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Climate change leads to a threat to the world's sandy beaches, and as many as half of them could disappear by 2100, a new study has found.Even by 2050 some coastlines could be unrecognizable from what we see today, with 14% to 15% facing severe erosion (侵蚀)．
Using updated sea level rise predictions, the researchers analyzed how beaches around the world would be in a future with higher seas and more damaging storms.They also considered natural processes like wave erosion, as well as human factors like coastal building developments, which can affect a beach's health.The study found that sea level rise is expected to outweigh these other factors, and that the more heattrapping gases humans put into the atmosphere, the worse the influences on the world's beaches are likely to be.
It's hard to overstate just how important the world's beaches are.They cover more than one third of the world's coastlines, and protect coastal areas from storms.Beaches are also important economic engines, supporting relaxation, tourism and other activities.And in some areas, the beach is more than a vacation destination.In places like Australia, life near the coast revolves around the beach for much of the year.
Some of the world's most popular beaches are already taking action.Places like Miami Beach are trucking in thousands of tons of sand to patch up (修补) badly eroded shorelines, while others have built sea walls and breakwaters in an attempt to hold precious sand in place.But the financial and environmental costs of these projects are huge, and scientists say rough seas and more powerful storms, supercharged by a warmer climate, will make this a losing battle.
However, the researchers did find that humans have some control over what happens to the world's beaches.If the world's governments are able to stick to modest cuts in heattrapping gas pollution, the researchers found that 17% of projected beach losses by 2050 could be prevented, and that number will grow to 40% by 2100 if greenhouse gases are limited.
语篇解读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了一项新的研究发现：气候变化对世界上的沙滩造成了威胁，预计到2100年，多达一半的沙滩可能会消失。因此，一些世界上最受欢迎的海滩已经开始采取行动。
1．Which is the biggest contributor to severe beach erosion?
A．Damaging storms. B．Wave erosion.
C．Coastal buildings. D．Sea level rise.
解析：选D 细节理解题。根据第二段的内容尤其是“The study found that sea level rise is expected to outweigh these other factors”可知，有很多因素会造成沙滩被侵蚀，其中海平面上升是导致沙滩被严重侵蚀的最大因素。
2．What can we infer from Paragraph 3?
A．It is hard to protect coastal beaches.
B．One third of storms take place near beaches.
C．Beaches are of great significance to our lives.
D．Most Australians live on beach tourism.
解析：选C 推理判断题。根据第三段的主旨句“It's hard to overstate just how important the world's beaches are.”可知，再怎么强调世界海滩的重要性也不为过。再根据该段中的“Beaches are also important economic engines, supporting relaxation, tourism and other activities.”可知，海滩也是重要的经济引擎，支撑着休闲、旅游和其他活动。根据段尾的“life near the coast revolves around the beach for much of the year”可知，靠近海岸的生活一年中很多时间都以海滩为中心。由此可以推断，第三段主要强调了沙滩对我们的生活非常重要。
3．What does the underlined word “this” refer to in Paragraph 4?
A．Popularizing the beaches.
B．Holding sand in place.
C．Reducing the project costs.
D．Stopping global warming.
解析：选B 代词指代题。根据第四段中的“Places like Miami Beach ...sand in place”可知，像迈阿密海滩这样的地方正在努力修补严重侵蚀的海岸线，而其他地方则建造了海堤和防波堤，试图把珍贵的沙子固定住。再根据本段最后一句可知，科学家说汹涌的海洋和更强大的风暴因更温暖的气候而增压，这将会使得固定沙子是一项失败的举措。因此可知，this指的是holding sand in place。
