Question

Sometimes we may find that every week there are a lot of new stories about how climate change is affecting the planet, or new plans to battle its effects like the one announced by President Barack Obama the other day. But the concept itself isn't new at all --- in fact, scientists have been exploring questions about climate change for almost 200 year.

The idea of “greenhouse gases” goes back to 1824, when Joseph Fourier wondered what was regulating the earth's temperature. Fourier concluded that the atmosphere must be responsible for containing the heat absorbed from the sun and described it as a box with a glass lid: As light shines through the glass, the inside gets warmer as the lid traps the heat. As Fourier's ideas spread, it came to be called “the greenhouse effect”.

Scientists continued to study the greenhouse effect. Until a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius came along, scientists understood how global warming actually works. After years of work, Arrhenius determined that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere did in fact have a direct effect on global temperatures.

Arrhenius found that CO2, and other gases trap radiation, which warms the atmosphere. Arrhenius was the first to suspect that burning coal could contribute to the greenhouse effect. But Arrhenius welcomed the warming effect on the planet. At a lecture later that year, Arrhenius noted that creatures of a warmer earth “might live under a milder sky and in less barren surroundings”.

While Arrhenius' findings won him the 1903 Nobel Prize in chemistry, scientists kept debating whether the greenhouse effect was increasing until 1950, when researchers finally began to find strong data supporting it. By the end of the 1950s, American scientists had been sounding the alarm on the long-term consequences of climate change. Climate change research has come a long way since Fourier first described the greenhouse effect – still, maybe Arrhenius should have been more careful of what he wished for.

1.What can we know from Paragraph 1?

A. Climate change has caused terrible disasters.

B. The topic of climate change has been talked a lot.

C. Scientists should work harder to research climate change.

D. The whole world should cooperate to protect the environment.

2.What does the underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refer to?

A. The atmosphere.

B. The idea.

C. The earth.

D. The earth's temperature.

3.What's the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A. Serious consequences of climate change.

B. The history of studying the greenhouse effect.

C. Significant research findings about climate change.

D. Scientists' doubts about the cause of global warming.

4.What did Arr henius think of the greenhouse effect?

A. It was beneficial for creatures on the earth.

B. It was totally responsible for climate change

C. It brought more troubles than benefits to human beings.

D. It worked as a punishment for human harmful activities.

5.What's the author's attitude towards Arr henius' expectation?

A. Cautious.    B. Defensive.    C. Positive.    D. Negative.

Answer

1. B

2. A

3. C

4. A

5. D

【解析】

本文是一篇议论文。文章讲述了关于气候变化的重要研究成果。每周都有很多关于气候变化如何影响地球的新故事，或者有很多新的计划来对抗气候变化的影响。但是这个概念本身并不新鲜——事实上，科学家们已经探索了近200年的气候变化问题。

1.细节理解题。根据第一段中Sometimes we may find that every week there are a lot of new stories about how climate change is affecting the planet, or new plans to battle its effects like the one announced by President Barack Obama the other day.可知，第一段讲述的是“关于气候变化的话题已经讨论了很多。”故选B。

2.词义指代题。根据第二段中Fourier concluded that the atmosphere must be responsible for containing the heat absorbed from the sun and described it as a box with a glass lid: As light shines through the glass, the inside gets warmer as the lid traps the heat. Fourier的结论是，大气必须负责吸收来自太阳的热量，并将其描述为一个装有玻璃盖子的盒子：当光线穿过玻璃时，内部温度会随着盖子吸收热量而升高。由此可知此处it指的是“大气”。故选A。

3.段落大意题。根据第三段Scientists continued to study the greenhouse effect. Until a Swedish chemist named Svante Arrhenius came along, scientists understood how global warming actually works. After years of work, Arrhenius determined that the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere did in fact have a direct effect on global temperatures.可知，本段讲述的是“关于气候变化的重要研究成果。”故选C。

4.推理判断题。根据第四段中Arrhenius welcomed the warming effect on the planet. At a lecture later that year, Arrhenius noted that creatures of a warmer earth “might live under a milder sky and in less barren surroundings可知，Arr henius认为温室效应对地球上的生物有益。故选A。

5.推理判断题。根据最后一段中Climate change research has come a long way since Fourier first described the greenhouse effect – still, maybe Arrhenius should have been more careful of what he wished for.可知，作者对Arr henius的预测的态度是“消极的”。故选D。