1 . Hurricane Fiona, killing 16 people and bringing the power system to a 3-day stop, struck Puerto Rico, an island country located between Caribbean Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, on September 18, almost five years after Hurricane Maria hit the island, showing that, as researchers have long warned, storms are now more frequent and cause more damage due to climate change.
Back in 2017, Hurricane Maria killed thousands of people and left millions without power for a week. A study in 2019 found that the possibility of terrible events like Hurricane Maria hitting Puerto Rico is now almost five times higher due to climate change.
The storms were similar in many ways but had their own features. Maria was a Category (类别) 4 hurricane whose speed was up to 155 mph, while Fiona, a Category 1 storm when it landed Puerto Rico, was gentler, with winds of up to 85 mph, which later increased to 115 mph as the storm progressed through the island.
And yet, the heavy rain caused by Fiona brought Puerto Rico to its knees. According to the data by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the slow moving storms brought 15.80 inches of rain over a 5-day period, slightly more than Maria at 14.72 inches
This confirms another long-held thought that, with climate change, horrible storms will not only become more common but also wetter. That’s because the increase in temperatures is leading to more loss of water from the sea and warmer air can hold more water vapor (水蒸气). The average temperature all over the world has already increased by nearly 1.2℃ due to climate change and for each 1℃ of warming, the air’s ability to hold water is thought to increase by about 7%. The latest research suggests that the increase may be three times higher, at 21%.
1. What was a direct cause of more storms in Puerto Rico?| A．Loss of forests. | B．Puerto Rico’s location. |
| C．Human activity. | D．Climate change. |
| A．It brought less rain. | B．It moved a bit slower. |
| C．It caused a longer power cut. | D．It brought more deaths. |
| A．Rainfall increases with temperature rising. |
| B．Puerto Rico is a place raining all the time. |
| C．Storms are common in Puerto Rico. |
| D．Slower storms cause more damage. |
| A．Puerto Rico: Survival of People |
| B．Puerto Rico: Frequent Floods |
| C．Climate Change: Wetter Puerto Rico |
| D．Climate Change: Disasters on Their Way to Puerto Rico |
1. What are the highest temperatures in Northern India now?
| A．About 35℃. | B．Almost 40℃. | C．Over 45℃. |
| A．About 200. | B．About 1,000. | C．About 2,000. |
| A．Government projects will be done at night. |
| B．Bottles of water will be sold at low prices. |
| C．School days will be reduced. |
| A．Cooler. | B．All the same. | C．Hotter. |
The High Temperatures in Antarctica(南极洲)
Vostok station is a Russian weather station in Antarctica. It’s famous
A scientist,
An “atmospheric river” of warm, wet air hit Antarctica last Tuesday. This kind of weather pattern isn’t that unusual. But once it got to Antarctica, it was stopped from
Scientists say that the melting (融化) from this one event isn’t likely to cause big changes. And it’s too early
4 . A new study has found that water in the air, not just heat, is important in measuring global warming. The researchers say, when considering humidity and heat, the temperature increase is two times greater than earlier estimates.
The researchers also note, temperature by itself is not the best way to measure the effects of climate change and using temperature underestimates conditions in the tropical areas of the world.
The study was published on January 31 in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The researchers team show that the energy created in extreme weather, such as storms, is related to the amount of water in the air. For this reason, they decided to use a special atmospheric measurement to show the amount of heat in an area of air. It is expressed in a scientific measurement for temperature known as degrees Kelvin.
Ramanathan is one of the writers of the study. He is a climate scientist at the University of California San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography. “There are two factors of climate change: temperature and humidity. And so far, we have measured global warming just in terms of temperature,” he says. “Warm air can hold more water than cold air. For every degree Celsius that air temperature increases, it can hold seven percent more water. When the water vapor in the air becomes liquid, it releases heat or energy. That’s why when it rains, now it pours.”
Ramanathan added that water vapor is a powerful heat-trapping gas in the atmosphere that increases climate change. From 1980 to 2019, the average world surface air temperature increased by 0.79 degrees Celsius. But when they considered energy from humidity, their temperature measurement had increased by 1.48 degrees Celsius. In the tropics, the warming was as much as 4 degrees Celsius.
Wuebbles is a climate scientist at the University of Illinois. He was not part of the study. But Wuebbles said the idea makes sense because water vapor is important in extreme rainfall. He said, “Both heat and humidity are important.”
1. Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?| A．The combination of water and heat decreases average surface temperature. |
| B．The reason why it pours is that cold air can hold more water than warm air. |
| C．Scientists adopt temperature degrees Kelvin as a special atmospheric measurement. |
| D．Scientists used both temperature and humidity to measure global warming in the past. |
| A．By making comparisons. | B．By taking examples. |
| C．By analyzing reasons. | D．By giving definitions. |
| A．Critical. | B．Objective. | C．Skeptical. | D．Appreciative. |
| A．Extreme Weathers Are Closely Related to Air Heat Amount |
| B．A New Study Focuses on Global Warming Solutions |
| C．Humidity Is Also Important in Measuring Climate Changes |
| D．Two Climate Scientists Develop a Scientific Method |
5 . Several years ago, Jason Box, a scientist from Ohio, flew 31 giant rolls of white plastic to a glacier (冰川) in Greenland. He and his team spread them across 10,000 feet of ice, then left. His idea was that the white blanket would reflect back the rays of the sun, keeping the ice cool below. When he came back to check the results, he found it worked. Exposed ice had melted faster than covered ice. He had not only saved two feet of glacier in a short time. No coal plants were shut down, no jobs were lost, and nobody was taxed or fired. Just the sort of fix we’re looking for.
“Thank you, but no thank you.” says Ralph King, a climate scientist. He told Grey Childs. author and commentator, that people think technology can save the planet, “but there are other things we need to deal with, like consumption. They burned $50,000 just for the helicopter” to bring the plastic to the glacier. This experiment, quote-unquote, gives people false hope that climate change can be fixed without changing human behavior. It can’t. Technology won’t give us a free ride.
Individuals respond to climate change differently. Climatologist Kelly Smith is hardly alone in her prediction that someday soon we won’t be climate victims, we will be climate Choosers. More scientists agree with her that if the human race survives. The engineers will get smarter, the tools will get better, and one day we will control the climate. but that then? “Just the mention of us controlling the climate sent a small shiver down my back, Grey writes.” “Something sounded wrong about stopping ice by our own will,” he says.
Me? I like it better when the earth takes care of itself, I guess one day we will have to run the place, but for the moment, sitting at my desk, looking out at the trees bending wildly and the wind howling, I’m happy not to be in charge.
1. Why does the author mention Jason Box’s experiment in the first paragraph?| A．To introduce a possible solution to climate change. |
| B．To describe a misleading attempt to fix the climate. |
| C．To report on a successful experiment on saving the glacier. |
| D．To arouse people’s attention to the problem of global warming. |
| A．The fight against climate change will not succeed. |
| B．Technology is not the final solution, let alone its high cost. |
| C．It’s best to deal with climate change without changing our behavior. |
| D．Jason’s experiment plays a significant role in fixing climate change. |
| A．Favorable | B．Tolerant | C．Doubtful. | D．Unclear. |
| A．But should we fix the climate? |
| B．Is climate change a real problem? |
| C．How can we take care of the earth? |
| D．What if all the glaciers disappeared? |
6 . Tropical(热带的)birds deep in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest are shrinking as the world’s climate changes. Researchers studied data for 77 tropical bird species over the past 40 years and found that all of them had lost body mass, with some species losing nearly 2% of their weight per decade.
A 2019 study of birds that had crashed into buildings in Chicago, Illinois, found that they’d lost mass over a 40—year period, but those species were migratory(迁徙的). However, why the birds changed in that way was unknown. Therefore, researchers decided to examine the records of 15, 000 non-migratory birds living in a rainforest within a few hours’ drive from Manaus in Brazil.
The average temperature of the birds’ habitat is 1℃ warmer in the wet season and 1. 65℃ warmer in the dry season compared with that in 40 years ago. What’s more, 13% more rain falls in the wet season and 15% less in the dry season. The birds have lost mass more sharply following extremely dry or wet seasons. This could be a short-term response to changes in their environment, such as a lack of rainfall causing a decline in the number of insects that the birds feed on.
“Mass is a generally good indication of body condition in birds, says Vitek Jirinec at the Integral Ecology Research Center in California, who led the study. "If they’re simply not getting enough to eat, you’d expect them to lose weight.”
Birds of the same species are generally larger at higher latitudes. The leading theory is that their smaller surface — area — to — volume ratio（表面积和体积比）allows them to better conserve heat. The opposite would help smaller species in hot climates to cool and could explain why birds are getting smaller as the climate warms, says Jirinec.
The marked physical change during just four decades show why stopping destroying trees alone won’t prevent the ongoing extinctions of animal species across the world, says Camila Gomez, a scientist who studies evolutionary changes in birds. "This study also shows how human-caused changes in climate are contributing to observed population declines in tropical birds," says Gomez.
1. Why did the researchers study the non-migratory birds?| A．To make the conclusion of the 2019 study. |
| B．To prepare them for their future migration. |
| C．To find the reason for their physical change. |
| D．To seek a way to save the Amazon rainforest. |
| A．High temperatures are rarely seen. | B．It seems much drier in wet seasons. |
| C．Weather patterns get more extreme. | D．Rainfall is increased in dry seasons, |
| A．It enables them to hide easily. | B．It makes them feel less cold. |
| C．It keeps them in good shape. | D．It helps them lose extra heat. |
| A．Global Warming Leads to Population Declines in Birds |
| B．Climate Change Is Causing Some Birds to Lose Weight |
| C．Tropical Birds Are Struggling to Survive Dry Climates |
| D．Migratory Birds Are Experiencing Big Physical Changes |
7 . “Beautiful.” “Attractive.” “Impressive.” “Amazing.” These are just a few of the words that tourists ofter use to describe the beauty of the Greater Yellowstone Area. A new study brings to mind entirely different expressions, however. “Dry!” “Hot” “Threatened.”
Scientists found that the average annual(年度的)temperature in Greater Yellowstone from 1950 to 2018 increased by 2.3 degrees, which is as high as or higher than any other period in the last 20,000 years and likely the warmest in 800,000 years. Also of note is the average annual snowfall, which has decreased by 23 inches since 1950, they observe. The combination of higher temperatures and reduced snowfall means the spring thaw(解冻时期)now begins two weeks earlier than it did in 1950, while steam run-off (径流) reaches the highest level eight days sooner.
Scientists predict by 2100 average annual temperatures in Greater Yellowstone will increase by an additional 5 to l0 degrees, producing 40 to 60 more days per year with temperatures above 90 degrees. From 1986 to 2005, winter snowfall covered 59% of the area. By the end of the century, that number could be as low as 1%. The reduction in snow is due to the increase in temperature over time, which causes more rain instead of snow, explains report co-author Bryan Shuman of the University of Wyoming.
“Greater Yellowstone is valued for its forests, rivers, fish, and wildlife,” says Bryan Shuman. “The tend (趋势) towards a warmer, drier climate described in this study will likely affect ecosystems in the area and the communities that depend on them”
Perhaps the biggest result of climate change in Greater Yellowstone is water scarcity. Currently, cities as far west as Los Angeles depend on snowmelt from Greater Yellowstone for water. Less snowfall means less water- especially in the summer when scientists predict a seasonal lack of water in Greater Yellowstone of up to 79% by the end of the century.
“Although scientists’ predictions are serious, the report still leaves room for optimism: By measuring and carefully watching the influence of climate change now and in the future, they suggest, community leaders can think up climate adaptation strategies (适应策略) that will help them come through the difficult period safely,” says Emerita, biologist
1. What are the possible results of higher temperatures and reduced snowfall in the Greater Yellowstone Area?| A．Wild animals living there will disappear gradually. |
| B．Stream run-off gets the highest level ahead of time. |
| C．Its environment is destroyed badly |
| D．The spring arrives earlier. |
| A．The snow in Greater Yellowstone is decreasing. |
| B．Greater Yellowstone is famous for its valuable forests and wildlife. |
| C．Climate change leads to less rainfall in Greater Yellowstone. |
| D．Climate change in Greater Yellowstone will end by the end of the century. |
| A．Power. | B．Shortage. | C．Quality. | D．Storage. |
| A．Emerita has a positive attitude towards the report. |
| B．Scientists’ predictions on climate change don’t make sense. |
| C．The influence of climate change is growing around the world. |
| D．Bryan Shuman is concerned about Greater Yellowstone. |
8 . Rising ocean temperatures killed about 14% of the world’s coral reefs in just under a decade, according to a new analysis from the Global Coral Reef Monitoring Network. In other words, the amount of coral lost between 2008 and 2019 equals more than all of the living corals in Australia. The report — the first of its kind since 2008 — found that warming caused by climate change has placed coral reefs under “continuous stress.”
But it also found signs of hope, noting that many of these reefs may be able to recover if immediate action is taken to fight future warming. “People around the world depend on healthy coral reefs and the services they provide for food, entertainment, and protection from storms,” said Jennifer Koss, director of the NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program. “It is possible to reduce the losses we are seeing and save these reefs, but doing so relies on us as a global community making more environmentally friendly decisions in our everyday lives.”
NOAA calls this the largest global analysis of coral reef health ever made: “The analysis used data from nearly two million observations from more than 12,000 collection sites in 73 countries over 40 years (1978 to 2019), representing the work over 300 scientists.” The study identifies “coral bleaching (褪色) events caused by rising sea surface temperatures” as the biggest cause of coral loss.
They also observed some recovery in 2019, with coral reefs regaining 2% of their coral cover. “This suggests that if pressures on these critical ecosystems ease, then coral reefs have the ability to recover, potentially within a decade, to the healthy reefs that were common pre-1998,” reads a GCRMN release. On the other hand, continued warming could cause greater damage. Sharp decreases in coral cover agreed with increases in sea surface temperature, which experts say shows coral’s vulnerability (易受伤害) to the sudden large increases — a phenomenon they say could happen more frequently as the planet continues to warm.
1. What does Jennifer Koss say about the situation of coral reefs?| A．They are dying out. | B．They are sensitive to warming. |
| C．They have a chance of recovery | D．They have benefited from human beings. |
| A．To show the result of the study. | B．To present the size of the study. |
| C．To highlight the difficulty of the study | D．To explain the importance of the study. |
| A．Constant planet warming damages coral reefs entirely. |
| B．Coral reefs will recover to the healthy ones within ten years. |
| C．The phenomenon of coral loss was common before 1998 |
| D．The level of coral cover is a sign of reef health. |
| A．Coral reef protection is being ignored. |
| B．Climate change is killing the world’s coral reefs. |
| C．Australia is seeing a rapid loss of coral reefs. |
| D．Rising ocean temperature is destroying land creatures. |
9 . For humans, adapting to climate change will mostly be a matter of technology. More air conditioning, better-designed houses and bigger flood defenses may help lessen the effects of a warmer world. Animals will have to rely on changing their bodies or their behaviour. In a paper published inTrends in Ecology & Evolution, a team led by Sara Ryding, a professor in Australia, shows that is already happening. In some species of Australian parrot, for instance beak (喙) size has increased by between 4% and 10%since 1871. Similar trends are seen in species of mice and bats growing bigger ears, tails, legs and wings.
All that fits nicely with evolutionary (进化的) theory. “Allen’s rule”, named after Joe Allen, who suggested it in 1877, holds that warm-blooded animals in hot places tend to have larger appendages (附加物) than those in mild areas. Such adaptations boost an animal’s surface area relative to its body volume, helping it to get rid of additional heal. Fennec foxes, meanwhile, which are native to the Sahara desert, have strikingly large ears, especially compared with their Arctic cousins.
Ryding’s team combined data from different species in different places. Now that they have little in common apart from living on a warming planet, climate change is the most reasonable explanation. Since any evolutionary adaptation comes with trade-offs, it is unclear how far the process might go. Bigger beaks might interfere with feeding, for instance. Larger wings are heavier, and bigger legs cost more energy to grow.
Honestly, studying a broader range of animals will help firm up exactly what is happening. For now, at least, the increase is small, never much more than 10%. That may change as warming accelerates. Every little bit of avoided future temperature increases results in less warming that would otherwise stay for essentially forever.
1. Why do some species grow bigger parts of their body?| A．They are following the new trends. |
| B．They have to adapt to warmer climate. |
| C．Scientists need them to do experiments. |
| D．Larger parts tend to help them feed well. |
| A．In mild areas. | B．In hot places. |
| C．In the Arctic. | D．In deserted regions. |
| A．It comes at a cost. |
| B．Its cause is definite. |
| C．It happens in the same habitat. |
| D．Its process will end soon. |
| A．Living on a Warming Planet |
| B．Measures to Remove Heat |
| C．Pioneering Research on Animals |
| D．Evolution to Survive Heat |
A severe cold wave hit many parts of China over the weekend with heavy snowfalls and rapidly declining temperatures.
The cold-air outbreak,
So, why are we experiencing such a freezing winter on a warming planet?
According to an expert, one reason is that global warming does not appear
