Question

    By the time you read these words, winter should have gone within the Northern Hemisphere (半球). But at its worst, this winter was unusually cold. Here in New York City on January 31, the low temperature dropped to -17℃. In Chicago, it was also -17℃—but that was the high. The low jumped to -29℃. And the wind chill within the Windy City was -44℃ or -46℃, relying on which climate station was crying out in pain. As comic Lewis Black said, “That is not weather. That’s an emergency condition.”

When the forecast warned us a few days earlier that Arctic air was looming (阴森地逼近), President Trump issued a sincere and helpful tweet, which ended with: “What the hell is going on with Global Waming [sic]? Please come back fast, we need you!” And being the most powerful man on Earth, he was successful in his polite request. On February 4 the Chicago temperature reached 11℃. And the following day the Big Apple was in a sunny 19℃.

The Arctic is warming at twice the speed as the global average. This heat might help disrupt (打破) the polar vortex, a gradual wind pattern that usually stays focused on circling the North Pole. A shaky jet stream (高速气流) then runs right into a brick wall of that Arctic air, which continues to be fairly cold by human standards, and both wind up lots of miles farther south than they usually belong. And for a few days we in the Deep South—by which I mean Chicago or New York compared with the Arctic—freeze our butts off. But less than a week later, thanks to some warm air coming up from the real South, I was walking outside without a coat on a date when the temperature in Chicago reached 11℃ on February 4.

Like so much else we are currently living through, this experience is not normal. Or it didn’t used to be, anyway.

After all, scientists have been waming—sorry, warning—that warming can have these very results. Climate change deniers may sneer (冷笑), “So when it’s warmer than usual, that’s because of global warming. And when it’s colder, that’s also because of global warming?” Well, yes. And anybody who just can’t accept these kinds of seemingly paradoxical conditions needs to reflect on the expression “freezer burn.”

1.By mentioning Lewis Black’s words in Paragraph 1, the author intends to  .

A. indicate how unusual the winter’s weather was

B. suggest the north isn’t a suitable place to live

C. remind people never to forget the past winter

D. urge people to take action against the emergency

2.What led to the sudden increase in the Chicago temperature on February 4?

A. The cold Arctic air. B. Trump’s sincere tweet.

C. Warm air from the real South. D. Disruption of polar vortex.

3.Why does the author use the expression “freezer burn”?

A. To show readers his concerns about the extreme weather.

B. To prove global warming to be the cause of the extreme weather.

C. To cast doubt about scientists’ study on the paradoxical conditions.

D. To express his disapproval of the result of the paradoxical conditions.

Answer

1.A

2.C

3.B

【解析】

这是一篇新闻报道。主要报道了在北半球这个时候像纽约、芝加哥等城市冬天不仅没走，反而出现了极不寻常的寒冷天气。文中分析了其原因。

1.推理判断题。根据第一段Lewis Black的话的意思是：那不是天气。这是紧急情况。然后根据上文的描述“the low temperature dropped to -17°C. In Chicago, it was also -17°C—but that was the high. The low jumped to -29°C.And the wind chill within the Windy City was -44℃ or -46℃”可知天气情况极其恶劣。因此这句话是突出了天气的极其异常。因此答案选择A。

2.细节理解题。根据第三段“But less than a week later, thanks to some warm air coming up from real south, I was walking outside without a coat on a date when the temperature in Chicago”因此真正的原因是南方传来的暖气。所以答案选择C。文中“And being the most powerful man on Earth, he was successful in his polite request.”只是玩笑，不能作为真正的答案。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段原文，文中这个词出现在“Well, yes. And anybody who just can't accept these kinds of seemingly paradoxical conditions needs to reflect on the expression “freezer burn.”因此这个词的目的是反击那些“Climate change deniers”所以作者是支持global warming的，是为了证明证明全球变暖是极端天气的原因。因此答案选择B。