Question

    An increase of just 2°C in global temperatures could make the world considerably drier and more desert-like, new research has warned.

More than a quarter of the world's land surface, home to more than 1.5 billion people, would become more arid and droughts and wildfires could be widespread. Limiting global warming to 1.5℃ would dramatically reduce the percentage of the Earth's surface affected, scientists found.

“Aridification (干旱化) would emerge over 20 to 30 percent of the world's land surface by the time the global temperature change reaches 2℃”，said Dr Manoj Joshi from the University of East Anglia’s School of Environmental Sciences and one of the study's co-authors.

The research team studied projections from 27 global climate models and identified areas of the world where aridity will greatly change. The most affected areas are parts of South East Asia, Southern Europe, Southern Africa, Central America and Southern Australia. These areas are home to more than .20 percent of the world's population — that’s over 1.5 billion people.

The study looked at the current rate of global temperature increase and compared it to data from before the industrial revolution. The world has already warmed by 1℃since then. Two thirds of the affected regions could avoid significant aridification if warming is limited to 1.5℃, researchers found.   

The Paris Agreement, which was first signed in 2015, is an international agreement to control climate change. It hopes to hold the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2℃ and to pursue efforts to limit the temperature increase to 1.5℃.

But the local protectionism makes it possible that the world may become drier and the horrific scenes of the Californian wildfires may become more common. The fire burned more than 440 square miles of Ventura and Santa Barbara counties and destroyed more than 1,000 structures after breaking out in early December.

1.What should we do to prevent aridification?

A.We should limit the temperature rise to 2°C.

B.We should limit the temperature rise to 1.5°C.

C.We should limit the industrial development.

D.We should limit the global population.

2.Which country is most likely to be affected by aridification?

A.China. B.Russia. C.Canada. D.Philippine.

3.Why does the author mention the Californian wildfires in the text?

A.To show the harm of aridification.

B.To emphasize the loss of the fire.

C.To support the local protectionism.

D.To tell us wildfires are common.

4.What is Dr Manoj's attitude towards the global temperature change?

A.Indifferent. B.Approving. C.Concerned. D.Unclear.

Answer

1.B

2.D

3.A

4.C

【解析】

这是一篇说明文。文章讲述了，最新研究表明，全球气温只要上升2℃，那么世界就会变得相当干燥，在全球导致干旱和火灾。

1.

细节理解题。由第二段中的“Limiting global warming to 1.5℃ would dramatically reduce the percentage of the Earth's surface affected, scientists found.”（科学家发现，将全球变暖限制在1.5摄氏度将大大降低地球表面受影响的百分比。）和倒数第三段中的“Two thirds of the affected regions could avoid significant aridification if warming is limited to 1.5℃, researchers found.”（研究人员发现，如果把气温变暖控制在1.5℃以内，三分之二的受影响地区可以避免严重干旱化。），可知我们应该把升温限制在1.5摄氏度来防止干旱。故选B项。

2.

推理判断题。由第四段中的“The most affected areas are parts of South East Asia, Southern Europe, Southern Africa, Central America and Southern Australia.”（受影响最严重的地区是东南亚、南欧、南部非洲、中美洲和澳大利亚南部的部分地区。），可知东南亚是受影响最严重的地区之一，菲律宾地处东南亚，最可能受影响。故选D项。

3.

推理判断题。由第二段中的“More than a quarter of the world's land surface, home to more than 1.5 billion people, would become more arid and droughts and wildfires could be widespread.”（世界上有超过15亿人口的陆地表面将变得更加干旱，干旱和野火可能会蔓延。）和最后一段中的“But the local protectionism makes it possible that the world may become drier and the horrific scenes of the Californian wildfires may become more common.”（但是，地方保护主义使得世界变得更加干燥，加州野火的可怕景象可能变得更加普遍。），可知升温会导致干旱，干旱导致火灾，地方保护主义加剧了干旱火灾，作者提到加州的野火的目的就是为了显示干旱的危害。故选A项。

4.

推理判断题。由第一段“An increase of just 2°C in global temperatures could make the world considerably drier and more desert-like, new research has warned.”（一项新的研究警告说，全球气温只要上升2℃，就可能使世界变得相当干燥，变得更像沙漠。）和第三段““Aridification (干旱化) would emerge over 20 to 30 percent of the world's land surface by the time the global temperature change reaches 2℃”，said Dr Manoj Joshi from the University of East Anglia's School of Environmental Sciences and one of the study's co-authors.”（“当全球气温变化达到2℃时，全球陆地表面将出现超过20%至30%的干旱化”，东安格利亚大学环境科学学院的Manoj Joshi博士说，同时也是这项研究的合著者之一。），可知Dr Manoj也是这项研究的人员之一，研究警告升温可能会带来的负面影响，Dr Manoj也说升温会导致全球陆地表面将出现超过20%至30%的干旱化，可推断出Dr Manoj对全球气温变化的态度是担心的。故选C项。