文章大意：本文是一篇说明文。主要介绍了这个冬天美国加利福尼亚州的积雪是平均水平的2.5倍多，积雪的融化对于需要水的加利福尼亚州来说有利也有弊，总体而言，这些积雪的融化对该州有积极的影响。
9 . California’s snowpack is more than two-and-a-half times larger than average (平均水平) right now, according to the state’s Department of Water Resources. As the weather gets warmer, it’s going to melt (融化). Scientists say there’s no question we need the snow.
“The melting of snow has always been important every single year in California,” said scientist Dr. Pat Abbott.
This comes as the latest U.S. Drought Monitor report shows almost two-thirds of the state is not experiencing drought (干旱), a huge improvement over the past few months. Unluckily, the snowpack can’t make certain that we’ll stay that way.
“Drought is part of California,” said Dr. Abbott. “We’ve had a temporary respite. That doesn’t mean it has gone away completely. It will be back sooner than we would like.”
The snow can be a valuable protection against wildfires, but only if it melts slowly. “Plants stay healthy. They have taken in enough water and are less likely to catch on fire for a longer time,” said Dr. Abbott. “If it becomes too hot, say in early June, and all that snow is melted and gone, the plants don’t get more water and start drying out. By the time we get to the end of the summer, it’s easier for them to catch fire. The bigger the fires are, the greater the challenge is for our firefighters.”
A quick melt can also flood places near the Sierra Nevada (a mountain range in eastern California) that got more rain than they could deal with this winter. That includes places like Tulare Lake (in the Central Valley of California), which was dry for years until this winter. Now, it’s more than 100 square miles in size and flooding communities around it.
The area is expecting even more flooding when the snowpack melts. But Dr. Abbott says floods like this are a necessary risk for water the state has needed for years. “The snow we’ve gotten this winter is highly positive,” said Dr. Abbott. “On the other side, nothing is ever 100%.” Dr. Abbott says the snow is also helping to fill Northern California’s man-made lake, which helps provide water we need.
1. What do the underlined words “temporary respite” in paragraph 4 mean?
| A．Close look. | B．Short break. | C．Clear goal. | D．Long history. |
2. What can we learn from paragraph 5?
| A．The snow’s melting speed matters. |
| B．It is costly to reduce the risk of wildfires. |
| C．Some plants died because it was too dry. |
| D．Plants will be hurt if the snow melts slowly. |
3. What does Dr. Abbott think of the snowpack in general?
| A．It calls for more attention. |
| B．It does good to California. |
| C．It may cause unnecessary worries. |
| D．It will cause danger in the long run. |
4. What is the best title for the text?
| A．California’s snowpack: a wonderful view |
| B．Snowpack in California: a record snowfall |
| C．Snowpack in California: advantages and risks |
| D．California’s snowpack: the past and the present |
