

Furthermore, water scarcity (lack) is a growing concern in many agricultural regions as a result of climate change. Changes in precipitation (rainfall) patterns and increased evaporation (蒸发) rates contribute to reduced water availability for irrigation purposes. This can lead to water stress for plants and livestock, impacting their growth and productivity.

1. What is one of the main impacts of climate change on agriculture?

A．Reduction in crop yield	B．Improved crop health
C．Decreased water scarcity	D．Increased crop productivity

2. How can changes in rainfall affect agriculture?

A．Increase water availability for irrigation

B．Improve crop health and yield

C．Cause droughts or floods

D．Reduce the spread of pests and diseases

3. What are the consequences of changes in precipitation (rainfall) patterns and increased evaporation rates?

A．Increased water availability for irrigation	B．Water scarcity
C．Reduced pressure on farmers	D．Reduced water availability

3 . Have you ever noticed that sometimes you may be ill suited or perfect for the same thing?     1     Here are ways weather can affect your mood that you never noticed.

You’re more helpful on sunny days. Sun makes you happy!     2     Therefore, on sunny days, you’re more likely to help those in need than on days filled with clouds and gloom. Next time you want to volunteer, try to pick a sunny day— you’ll be more helpful to the people.

    3     Summer sales, here we come! Get ready to open your wallet if you go out to a mall during a nice, sunny day. Research shows that you are more likely to spend money when it’s sunny. My theory is that the sun makes us feel happier and less stressed about our life (including our financial life) -therefore we spend more money! Thus, try not to go shopping on shiny days if you want to save money.

Cold temperatures impact complex physical tasks.     4     It’s like you don’t want to move. Have you ever tried untying (解开) a knot while your hands were cold? Be careful when trying to perform complex physical tasks in the cold weather— too much time in low temperatures can cause hypothermia (体温过低) !

Lack of sunlight makes you eat more. Bears hibernate (冬眠) while humans just start swallowing everything in sight. Well, bears eat much too, before they go to sleep.     5     Your body needs extra fuel to fight off the cold. Unfortunately, often you don’t actually need the extra food because a lack of sun doesn’t necessarily mean you’re cold.

A．Sunlight makes you spend more money.

B．Sunny days make you feel more tired.

C．The secret lies in distinct weather conditions.

D．Being less stressed leads to a poor life.

E．Happy people tend to be more willing to help others.

F．The cold, dark winter months make it much easier to overeat.

G．When you’re cold, your muscles feel slow and dull.

5 . Growing at high speed and absorbing huge amounts of atmospheric carbon dioxide, could seaweeds be the key to fighting climate change? Scientists in Australia think so. In Australia, scientists are taking advantage of the power of seaweeds to absorb CO₂ at a rate that equals to the Amazon rainforest!

Kelp (巨藻) is one of the most common seaweeds. It has many types and grows at great speed. Giant kelp, for example, can grow up to 50 cm per day. Seaweeds use photosynthesis (光合作用) to absorb CO₂, and grow biomass. Seaweeds are thought to absorb nearly 200 million tonnes of our globe’s CO₂ per year.

Pia Winberg, founder of Australia’s first land-based commercial seaweed farm, suggests that growing more seaweeds could be an essential tool in the fight against climate change. “If we used the infrastructure we have in the ocean and created seaweed islands, we would actually remove many climate change issues we have today,” she said.

The Great Southern Reef is an 8,000-km network of reefs in Australia. Golden kelp forms the backbone of the network. With many other species, including giant kelp and bull kelp, growing there, it is a good place for series of relevant projects. The Great Southern Reef project managed by an independent team of seience professionals is working to promote the recognition and management of Australia’s kelp forests. The project estimates that if these kelp forests were cultivated in just 0.001% of the ocean’s surface, the amounts of the CO₂: they absorb could offset (抵消) the carbon emissions of the global aquaculture (水产养殖) industry.

Of seaweeds’ potential, there’s a long chain of wins with this.

1. What is the scientists’ attitude towards growing seaweeds to absorb CO₂?

A．Doubtful.

B．Unclear.

C．Positive.

D．Negative.

2. What can we learn about Giant kelp?

A．It can grow 50 cm per day at most.

B．It is unique to the Great Southern Reef.

C．It is cultivated in commercial seaweed farm.

D．It absorbs nearly 200 million tonnes of CO: every year.

3. Why is the Great Southern Reef suitable for ocean forest project?

A．It is managed by an independent team of science professionals.

B．It has the largest network of reefs in Australia.

C．It is home to many species of seaweeds.

D．It works to protect Australia’s kelp forests.

4. What’s the main idea of the passage?

A．Different species of seaweed absorb CO2 in different ways.

B．Bull kelp forms the backbone of the reefs network in Australia.

C．The Great Southern Reef absorbs as much CO2 as the Amazon rainforest.

D．Seaweed forests could be the key to fighting climate change.

6 . 阅读下面短文，在空白处填入 1个适当的单词或括号内单词的正确形式。

The world’s oceans reached their hottest level in recorded history last year, supercharging (加剧) extreme weather events, scientists have reported. They found that the five hottest recorded years in the oceans     1    (occur) since 2015, and that the rate of heating since 1986 was eight times higher than     2     from 1960-85. Oceans cover 71% of the planet and water can absorb thousands of times more heat than air,     3     is why 93% of global heating is taken up by seas.

Hotter oceans destroy rainfall patterns, which     4    (lead) to floods, droughts and wildfires. Heat also causes seawater     5     (expand) and drives up sea levels. Scientists expect about one metre of sea level rise by the end of the century,     6    (threaten) 150 million people. Higher temperatures in the seas are also harming marine (海洋的) life, with     7     number of ocean heatwaves increasing     8    (sharp).

The study also finds that the sinking of surface waters and upwelling of deeper water is reducing as the seas heat up. This means the surface layers heats up even further and fewer nutrients for marine life are brought up from the     9    (deep).

“The oceans reached yet another new record level of warmth in 2020,    10     a record drop in global carbon emissions (排放). The planet will continue to warm up as long as we emit carbon into the atmosphere,” said Prof Michael Mann of Penn State University.

7 . Somalia, Kenya, and now Ethiopia are warning of a serious drought (干旱)that affects millions of people in Eastern Africa. In Ethiopia’s Somali area, people have seen the failures of what should have been three straight rainy seasons. Droughts do come and go over the years. However, the lack of rainfall has led to the driest conditions in 40 years in parts of Somalia and Ethiopia.

UNICEF is the United Nation’s children’s agency. Local Zaynab Wali told a visiting team with UNICEF that she and her seven children had never seen a drought like this. She said the government gave out food for animals during the last drought five years ago. “This time, we even don’t have enough food for our family.”

Children walk among the bodies of dead animals, which died from lack of food and energy. Somalia Consortium works to improve international aid for Somalia. It said in a separate statement that in Somalia, more than 7 million people need emergency help. It is asking international organizations to give much more to the country.

“We are just one month into the long dry season, and I have already lost 25 goats and sheep,” Hafsa Bedel in Ethiopia’s Somali area told UNICEF. She also lost four camels, a large desert animal, as well. She said there was nowhere for her animals to eat. She added that there was not enough food for her own family, including her six children.

UNICEF thinks that more than 150,000 children in such areas of Ethiopia have dropped out of school. They are needed to help find the limited amount of water and help their families with other work.

One young boy was seen supporting an animal, a donkey. The donkey was once important for carrying goods. But now, it had become too weak to walk on its own.

1. Why did Zaynab Wali mention the last drought?

A．To show the need to protect animals.	B．To express her disappointment this time.
C．To prove the high frequency of drought.	D．To praise the government for its timely help.

2. What is Somalia Consortium trying to do now?

A．Get more foreign help.

B．Warn people of the risk of drought.

C．Offer more education to the children there.

D．Make clear the number of people in need.

3. What does the last paragraph mainly want to tell us?

A．The sweet picture of the boy and the animal.

B．The functions of animals in farming.

C．The importance of taking care of the weak animal.

D．The seriousness of the drought.

4. Which is the most suitable title for the text?

A．Drought in Eastern Africa Leaves Animals in Danger

B．Drought Makes People of Eastern Africa Leave Their Home

C．UN Officials Care for Children Affected by Drought

D．Millions Face Risk as Drought Affects Eastern Africa

8 . There is hot, and then there is hot! Extreme heat is a period of high heat and humidity with temperatures above 90 degrees Fahrenheit for at least two to three days. Extreme heat is responsible for the highest number of annual deaths among all weather-related hazards (危害).

It’s not your imagination. Summers have been getting hotter and hotter with extreme heatwaves occurring earlier and more frequently. But why is this happening and can we better predict heatwaves in advance to give people time to prepare?

“Climate change is here and it’s already been changing human behavior and causing significant influence in the society. As global temperatures rise, historically excessive (过高的) temperatures are more likely to occur.” says Craig Ramseyer, an assistant professor who studies climate modeling in the department of geography at Virginia Tech.

Ramseyer says heatwaves are the most concerning because of the lack of attention they normally receive. “Hurricanes, tornadoes, and flash floods drive more media attention because of the natural attraction with the visual impact of those types of hazards. However, heat does not tend to be as attractive and it becomes very difficult to communicate the danger to the public,” said Ramseyer. “Around the world, more deaths occur due to extreme heat than from hurricanes, flooding, and drought combined. It impacts the most helpless of our citizens who do not have enough access to air conditioning, water, and other important resources.”

Since the Earth is running warmer than it used to, Ramseyer says that when these heatwave-related weather patterns take place, it results in higher extreme temperatures than we used to experience 30 years ago.

“As a global community, we need to decrease carbon emissions as soon as possible. We have rapidly developing technologies that are going to help advance the process, but the faster the better, there is no time to waste.”

1. What can we learn from the article?

A．Extreme heat is a No.1 death cause.

B．People are suffering more extreme heat.

C．A 100-degree heat is an extreme heat.

D．Extreme heat is getting better over the years.

2. What will Ramseyer possibly agree with?

A．Climate change will soon affect human behaviors.

B．High temperatures happened frequently in history.

C．Air conditioning and water can stop the extreme heat.

D．Garbage sorting can less advance the climate change.

3. Why is extreme heat lack of attention?

A．Extreme heat can be stopped by technology.

B．People have enough time to solve the climate problems.

C．The danger of extreme heat is not easily transferred to the public.

D．Heatwave-related weather patterns will decrease in the future.

4. What’s the article mainly about?

A．Complaints about extreme heat.	B．Prevention of extreme heat.
C．Characters of extreme heat.	D．Technologies behind extreme heat.

9 . You plan and hope, keeping a close eye on the forecast. Even so, the vacation you expect gets ruined by the bad weather. I’m pretty sure that everyone has their story of the plans messed up by weather forecasts.     1    Why is it that even with all the technological wonders in the world, it’s still a challenge to predict the weather?

    2    A lot of data from different sources, like satellites, are accumulated and analyzed. Powerful computers use this data to make predictions. The idea of using numerical analysis to predict the weather originated in the 1920s with Lewis Fry Richardson’s writings. Later, with the help of supercomputers, this became a more practical approach.

Weather forecasts often go wrong, but not quite as often as you might think. We tend to focus mostly on what goes wrong, so it feels like the forecasts are always inaccurate. A five-day forecast is actually pretty accurate —     3    For a seven-day forecast, the numbers go down to about 80%. But add more days and the uncertainty necessarily builds. These numbers are also much better than what they used to be.     4    

To determine the state of the atmosphere at any point, and therefore make a forecast, several different changes must be taken into account.     5    The changes are used as initial conditions that can be fed into mathematical models. The models are designed based on patterns in historical data and the typical behavior of weather. Advancements in data collection and the processing power of computers also help explain why forecasts today have improved so dramatically.

A．You can trust the forecast at your own risk.

B．Why are our weather forecasts so inaccurate?

C．The forecasts are right about 90% of the time.

D．Weather forecasting is a complicated process.

E．These deal with wind, temperature, pressure, and others.

F．A five-day forecast today is as accurate as a one-day forecast in 1980.

G．There are many changes involved in describing the state of the atmosphere.

10 . The number of weather-related disasters has increased by five times over the past 50 years, the latest report by the World Meteorological (气象) Organization (WMO) said on September 1. However, thanks to improved early warning systems and disaster management, the number of death from these hazards (危险) has been almost three times less.

According to the WMO, from 1970 to 2019, weather, climate and water hazards accounted for 50 percent of all disasters. Among the top 10 hazards that led to the largest loss of human life during this period were droughts, storms, floods and extreme temperatures. However, deaths fell from over 50, 000 in the 1970s to less than 20, 000 in the 2010s.

“Weather, climate and water extremes are increasing and will become more frequent and severe in many parts of the world as a result of climate change,” says WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.

“That means more heatwaves, drought and forest fires such as those we have observed recently in Europe and North America. We have more water vapor in the atmosphere, which is worsening extreme rainfall and deadly flooding. The warming of the oceans has affected the frequency and area of existence of the most intense tropical storms.”

“Economic losses are increasing as exposure increases. But behind the statistics lies a message of hope. Improved multi-hazard early warning systems have led to a significant reduction in deaths. Quite simply, we are better than ever before at saving lives,” Taalas said.

1. What do we know from the first paragraph?

A．Disasters connected with weather have gone up.

B．The number of weather-related disasters has decreased.

C．The number of deaths from hazards has been increasing.

D．Early warning systems have made disasters decline much.

2. What will happen according to Petteri Taalas?

A．There will be more extreme weather.

B．Extreme rainfall will no longer exist.

C．Water vapor in the atmosphere will go down.

D．Humans will conquer extreme weather in the end.

3. What is hopeful behind the bad news?

A．Improved warning systems will save economic losses.

B．Economic losses are going down as exposure increases.

C．Improved early warning systems will control extreme weather

D．More lives will be saved thanks to early warning systems.

4. Where may the text be taken from?

A．A novel.

B．A chemistry book.

C．A magazine.

D．A guideline.