话题语篇专攻练20 环境保护(二)
(建议用时35分钟)
Ⅰ. 阅读理解
A
Burmese pythons(缅甸蟒蛇)are some of the biggest snakes in the world and also one of the biggest problems in Florida’s wetlands. So state officials have asked hunters to lend a hand.
The pythons are originally from Asia. Brought to the US as pets or zoo animals, some were released or broke free into the wild and found Florida’s warm weather to be perfect for a new settlement. It is estimated that tens of thousands now live in the everglades and the state’s marshy wetlands. These supersize snakes are invasive species. “The problem is with animals, ”says Carli Segelson, spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. “The pythons eat native birds, reptiles, and small mammals, many of which are threatened species. ”Since the python moved in, several native species, such as bobcats and rabbits, have largely disappeared from Florida’s wetlands. So the Florida government has invited hunters to assist in solving this severe environmental problem. People will be allowed to hunt pythons around their breeding grounds for one month, starting on January 12. Officials are even offering cash prizes to whoever kills the most pythons and to whoever kills the longest Burmese pythons. They are hoping the contest will significantly reduce the population of this dangerous invader.
“Our goal is to help get rid of the pythons from the wild, educate the public about the snakes’ impact on the Florida ecosystem, and inform them of what impacts non-native pets can have if allowed into the wild, ”Segelson said. Experts say it’s unlikely the snakes will ever be removed from the wild in Florida. But they hope to bring the python problem under control and prevent the snakes from doing more harm.
【文章大意】本文讲述缅甸蟒蛇破坏佛罗里达的生态平衡, 政府下定决心进行捕杀甚至进行现金奖励以保持生态平衡。
1. We can infer from the text that Florida must be a place where it is______. A. wet and warm B. rainy and windy C. warm and dry
D. wet and cold
【解析】选A。细节理解题。第二段提到It is estimated that tens of thousands now live in the everglades and the state’s marshy wetlands. 据估计有成千上万的蛇生活在沼泽和湿地, 故可知选A项。
2. By saying “The problem is with animals” in Paragraph 3, Carli Segelson means that______.
A. the pythons are harmful for other animals B. people have trouble protecting animals C. the population of animals is smaller D. most animals are dangerous to the pythons 【解析】选A。句意猜测题。第三段提到The pythons eat native birds, reptiles, and small mammals, many of which are threatened species. 这种蛇吃本地的鸟, 爬行动物及小型哺乳动物, 危及这些物种的存在。
3. The underlined words“this dangerous invader”most probably refer to______. A. all Burmese pythons in the world B. the longest Burmese python C. the killer of Burmese pythons D. the Burmese pythons in Florida 【解析】选D。词义猜测题。倒数第二段提到Officials are even offering cash prizes to whoever kills the most pythons and to whoever kills the longest Burmese pythons. 官方甚至提供现金来奖励那些杀死最多和最长缅甸蟒蛇的人, 可知危险的入侵者指的是缅甸蟒蛇。
4. The government’s goal of hunting Burmese pythons is______. A. to drive off all the snakes B. to keep the balance of nature
C. to prevent snakes from booming in number
2
D. to provide necessities for others
【解析】选B。推理判断题。根据最后一段可知政府的目的是保持自然生态的平衡。
B
Terribly hot weather. Pouring downpours. Scientists have long suspected that global warming can cause extreme weather events. Now experts have numbers to support that idea.
The burning of fossil fuels has been leading to a buildup of carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere. This CO2 is a greenhouse gas. That means it can trap heat in the air. As a result, our planet’s temperature has been rising. And this global warming will account for a growing share of ever more frequent extreme weather events.
Many governments hope to limit global warming to 2 degrees Celsius above temperatures that were typical before the Industrial Revolution. It will be hard for nations to achieve that. But even if they do, global warming still will be responsible for nearly all heat extremes. Global warming also will be to blame for about 2 out of every 5 extreme rains and snowfalls. “This is a considerable fraction of major weather events, ”says climate scientist Peter Stott.
So far, Earth has warmed about 0. 85 degree C since 1750. That’s about when the Industrial Revolution got its start. That’s also when fossil fuel use took off, spewing(喷出)lots of CO2into the air. Overall, the new study shows that “relatively small rises in global temperature translate into large increases in the likelihood of extremes, ”Stott says.
Erich Fischer and Reto Knutti analyzed 25 different computer models of global climate. These analyses looked at different climate periods, from preindustrial times to the present. The analyses also predicted what weather events were likely to be like in the future. This period was predicted to be warmer by 2 and 3 degrees C.
The computer looked at when extreme heat and precipitation(冰雹)occurred during each climate period. It focused on events of unusual heat or heavy precipitation. Before the Industrial Revolution, such extremes typically would have occurred only
3
2024年高考英语一轮复习 话题语篇专攻练20 环境保护(二)外研版
