1 . A magic number is mentioned again and again during the climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, 1.5℃.
It is a big number now but it wasn’t a major part of negotiations just seven years ago. The figure was put in near the end of negotiations into the historic 2015 Paris agreement because some small island nations insisted that it was a matter of survival for them. It is mentioned only once in the agreement, in which the primary goal is to limit warming to 2℃ above pre industrial levels. 1.5℃ is just a political suggestion.
“The 2℃ was chosen because it is the warmest temperature that the planet has ever seen in the last million years. To reach the goal, scientists say the world needs to cut its current greenhouse gas emissions (排放) by about half as of 2030,” said climate scientist Corinne LeQuere, who helped write the Paris agreement, “And the number is not another 1.5℃ from now. Instead, it stands for the international goal of trying to limit future warming to 1.5℃ since pre-industrial times. It’s actually only 0.4℃from now because the world has warmed 1.1℃ since pre-industrial times.”
After the Paris agreement threw in the 1.5 figure, the United Nations tasked the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to study what difference there would be on Earth between 1.5℃ of warming and 2℃ of warming. The 2018 IPCC report found that compared to 2℃, stopping warming at 1.5℃ would mean: 1) Seas would rise nearly 0.1 meters less; 2) Half as many animals and plants would die out; 3) There would be far fewer heat waves, downpours and droughts; 4) Half as many people would suffer from diseases, heat and lack of water.
“And we have more scientific evidence than ever that it gets worse and worse as we exceed (超过) beyond 1.5.” said Corinne LeQuere.
“It’s technically possible to limit global warming to 1.5℃. but I think it is close to politically impossible in the real world.” said Columbia University climate scientist Adam Sobel.
“As hard as it is. negotiators can’t give up on 1.5,” said Elizabeth May, one of the climate activists who demand that the world leaders keep 1.5℃ alive. “If we don’t hang on to 1.5 while it is technically possible, we are almost criminals.”
1. What can be learned about the 1.5℃ target?A.It was suggested by the United Nations before 2015. |
B.It is one of the major goals in the Paris agreement. |
C.It is just a political suggestion adopted by negotiators. |
D.It can be achieved by cutting current emissions by half. |
A.0.4℃. | B.0.9℃. | C.1.1℃. | D.1.6℃. |
A.The consequences of the global warming. |
B.The scientific evidence of the global warming. |
C.The possible reduction of losses and damages. |
D.The serious challenges for small island countries. |
A.It is technically impossible. | B.World leaders should stop talking. |
C.Scientists should do more. | D.We should aim to the stricter target. |
2 . Technology is likely to play a big part in reaching its climate goals in the future.
Fusion is the process that fires the sun. But some experts say it could someday power our homes. Fusion happens when the nuclei (核) of two atoms are subjected to extreme heat. This leads to the formation of a new larger atom and large amounts of energy. One problem is the process itself requires a large amount of energy. Developers of the technology haven’t yet performed a fusion reaction that releases more energy than it requires. In addition, running an electric power plant of fusion would require the resulting heat to be contained in an economical way.
Advanced nuclear plants would be smaller than today’s massive nuclear reactors. Experts say they could be used in rural areas and could take over for wind and solar power when the sun goes down or the wind dies. But advanced nuclear reactors are difficult and costly to build. Critics say they would also create more waste. And they would run on uranium (铀), which could make some advanced reactors more appealing to militants (激进分子) seeking materials to make weapons.
Currently, there are 15 direct air capture plants operating worldwide, getting CO directly from the air and puts the gas underground. The costs are currently high. But supporters say those costs will fall as the technology improves. They also say tax breaks for businesses could help the technology. But critics say offering large credits could actually lead to more plants continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Hydrogen (氢) can be mixed with natural gas to make a cleaner-burning fuel. This could power a fuel cell vehicle. Such a vehicle would release environmentally friendly water vapors.
So-called clean hydrogen can be produced using energy methods such as wind and solar. But those methods are more costly than “grey hydrogen”, which is made with fossil fuels. Geothermal power plants capture heat up to 370 degrees Celsius far below the earth’s surface. The heat creates steam that can turn turbines (涡轮机) to produce electricity. But the technology would need to greatly expand to become a major alternative to fossil fuels.
1. How does the author develop the passage?A.By analyzing the cost. |
B.By introducing the values. |
C.By weighing the positive and negative. |
D.By following the order of great importance. |
A.Carbon Capture is in the theoretical stage. |
B.Nuclear fusion has been widely used in families. |
C.Grey hydrogen belongs to environmental protection energy |
D.The advanced nuclear plants have hidden dangers of making weapons. |
A.Geothermal power. | B.Carbon Capture. |
C.Advanced Nuclear. | D.Fusion and Hydrogen. |
A.New Issues Facing Climate Goals |
B.Develop New Energy According to Local Conditions |
C.What Are the Future Development Goals of Clean Energy? |
D.Which Technologies Could Help the World Reach Its Climate Goals? |
3 . Six Solar Terms in Summer
Lixia
Lixia is the first solar term in summer, signifying the beginning of the hot summer.
Xiaoman and Mangzhong
During Xiaoman, summer harvest crops such as wheat already bear fruits, and their seeds are full though they are not ripe yet. Thus, the solar term is named Xiaoman. The solar term Xiaoman is in late May. Summer begins to reach all parts of the country. Rainfall begins to increase further. Mangzhong means, "wheat with awn(芒)should be harvested soon, and rice seeds with awn can be sown".
Xiazhi
On the day of Xiazhi, the daytime in the Northern Hemisphere(半球)reaches its maxi-mum length.
Xiaoshu and Dashu
A.The character shu means heat. |
B.It predicts the busy farming activities of farmers. |
C.The temperatures rise and summer drought begins. |
D.The more northern a place is, the longer its daytime is. |
E.People need to prepare for heat prevention and cooling. |
F.It means the end of spring, and the beginning of summer. |
G.It marks the hottest period with the highest temperatures in a year. |
4 . For millions of years, Arctic sea ice has expanded and shrunk in a rhythmic dance with the summer sun. Humans evolved in this icy world, and civilization relied on it for climatic, ecological and political stability. But now the world comes ever closer to a future without ice. The National Snow and Ice Data Center reported that 2019’s minimum arctic sea ice extent was the second lowest on record. Arctic summers could become mostly ice-free in 30 years, and possibly sooner if current trends continue. As the northern sea ice declines, the world must unite to preserve what remains of the Arctic.
Although most people have never seen the sea ice, its effects are never far away. By reflecting sunlight, Arctic ice acts as Earth’s air conditioner. Once dark water replaces brilliant ice, Earth could warm substantially, equivalent to the warming caused by the additional release of a trillion tons of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere and declining sea ice threatens wildlife, from the polar bear to algae that grow beneath the sea ice, supporting the large amount of marine life.
To avoid the consequences the scientific community should advocate not just for lowering greenhouse gas emissions, but also for protecting the Arctic from exploitation. The Antarctic shows the way. In the 1950s, countries raced to claim the Antarctic continent for resources and military installations. Enter the scientists. The 1957-1958 International Geophysical Year brought together scientists from competing countries to study Antarctica, and countries temporarily suspended their territorial disputes (争议). In 1959, 12 countries signed the Antarctic Treaty to preserve the continent for peaceful scientific discovery rather than territorial and military gain.
Sixty years later, we must now save the Arctic. A new Marine Arctic Peace Sanctuary (MAPS) Treaty would protect the Arctic Ocean as a scientific preserve for peaceful purposes only. Similar to Antarctica, MAPS would prohibit resource exploitation, commercial fishing and shipping, and military exercises. So far, only 2 non-Arctic countries have signed MAPS; 97 more need to sign on to enact it into law. Scientists can help—just as they did for the Antarctic—by giving statements of support, asking scientific organizations to endorse (支持) the treaty, communicating the importance of protecting the arctic to the public and policy-makers, and above all, by convincing national leaders to sign the treaty. In particular, Arctic nations must agree that recognizing the arctic as an international preserve is better than fighting over it. In 2018, these countries successfully negotiated a 16-year moratorium on commercial fishing in the Arctic high seas, demonstrating that such agreements are possible.
Humans have only ever lived in a world topped by ice. Can we now work together to protect Arctic ecosystems, keep the northern peace, and allow the sea ice to return?
1. What can be inferred from the passage?A.wildlife relies on sea ice for food and water. |
B.The Arctic would be ice-free in 30 years. |
C.Sea ice slows down the global warming. |
D.The melting of sea ice releases CO2. |
A.remind readers of the past of the Antarctic |
B.propose a feasible approach for the Arctic |
C.stress the importance of preserving sea ice |
D.recall how the Antarctic Treaty came into being |
A.battle | B.ban |
C.memo | D.protection |
A.Antarctic: a Successful Comeback? | B.Sea Ice and Global Warming |
C.Arctic: the Earth’s Future | D.Life Without Ice? |
5 . Think of Japan in the spring, and the image that comes to mind is likely the country’s famous cherry blossoms, which experience a “peak bloom (开花)” that only lasts a few days and have been honored in Japan for more than a thousand years. But this year, the cherry blossom season has come and gone in the blink of an eye, in one of the earliest blossoms on record -- and scientists warn it’s a symptom of the larger climate crisis threatening ecosystems everywhere.
Yasuyuki Aono, a researcher at Osaka Prefecture University, has gathered records from Kyoto back to 812 AD from historical documents and diaries. In the central city of Kyoto, cherry blossoms peaked on March 26, the earliest in more than 1,200 years, Aono said. And in the capital Tokyo, cherry blossoms reached full bloom on March 22, the second-earliest date on record.
The peak bloom dates shift every year, depending on numerous factors including weather and rainfall, but have shown a general trend of moving earlier and earlier. “Cherry blooms are very temperature sensitive,” said Aono. “Flowering and full bloom could be earlier or later depending on the temperature alone,” he said. This year’s seasons in particular influenced the blossom dates, he added. The winter was very cold, but the spring came fast and unusually warm, so “the buds are completely awake after enough rest.”
Their early bloom, however, is just the tip of the iceberg of a worldwide phenomenon that could make natural systems and countries’ economies unstable, said Amos Tai, assistant professor of earth science at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. There are two sources of increased heat, which is the main factor making the flowers bloom earlier: urbanization(城市化)and climate change. With increased urbanization, cities tend to get warmer than the surrounding rural area, in what is called the heat island effect. But a bigger reason is climate change, which has caused rising temperatures across the region and the world.
These earlier dates aren’t just a matter of tourists scrambling to catch peak bloom before the petals all fall-- it could have a lasting impact on entire ecosystems, and threaten the survival of many species.
1. What is the purpose of mentioning the dates and figures in paragraph 2?A.To present “peak bloom” in Tokyo came earlier than in Kyoto. |
B.To suggest when cherry blossoms will bloom next year. |
C.To report the dates of “peak bloom” in different Japanese cities. |
D.To show cherry blossoms came out earlier this year than in the past. |
A.The blossom season this year is a sign of a larger global crisis. |
B.The weather will be too cold for the blossoms to last long enough. |
C.The earlier peak bloom will threaten the survival of many species. |
D.The earlier bloom could affect natural systems and countries’ economy. |
A.Deciding. | B.Managing. | C.Rushing. | D.Marching. |
A.The Japanese Climate Crisis |
B.Sooner’s Not Always Better Than Later |
C.Cherry blossoms and Their Impact |
D.The Early Blooming of Cherry Blossoms |
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