A
You might think that “global warming” means nothing more than a rise in the world’s temperature. But rising sea levels caused by it have resulted in the first evacuation(撤离)of an island nation. The citizens of Tuvalu will have to leave their homeland.
During the 20th century, the sea level rose 8～12 inches. As a result, Tuvalu has experienced lowland flooding of salt water that has polluted the country’s drinking water.
Paani Laupepa, a Tuvaluan government official, reported to the Earth Policy Institute that the nation has suffered an unusually high number of fierce storms in the past ten years. Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.
Laupepa expressed dissatisfaction with the United States for refusing to sign the Kyoto Protocol, an international agreement calling for industrialized nations to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, which are a main cause of global warming. “By refusing to sign the agreement, the US has effectively taken away the freedom of future generations of Tuvaluans to live where their forefathers have lived for thousands of years. ” Laupepa said.
Tuvalu has asked Australia and New Zealand to allow the gradual move of its people to both countries.
Tuvalu is not the only country that is vulnerable(易受影响的)to rising sea levels. Maumoon Gayoon, president of the Maldives, told the United Nations that global warming has made his country of 311, 000 an “endangered nation”.
【文章大意】文章主要讲述了全球变暖对于有些沿海国家, 特别是图瓦卢造成的恶劣影响。
21. The text is mainly about .
A. rapid changes in earth’s temperature
B. bad effects of global warming
C. moving of a country to a new place
D. reasons for lowland flooding
【解析】选B。主旨大意题。这篇短文主要讲述了全球变暖造成的恶劣影响, 故答案选B。A、C、D三项都是细节。
22. According to scientists, the direct cause of more and fiercer storms is .
A. rising sea levels
B. continuous global warming
C. higher surface water temperatures of the sea
D. greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations
【解析】选C。细节理解题。根据第三段最后一句Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms. 可知, 造成严重的暴风雨的直接原因是海洋表面水温太高。故选C。
23. Laupepa was not satisfied with the United States because it did not .
A. agree to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions
B. sign an agreement with Tuvalu
C. allow Tuvaluans to move to the US
D. believe the problems facing Tuvalu were real
【解析】选A。细节理解题。由第四段第一句话可知, Laupepa对美国不满意的原因是美国拒绝签署号召工业化国家减少温室效应气体排放的国际性公约。故选A。
