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 and 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(导致温室效应的气体排放)，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 told the BBC.
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.
【语篇解读】 本文是一篇说明文。主要讲述了全球变暖对于某些岛国，特别是Tuvalu造成的恶劣影响。
1．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
B [主旨大意题。短文主要讲述了全球变暖造成的恶劣影响，故选B。]
2．According to scientists，the direct cause of more and fiercer storms is________．
A．greenhouse gas emissions in industrialized nations
B．higher surface water temperatures of the sea
C．continuous global warming
D．rising sea levels
B [细节理解题。根据第三段中“Many scientists connect higher surface water temperatures resulting from global warming to greater and more damaging storms.”可判断出造成严重的暴风雨的直接原因是海洋表面水温太高。]
3．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
A [细节理解题。第四段第一句话表示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导致温室效应的气体排放的国际性公约。]
4．The country whose situation is similar to that of Tuvalu is________．
A．Australia B．New Zealand
C．the Maldives D．the United States
C [细节理解题。根据最后一段可判断出the Maldives与Tuvalu的情况相似。]
