1 . Several security guards of residential compounds in Beijing and workers were seen shoveling snow and some parked vehicles were covered by thick overnight snow. The first snowfall of winter arrived in Beijing early Monday, covering the Chinese capital with a mantle (披风) of white overnight and plunging (使……下降) the city into freezing temperatures, with even colder weather coming this week in northern China.
Snowfall reached 5.8 mm on average by early Monday, with the highest snowfall of 10.2 mm recorded in Fangshan district, Beijing Meteorological (气象的) Service data showed. Beijing typically sees its first snow of the season between late November and February, or even none at all. More snowfall is expected this week, with temperatures seen further sliding to as low as -20°Celsius. The Chinese capital last saw such similarly extremely cold weather on Jan. 7, 2021, when the temperature dropped to -19.6℃.
The cold snap (寒潮) in Beijing this week, compared with the autumn-like conditions a week ago, mirrored the sharp swings in temperatures recently. In October, Beijing experienced one of its warmest Octobers in decades in a year of weather extremes.
On Monday, the government warned of road icing in large parts of the city of nearly 22 million, with authorities shutting some expressways or partially closing sections. By 10 a. m. local time, 62 out of a few hundred flights had been cancelled at the Beijing Capital Airport. Railway authorities enforced speed limits on lines connecting Beijing and Guangzhou in southern China, causing delays in some passenger trains. By 7 a. m. Monday, more than 180 bus routes in Beijing had been suspended.
The official Beijing Daily reported that vegetable stocks were enough, hitting this year’s highest daily market volume of 23,800 tons, as merchants stocked up (备货) ahead of time. Huang, a Beijing resident working in the internet sector, said the snow in Beijing came early. “Normally, it doesn’t snow until the Spring Festival,” Huang said, referring to the start of the Lunar New Year, which typically falls in January or February.
1. Which of the following is not used to show the seriousness of the snowfall in paragraph?A.By listing out numbers. | B.By illustrating a viewpoint. |
C.By citing data from the authority. | D.By making comparisons. |
A.From hot summers to mild winters. |
B.From dry conditions to heavy rainfall. |
C.From autumn-like conditions to a sudden coldness. |
D.From constant snow to unexpectedly warm temperatures. |
A.introduced | B.obeyed | C.happened | D.improved |
A.Organized community support groups. | B.Increased storage of essential supplies. |
C.Created emergency shelters for the homeless. | D.Offered discounts and sales to boost business. |
1. What will the weather be like in the afternoon?
A.Bright. | B.Rainy. | C.Cloudy. |
A.The height of their nests. | B.The shape of their nests. | C.The way in which they fly. |
A.To discuss how to take up farming. |
B.To persuade the woman to study the weather. |
C.To show where the farmer learned weather prediction. |
A.Wandering around. | B.Lying down. | C.Eating grass carelessly. |
1. What time is the plane expected to depart?
A.At 10:45. | B.At 11:30. | C.At 12:15. |
A.Change to a later flight. |
B.Wait until the weather clears up. |
C.Collect a ticket to eat and drink for free. |
1. When will the first storm arrive?
A.Today. | B.This weekend. | C.Next week. |
A.New York City. | B.Saint Paul. | C.Boston. |
A.People traveling on foot. |
B.People driving on the road. |
C.People celebrating by the water. |
A.Sunny. | B.Snowy. | C.Windy. |
A.Rainy days. | B.Sunny days. | C.Cloudy days. | D.Snowy days. |
6 .
A.Because she is sick. |
B.Because she doesn’t see why to go out. |
C.Because the weather is bad. |
D.Because they have something else to do. |
1. What season is it now?
A.Fall. | B.Spring. | C.Summer. |
A.Windy. | B.Rainy. | C.Foggy. |
A.Cold. | B.Pleasant. | C.Cloudy. |
A.About 40 degrees. | B.About 50 degrees. | C.About 60 degrees. |
8 . 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. |
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. |
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. |
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 |
9 .
A.She agrees with the man’s plan. |
B.She is concerned about the weather. |
C.She considers it unwise to go outside. |
D.She has a better plan than having a picnic. |
A.The hot weather. | B.The dry weather. | C.The cool weather. |