1 . In 2007 a team led by Stefan Rahmstorf compared actual observations with predictions made by theoretical models for three key climate indicators: carbon dioxide, global temperature and sea-level rise. While the predictions got CO2 levels right, they were low for real temperature and sea-level rise.
Climate scientists have a surprising habit: They often underestimate the climate threat. The articles reporting the underestimates have been widely cited, so one might think that scientists have taken corrective steps. But recent studies of Arctic warming suggest that the problem may not have gone away. As polar ice melts because of global warming, the Arctic Ocean absorbs more heat, which causes the Arctic to warm even more. It should surprise no one that the area is warming fast. Yet scientists have been caught off-guard by just how fast the region is heating up.
In 2013, a paper was published pointing out that these underestimates represent subconscious bias (偏向) caused by defensiveness. Scientists tended toward lower and misleading prediction because they did not want to be accused of making dramatic and overstressed claims. Even now scientists continue to be accused of overestimating climate risks by worrying figures which get much media attention, thus biasing their models to be unrealistically conservative.
If scientists have underestimated Arctic warming, they have likely minimized amounts of permafrost (永久冻土) melting and methane (甲烷) release as well. And that could be truly dire because the permafrost holds about 1.5 billion tons of organic carbon, twice as much as now in the atmosphere. Were that carbon to be rapidly released, it could cause a picture: a runaway greenhouse effect. Whatever the cause, it’s time that scientists looked seriously at whether their measuring models continue to underestimate critical aspects of the climate problem. Low estimates can create the false impression that we have more time to fix the problem than we actually do.
1. Why is Rahmstorf’s research in Paragraph 1 mentioned?| A．To highlight the urgency in global warming. |
| B．To show the inaccuracy of climate predictions. |
| C．To state the importance of precise measurement. |
| D．To express the difficulty in making right policies. |
| A．They are misled by the statistics. |
| B．Their reports have been widely cited. |
| C．They want to avoid blame for causing anxiety. |
| D．They aim to defend themselves from fake information. |
| A．Disastrous. | B．Confusing. | C．Impressive. | D．Discouraging. |
| A．The Arctic Ocean Is Calling for Help |
| B．Climate Scientists Are Under Fire |
| C．The Warming Pace Is Underestimated |
| D．Climate Predictions Prove Correct |
2 . During the COP27 climate conference (会议) in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, an important deal on “loss and damage” was reached. This was a big step forward because at COP26 conference in Glasgow, Scotland, there were no talks on loss and damage at all. The plan is that richer countries will pay money into a special fund that will be used to help poor countries.
Loss and damage means the damaging impact of climate change on developing countries. For nearly 30 years, poorer countries have been asking richer countries for money to help to protect communities from the effects of climate change. Richer countries have produced the most greenhouse gases, but poorer countries are often the worst affected by extreme weather conditions because they are less well equipped to face extreme climate events.
Brazil’s newly elected President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva made a speech about preserving the largest rainforest on Earth, the Amazon. During the last 50 years, more than 17% of the Amazon rainforest has been destroyed to make way for farms and towns. However, in his speech, Lula promised that there would be zero deforestation (伐树) in the Amazon by 2030. The conference didn’t just focus on world leaders. It brought together more than 45,000 people to discuss how climate change is affecting their lives. Climate refugees (难民) also had their voices heard. Tshilombo from the Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya said, “Refugees don’t only flee because of war or conflict. It’s also about drought, the effects of climate change.”
Some countries weren’t happy with the overall outcome of COP27 because decisions weren’t made on cutting the use of fossil fuels, such as coal, gas and oil, etc. The UK Government’s Alok Sharma said, “I’m incredibly disappointed.”
However, this deal was a great achievement for developing countries. Sherry Rehman, the climate minister for Pakistan, said, “I am confident we have tuned a comer in how we work together to achieve climate goals.”
1. What is a successful outcome of the COP27 climate conference?| A．The deal on loss and damage. |
| B．The deal on using fossil fuels. |
| C．The deal on rainforest preservation. |
| D．The deal on helping climate refugees. |
| A．More greenhouse gases. |
| B．Massive deforestation. |
| C．Shortage of money and supplies. |
| D．Terrible weather conditions. |
| A．Climate change is influencing people’s lives. |
| B．17% of the Amazon rainforest was destroyed. |
| C．Many factors lead to the appearance of refugees. |
| D．There will be less deforestation in the Amazon by 2030. |
| A．Never put off till tomorrow. |
| B．Many hands make light work. |
| C．Knowledge starts with practice. |
| D．No way is impossible to courage. |
Climate change is a familiar topic to us for decades. There is little doubt
The increase in temperature has
“Greenhouse effect” is a key factor in clime change. Continued greenhouse gas emissions will result
4 . In 2021, Canadian glaciers melted rapidly. In some parts of Asia, month’s worth of rain fell in just a few hours. Europe saw severe flooding, and Madagascar faced a big drought （干旱）. The world is going through a series of weather disasters caused by climate change.
Faced with these serious problems, from Oct 30 to Nov 12, the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP 26) took place in Glasgow, UK. Global leaders from more than 190 countries came together, reviewing progress on their promises made since the 2015 Paris Agreement, and also discussing new steps to fight the climate crisis.
The main aim of COP 26 was to make sure that previous goals could be reached. They include achieving net zero carbon emissions（碳排放）globally by mid-century and keeping the global temperature increase below 2°C.
Net zero means that a country should take as much climate-changing gases out of the atmosphere as it puts in. China, for example, promised to peak carbon emissions before 2030 and reach net zero before 2060.
To reach these goals, all parties need to work together. At COP 26, developed countries agreed to raise S500 billion (about 3.195 trillion yuan) over the next five years to help developing regions with climate change. More than 100 nations reached some agreements, one of which is to stop deforestation and restore the world’s forests by 2030. Brazil has cut down huge amounts of the Amazon rainforest in recent years. The country also backed the deal.
1. What does the writer want to tell us by examples in Paragraph 1?| A．When weather disasters happen. |
| B．Climate problems are getting worse. |
| C．Where climate problems are most serious. |
| D．Climate problems are different in different places. |
| A．To change the Paris Agreement. |
| B．To share technology for reaching net zero. |
| C．To make sure earlier goals will be achieved. |
| D．To choose a new leader for the organization. |
| A．The developed countries should set more five-year plans. |
| B．All developing regions should depend on developed countries. |
| C．All countries should stop making money at the cost of global climate. |
| D．The world need to make a joint effort to fight against the climate change. |
| A．In a newspaper. | B．In a novel. | C．In a guidebook. | D．In a poster. |
5 . 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 |
