The climate of Earth is changing. Climatologists are confident that over the past century, the global average surface temperature has increased by about half a degree Celsius. This warming is thought to be at least partly the result of human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and the clearing of forests for agriculture. As the global population grows and national economies expand, the global average temperature is expected to continue increasing by an additional 1.0 to 3.5 ℃ by the year 2100.
Climate change is one of the most important environmental issues facing humankind. Understanding the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems is essential if we are going to manage our environment to minimize the negative consequences of climate change and maximize the opportunities that it may offer. Because natural ecosystems are complex, nonlinear systems, it follows that their responses to climate change are likely to be complex. Climate change may affect natural ecosystems in a variety of ways. In the short term, climate change can alter the mix of plant species in land ecosystems such as grasslands. In the long term, climate change has the potential to dramatically alter the geographic distribution of major vegetation types—savannas, forests, and tundra. Climate change can also potentially alter global ecosystem processes, including the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Moreover, changes in these ecosystem processes can affect and be affected by changes in the plant species of the ecosystem and vegetation type. All of the climate—change induced alterations of natural ecosystem services that these ecosystems provide to humans.
The global average surface temperature increase of half a degree Celsius observed over the past century has been in part due to differential changes in daily maximum and minimum temperatures, resulting in a narrowing of the diurnal temperature range. Decreases in the diurnal temperature range were first identified in the United States, where large-area trends showed that maximum temperatures have remained constant or increased only slightly, whereas minimum temperatures have increased at a faster rate. In this issue, Alward et al. report on the different sensitivities of rangeland plants to minimum temperatures increases.
11. Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the global warming?
12. The second paragraph is primarily concerned with ____.
13. According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the temperature increases observed over the past century?
14. In subsequent paragraphs, we may expect the writer of this passage to ____.
15. The word “diurnal” (Paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to “____”.
问题1选项
A.The burning of fuels such as coal or oil.
B.The clearing of forests.
C.The cultivation of farmland.
D.The negative consequences of human activities.
问题2选项
A.the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems
B.how to minimize the negative consequences of climate change
C.how to maximize the opportunities that climate change may offer
D.the complex, nonlinear nature of natural ecosystems
问题3选项
A.Increases of daily maximum temperatures.
B.Decreases of daily minimum temperatures.
C.Increases of diurnal temperature range.
D.Decreases in the diurnal temperature range.
问题4选项
A.discuss the global impacts of temperatures increases
B.present a point of view which supports the idea of the second paragraph
C.introduce Alward’s report on the different sensitivities of rangeland plants to minimum temperatures increases
D.further illustrate the causes of the global average surface temperature increase
问题5选项
A.day-and-night’s
B.everyday
C.two days’
D.yearly
第1题:C
第2题:A
第3题:D
第4题:C
第5题:B
11. 【选项释义】
Which of the following is NOT mentioned as a reason for the global warming? 下列哪一项没有被作为全球变暖的原因提到？
A. The burning of fuels such as coal or oil. A. 煤或石油等燃料的燃烧。
B. The clearing of forests. B. 砍伐森林。
C. The cultivation of farmland. C. 耕地的耕种。
D. The negative consequences of human activities. D. 人类活动的负面后果。
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词a reason for the global warming可定位到原文第1段。本段第2句提到“这种变暖被认为至少部分原因是人类活动的结果（the result of human activities），例如燃烧化石燃料（the burning of fossil fuels）和为农业砍伐森林（the clearing of forests for agriculture）。”本题要求选择的是没有被提到的原因，C选项“耕地的耕种”没有被提到，符合题意。
【干扰项排除】A、B、D选项原文有提到，不符合题意，属于反向干扰。
12. 【选项释义】
The second paragraph is primarily concerned with ____. 第2段主要是关于____。
A. the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems A. 气候变化对自然生态系统的潜在影响
B. how to minimize the negative consequences of climate change B. 如何将气候变化的负面影响降到最低
C. how to maximize the opportunities that climate change may offer C. 如何最大限度地利用气候变化带来的机遇
D. the complex, nonlinear nature of natural ecosystems D. 自然生态系统的复杂、非线性性质
【考查点】主旨大意题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词The second paragraph定位到原文第2段，本题要求选择的是原文第2段的主旨大意。本段第2句说到“如果我们要治理环境，以最大限度地减少气候变化的负面后果（minimize the negative consequences of climate change），并最大限度地利用它可能提供的机遇（maximize the opportunities that it may offer）的话，了解气候变化对自然生态系统的潜在影响（understanding the potential impacts of climate change for natural ecosystems）是至关重要的。”由此可知，这句话的重点是“了解气候变化对自然生态系统的潜在影响”。另外，本段第4句提到“气候变化可能会在很多方面影响自然生态系统（affect natural ecosystems）”，并且之后具体介绍了这些影响。综上所述，A选项“气候变化对自然生态系统的潜在影响”更符合本段主旨。
【干扰项排除】
B选项“如何将气候变化的负面影响降到最低”，是引入本段主旨的辅助信息，并不是本段主旨，该选项属于本末倒置；
C选项“如何最大限度地利用气候变化带来的机遇”，也是引入本段主旨的辅助信息，并不是本段主旨，该选项属于本末倒置；
D选项“自然生态系统的复杂、非线性性质”，可定位到原文第2段第3句，该句提到“由于自然生态系统是复杂的非线性系统（natural ecosystems are complex, nonlinear systems），因此它们对气候变化的反应很可能是复杂的。”由此可知，该选项只是生态系统对气候变化的反应是复杂的，并不是本段主旨，该选项属于本末倒置。
13. 【选项释义】
According to the author, what may chiefly be responsible for the temperature increases observed over the past century? 根据作者的观点，在过去的一个世纪中观察到的温度上升的主要原因可能是什么？
A. Increases of daily maximum temperatures. A. 每日最高气温升高。
B. Decreases of daily minimum temperatures. B. 日最低气温下降。
C. Increases of diurnal temperature range. C. 日温差增大。
D. Decreases in the diurnal temperature range. D. 日温差减小。
【考查点】事实细节题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词temperature increases和the past century定位到原文第3段。该段第1句提到“过去一个世纪观测到的全球平均地表温度上升了0.5摄氏度，部分原因是由于日最高和最低温度的差异变化（differential changes in daily maximum and minimum temperatures），导致日温度范围缩小（a narrowing of the diurnal temperature range）。”本段第2句提到“日温差的减小（Decreases in the diurnal temperature range）首先是在美国发现的，那里的大面积趋势表明，最高温度（maximum temperatures）保持不变或仅略有上升（remained constant or increased only slightly），而最低温度（minimum temperatures）上升的速度更快（increased at a faster rate）。”由此可知，日最高气温保持不变或略有上升，而日最低气温大幅上升，导致日温差减小，且日平均温度上升。因此，D选项“日温差减小”符合题意。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“每日最高气温升高”，表述错误，每日最高气温只是略有上升或基本保持不变，并且这并不是上个世纪气温升高的全部原因，没有指出每日最低气温的上升，该选项属于以偏概全；
B选项“日最低气温下降”，表述错误，日最低气温上升，而非下降，该选项属于反向干扰；
C选项“日温差增大”，表述错误，日温差减小，而非增大，该选项属于反向干扰。
14. 【选项释义】
In subsequent paragraphs, we may expect the writer of this passage to ____. 在接下来的段落中，我们可以期待这篇文章的作者____。
A. discuss the global impacts of temperatures increases A. 讨论气温上升对全球的影响
B. present a point of view which supports the idea of the second paragraph B. 提出一个支持第二段观点的观点
C. introduce Alward’s report on the different sensitivities of rangeland plants to minimum temperatures increases C. 介绍阿尔沃德关于牧场植物对最低气温上升的不同敏感性的报告
D. further illustrate the causes of the global average surface temperature increase D. 进一步说明全球平均地表温度上升的原因
【考查点】推理判断题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词In subsequent paragraphs可知，本题要求猜测选段接下来的段落的内容，因此，定位到原文最后一段。本段最后一句提到“在本期中（In this issue），Alward等人（Alward et al.）报道了牧场植物对最低气温升高的不同敏感性（the different sensitivities of rangeland plants to minimum temperatures increases）。”由此推断，本文应该是某期刊中某篇论文的导语，根据原文逻辑，我们可以猜测，后文应该是介绍Alward等人的报道，因此，C选项“介绍阿尔沃德关于牧场植物对最低气温上升的不同敏感性的报告”，符合原文行文逻辑。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“讨论气温上升对全球的影响”，没有依据，不符合原文逻辑，该选项属于无中生有；
B选项“提出一个支持第二段观点的观点”，没有依据，不符合原文逻辑，该选项属于无中生有；
D选项“进一步说明全球平均地表温度上升的原因”，没有依据，不符合原文逻辑，该选项属于无中生有。
15. 【选项释义】
The word “diurnal” (Paragraph 3) is closest in meaning to “____”. “diurnal”（第3段）这个词的意思最接近“____”。
A. day-and-night’s A. 昼夜的
B. everyday B. 每日的
C. two days’ C. 两天的
D. yearly D. 每年的
【考查点】词汇推测题
【解题思路】根据题干关键词Paragraph 3定位到原文第3段。本段第1句提到“过去一个世纪观测到的全球平均地表温度上升了0.5摄氏度，部分原因是由于日最高和最低温度的差异变化（daily maximum and minimum temperatures），导致日温度范围缩小（a narrowing of the diurnal temperature range）。”由此可知，每日的最高气温和最低气温的变化，导致了diurnal温度范围的缩小，由原文daily“每日的”推断，diurnal的意思应该是“每日的”，B选项“每日的”符合原文。
【干扰项排除】
A选项“昼夜的”指的是白天和夜晚的温差，不符合原文；
C选项“两天的”，不符合原文；
D选项“每年的”，不符合原文。
