Question

    Wheat is a main source of food for people across the planet, accounting for a fifth of the calories consumed globally. But, as a result of climate change, scientists believe most parts of the world where the crop is grown will be hit by water shortages by the end of the century. And the U.S. could be among the countries worst affected, the authors of the research published in the journal Science Advances told Newsweek.

If climate change isn’t dealt with, by the year 2100, 60 percent of areas that grow wheat will be hit by water scarcity—up from the current level of 15 percent, according to the international team of scientists.

Co-authors Miroslav Tmka and Song Feng told Newsweek that in their previous research, they had shown climate change may cause soil to become less moist across most mainland U.S. states, including those where wheat is grown. As a result, the U.S. could be “one of the top most affected wheat producers” in terms of the increase in areas affected by severe droughts, they said in a joint statement.

Worryingly, existing research has predicted a 4.0 to 6.5 percent drop in global wheat production per 1 degree Celsius of warming if climate change isn’t eased. And it’s unlikely that wheat can be replaced if water becomes scarce, as it’s not as thirsty as other crops and can do without water for a relatively long period of time.

“If multiple regions are affected by drought at the same time, “it might be difficult to meet the demand even if the trade routes stay open and are not restricted by governmental measures,” warned Fengand Trnka. However, he said: “Studies show that if we continuously improve the sustainability and technologies in the coming decades and allow for international trade, we may overcome the negative impacts of climate change.”

1.How will climate change hurt wheat production?

A.By raising ground temperature. B.By reducing water supply.

C.By polluting the soil. D.By flooding the field.

2.What can we learn from Paragraph 3?

A.Wheat production caused droughts in most mainland U.S. states.

B.The United States is the biggest wheat producer in the world.

C.Climate change is closely watched by American scientists.

D.The United States will suffer most from climate change.

3.Why is wheat unlikely to be replaced by other crops in a drought?

A.It is the primary food for most countries.

B.It is not influenced by global warming.

C.It is widely grown in most countries.

D.It needs less water than other crops.

4.In which section of a newspaper may this text appear?

A.Health. B.Science.

C.Education. D.Entertainment.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.B

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲的是气候变化影响小麦种植区域的水、土壤等方面，进而影响小麦产量。而人们可以改进小麦和提高技术来克服气候变化造成的的不良影响。

1.细节理解题。由第一段as a result of climate change, scientists believe most parts of the world where the crop is grown will be hit by water shortages by the end of the century可知，由于气候变化，科学家有理由相信：在本世纪末，世界上大部分的小麦生产区会出现用水短缺问题，即气候变化会通过影响水源进而影响小麦生产。故选B。

2.推理判断题。由第三段in their previous research, they had shown climate change may cause soil to become less moist across most mainland U.S. states可知在之前的研究中，研究者们已经展现了气候变化会造成美国境内土壤变干。由此可知科学家们一直在关注气候变化，故选C。

3.细节理解题。由第四段it’s unlikely that wheat can be replaced if water becomes scarce, as it’s not as thirsty as other crops and can do without water for a relatively long period of time可知如果水资源紧张，小麦也不太可能被取代，因为小麦的耐旱性，而且没有水，小麦在一段相当长的时间内也能种植。即小麦比其他农作物耐旱。故选D。

4.推理判断题。文章在讲气候变化对小麦种植的影响，及怎么解决这些影响，都是科学技术方面的，故选B。