Question

    Coal burning deep underground in China，India and Indonesia is threatening the environment and human life, scientists have warned. These large-scale underground fires cause the ground temperature to heat up and kill surrounding vegetation, produce greenhouse gases and can even bring about forest fires, a panel（专门小组）of scientists told the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Denver. They warned the resulting release of poisonous elements like arsenic （砷）and mercury（汞）can also pollute local water sources and soils “Coal fires are a global disaster,” said Associate Professor Glenn Stracher of East Georgia College in Swainsboro, U.S.A. But surprisingly few people know about them.

Coal can heat up on its own, and eventually catch fire and burn, if there is a continuous oxygen supply. The heat produced is not caused to disappear and under the right combinations of sunlight and oxygen, can trigger spontaneous（自然产生的）catching fire and burning. This can occur underground in coal stockpiles（煤堆）, abandoned mines or even as coal is transported. Such fires in China destroy up to 200 million tons of coal per year, delegates were told. In comparison, the U. S. economy consumes about one billion tons of coal annually, said Stracher, whose analysis of the likely effect of coal fires has been accepted for publication in the International journal of Coal Ecology. Once underway, coal fires can burn for decades, even centuries. In the process, they release large volumes of greenhouse gases, poisonous fumes and black particles into the atmosphere.

The members of the panel discussed the effect these fires may be having on global and regional climate change, and agreed that the underground nature of the fires makes them difficult to detect(发现). One of the members of the panel, Assistant Professor Paul Van Dijk of the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, has been working with the Chinese government to detect and monitor fires in the northern regions of the country.

The remote sensing and other techniques will allow scientists to estimate how much carbon dioxide these fires are emitting. One suggested method of controlling the fires was presented by Gary Colaizzi, of the engineering firm Goodson, which has developed a beat-resistant grout designed to be pumped into the coal fire to cut off the oxygen supply.

1.According to Paragraph 2, what will happen when the underground heat does not disappear? ________.

A.Coal heats up on its own and catches fire and burns.

B.The underground oxygen will be used up.

C.Poisonous fumes and greenhouse gases will be accumulated underground.

D.There will be an increase of abandoned mines.

2.What did Stracher analyze in his article published in the International Journal of Coal Ecology? ________.

A.Annual consumption of coal in US.

B.Annual consumption of coal in China.

C.How long coal fires have lasted in the northern region of China.

D.Coal fires may have an effect on the environment.

3.Which of the following statements about Paul Van Dijk is NOT true? ________.

A.He was one of the scientists who have warned against the threats of underground fires.

B.He has detected and monitored underground fires in the Netherlands.

C.He has worked with the Chinese government on the underground fires issue.

D.He works for a research institute in the Netherlands.

4.What is the suggested method to control underground fires in the passage? ________.

A.Using remote sensing technique.

B.Controlling the release of carbon dioxide.

C.Cutting off the oxygen supply.

D.Making the soil heat resistant.

Answer

1.A

2.D

3.B

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章主要讲述了大规模的地下火灾导致地面温度升高，杀死周围的植被，产生温室气体，甚至可能引发森林火灾。荷兰与中国合作在荷兰北部地区探测和监测火灾。

1.推理判断题。根据第二段中“Coal can heat up on its own, and eventually catch fire and burn, if there is a continuous oxygen supply. The heat produced is not caused to disappear and under the right combinations of sunlight and oxygen, can trigger spontaneous（自然产生的）catching fire and burning.” 如果有持续的氧气供应，煤可以自己加热，最终着火燃烧。产生的热量不会消失，在阳光和氧气的正确组合下，会引发自燃。由此可以推断出，当地下的热量不消失时，煤会自行升温并着火燃烧。结合选项，故选A。

2.推理判断题。根据第二段中“Once underway, coal fires can burn for decades, even centuries. In the process, they release large volumes of greenhouse gases, poisonous fumes and black particles into the atmosphere.” 一旦开始，煤火可以燃烧几十年，甚至几百年。在这个过程中，它们向大气释放大量温室气体、有毒烟雾和黑色颗粒。由此可知，煤火可能会对环境产生影响。结合选项，故选D。

3.细节理解题。根据倒数第二段中“One of the members of the panel, Assistant Professor Paul Van Dijk of the International Institute for Geo-Information Science and Earth Observation in the Netherlands, has been working with the Chinese government to detect and monitor fires in the northern regions of the country.” 专家组成员之一、荷兰国际地理信息科学与地球观测研究所助理教授Paul Van Dijk一直与中国政府合作，在荷兰北部地区探测和监测火灾。由此可知，Paul Van Dijk一直在监测地下火灾，但他并没有发现地下火灾。故B项错误。故选B。

4.细节理解题。根据最后一段中“One suggested method of controlling the fires was presented by Gary Colaizzi, of the engineering firm Goodson, which has developed a beat-resistant grout designed to be pumped into the coal fire to cut off the oxygen supply.” 工程公司Goodson的Gary Colaizzi提出了一种控制火灾的建议方法，该公司开发了一种抗冲击水泥浆，设计用于向煤火中泵送以切断氧气供应。故由此可知，文章中建议控制地下火的方法是切断氧气供应。结合选项，故选C。