Question

    By the end of the century，if not sooner，the world’s oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate，according to a new study.

At the heart of the phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms(海洋微生物) called phytoplankton. Because of the way light reflects off the organisms，these phytoplankton create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue，depending on the type and concentration of phytoplankton. Climate change will fuel the growth of phytoplankton in some areas，while reducing it in other spots，leading to changes in the ocean's appearance.

Phytoplankton live at the ocean surface，where they pull carbon dioxide(二氧化碳) into the ocean while giving off oxygen. When these organisms die，they bury carbon in the deep ocean，an important process that helps to regulate the global climate. But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean's warming trend. Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth，since they need not only sunlight and carbon dioxide to grow，but also nutrients.

Stephanie Dutkiewicz，a scientist in MIT's Center for Global Change Science，built a climate model that projects changes to the oceans throughout the century. In a world that warms up by 3℃，it found that multiple changes to the colour of the oceans would occur. The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters，such as those of the Arctic，a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton，and these areas will turn greener. “Not only are the quantities of phytoplankton in the ocean changing. ”she said，“but the type of phytoplankton is changing. ”

1.What are the first two paragraphs mainly about?

A. The various patterns at the ocean surface.

B. The cause of the changes in ocean colour.

C. The way light reflects off marine organisms.

D. The efforts to fuel the growth of phytoplankton.

2.What does the underlined word “vulnerable” in Paragraph 3 probably mean?

A. Sensitive. B. Beneficial

C. Significant D. Unnoticeable

3.What can we learn from the passage?

A. Phytoplankton play a declining role in the marine ecosystem.

B. Dutkiewicz's model aims to project phytoplankton changes

C. Phytoplankton have been used to control global climate

D. Oceans with more phytoplankton may appear greener.

4.What is the main purpose of the passage？

A. To assess the consequences of ocean colour changes

B. To analyse the composition of the ocean food chain

C. To explain the effects of climate change on oceans

D. To introduce a new method to study phytoplankton

Answer

1.B

2.A

3.D

4.C

【解析】

本文为说明文。一项最新研究表明，由于气候变暖，世界海洋将会变得更蓝、更绿。这一现象是因为一种叫做浮游植物的微小海洋微生物，因为光线反射的作用，它们在海洋表面形成了五颜六色的图案。但是浮游植物很容易受到海洋变暖趋势的影响。气候变暖会改变海洋的主要特征，并影响浮游植物的生长。

1.推理判断题。第一段“By the end of the century. If not sooner, the world's oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.”可知，到本世纪末，一项新的研究表明，由于气候变暖，如果不尽快的话，世界上的海洋将会变得更蓝、更绿。结合第二段“At the heart phenomenon lie tiny marine microorganisms called phytoplankton. Becaust of the way light reflects off the organisms ,these phytoplanktons create colourful patterns at the ocean surface. Ocean colour varies from green to blue, depending on the type and concentration”可知，这种现象的核心是一种叫做浮游植物的微小海洋微生物，在光线的作用下在海洋表面形成了五颜六色的图案。海洋的颜色从绿色到蓝色不等，这取决于海洋的类型和浮游植物浓度。由此可推断出这两段主要叙述了海洋生物是海洋颜色变化的原因。分析选项可知B符合题意，故选B。

2.词义猜测题。根据划线词后的“Warming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, since they need not only sunshine and carbon dioxide to grow, but also nutrients.”可知，气候变暖会改变海洋的主要特征，并会影响浮游植物的生长。由此可判断“But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s wamning trend”可知，浮游植物对海洋变暖很敏感。故划线部分单词意思为“敏感的；灵敏的”可知A项正确。

3.推理判断题。根据第四段“The model projects that currently blue areas with little phytoplankton could become even bluer. But in some waters ,such as those of the Arctic, a warming will make conditions riper for phytoplankton, and these areas will turn greener”可知，Dutkiewicz的模型预测，目前只有少量浮游植物的蓝色区域可能会变得更蓝。但是在一些水域，比如北极，气候变暖会使浮游植物的生长条件更加成熟，而这些水域会变得更绿了”。由此可推断，浮游植物的生长条件更加成熟，浮游动植物就更多了，这些水域会变得更绿了。分析选项可知D项符合题意。

4.主旨大意题。第一段提出文章的主旨“By the end of the century. If not sooner, the world's oceans will be bluer and greener thanks to a warming climate, according to a new study.”可知，到本世纪末。一项新的研究表明，由于气候变暖，如果不尽快的话，世界上的海洋将会变得更蓝、更绿。再结合第三段“But phytoplankton are vulnerable to the ocean’s warning trendWarming changes key characteristics of the ocean and can affect phytoplankton growth, …”可知，“浮游植物很容易受到海洋警告趋势的影响，变暖改变了海洋的关键特征，并能影响浮游植物的生长”，可知本文主要解释气候变化对海洋的影响。故选C。