Question

    While the human world is suffering from the novel coronavirus outbreak, our planet is actually showing certain signs of “recovery” from the damage caused by human activity. According to the BBC, new satellite images released by the European Space Agency showed that levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gases have “fallen sharply” in major cities in Europe and the United States ever since the lockdown started.

This is what happened after recent discoveries in Antarctica. An international team of 89 scientists found that the ice in Greenland and Antarctica is melting six times faster in the 2010s than it was in the 1990s. And in February, Argentina’s Marambio research station in Antarctica recorded a record high temperature of 20.75 ℃ on the continent.

So what exactly will happen if the temperature keeps rising and the ice keeps melting? A third study might give you an idea. A team of scientists drilled a hole into the seafloor in west Antarctica and extracted (提取) material from underground, in which they found traces of roots, spores and pollen—typical products of a rainforest—that dated back 90 million years ago. In other words, Antarctica was very likely a rainforest back when the dinosaurs walked on Earth. But given the fact that the South Pole has four months of darkness during winter—even millions of years ago—scientists believe that the rainforest could only exist if the greenhouse gas concentrations were extremely high back then to keep the continent warm when there was little or no sunlight.

“We didn’t know that this Cretaceous (白垩纪的) greenhouse climate was that extreme,” Johann Klages of the Alfred Wegener Institute in Germany and a co-author of the research told the Guardian. “It shows us what carbon dioxide is able to do.”

Ice or no ice, Antarctica will be—and has always been—fine with extreme changes. The human world, however, may not be.

Now, during the coronavirus lockdown, we’ve seen the changes resulting from less human activity. Hopefully, we’ll hold on to those changes—not for Antarctica or the planet, but for ourselves.

1.What does Paragraph 1 mainly tell us?

A.Our planet is returning to its original state due to the novel coronavirus outbreak.

B.The lockdown of major cities contributed to the decrease of greenhouse gases.

C.The novel coronavirus has a positive effect on the human beings.

D.The novel coronavirus outbreak resulted from human activity.

2.What do we learn from the third study?

A.Typical products of a rainforest were dug out in Antarctica.

B.Traces of dinosaurs living in rainforests were spotted in Antarctica.

C.There was a good possibility of high greenhouse gas concentrations in Antarctica.

D.There used to be enough sunlight for the rainforest in the Cretaceous Antarctica.

3.Which of the following statements is true according to the passage?

A.Human activity doesn’t threaten life in Antarctica.

B.The ice in Antarctica is melting faster in the 2010s than now.

C.We should reduce carbon dioxide emissions for our own sake.

D.The lockdown can be carried on to slow down global warming.

4.What is the main purpose of the passage?

A.To encourage us to defeat the novel coronavirus.

B.To explain the effects of greenhouse gases.

C.To draw our attention to ecosystem in Antarctica.

D.To call on us to reduce human impact on the environment.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.C

4.D

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章首先提到新冠肺炎期间的封城给环境带来了一些积极影响，接着作者举例南极洲的考察发现告诉我们温室气体浓度上升对我们人类带了影响。最后作者提倡为了人类要减少对环境的影响。

1.

主旨大意题。根据文章第1段According to the BBC, new satellite images released by the European Space Agency showed that levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gases have “fallen sharply” in major cities in Europe and the United States ever since the lockdown started（据英国广播公司报道，欧洲航天局发布的新卫星图像显示，自封城开始以来，欧洲和美国主要城市的空气污染物和温室气体水平“急剧下降”）可知，文章第一段主要告诉我们由新冠肺炎所以引起的封城给环境带来了一些积极的影响，比如空气污染物和温室气体水平都急剧下降。故选B项。

2.

推理判断题。根据文章第3段In other words, Antarctica was very likely a rainforest back when the dinosaurs walked on Earth. But given the fact that the South Pole has four months of darkness during winter—even millions of years ago—scientists believe that the rainforest could only exist if the greenhouse gas concentrations were extremely high back then to keep the continent warm when there was little or no sunlight（换句话说，当恐龙在地球上行走的时候，南极洲很可能是一个热带雨林。但考虑到南极在冬天有四个月是黑暗的这一事实——即使是在几百万年前——科学家们相信，只有当温室气体浓度非常高的时候，热带雨林才能存在，因为那时阳光很少或根本没有）可知，当时的南极有可能是热带雨林是因为温室气体的浓度非常高。故选C项。

3.

细节理解题。根据文章最后一段Now, during the coronavirus lockdown, we’ve seen the changes resulting from less human activity. Hopefully, we’ll hold on to those changes—not for Antarctica or the planet, but for ourselves（现在，在冠状病毒封城期间，我们看到了人类活动减少带来的变化。希望我们能坚持这些改变——不是为了南极洲或地球，而是为了我们自己）可知，冠状病毒封城期间，人类带给环境的积极影响要继续。为了我们自己好，我们要继续减少温室气体的排放。故选C项。

4.

推理判断题。文章第1段提到，因为封城导致了levels of air pollutants and greenhouse gases have “fallen sharply”（空气污染物和温室气体水平“急剧下降”）。接着从文章的第2段至第4段举例南极洲的考查发现告诉我们温室气体升高对环境的作用。最后一段作者提出呼吁Hopefully, we’ll hold on to those changes—not for Antarctica or the planet, but for ourselves（希望我们能坚持这些改变——不是为了南极洲或地球，而是为了我们自己）。综合分析，故选D项。