The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3°C on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3°C and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected —Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters."
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.
1. The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "__".
A. rapidly B. approximately C. contradictorily D. apparently
2.What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?
A. It is causing the ice to melt faster.
B. It is making much of the continent colder.
C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.
D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.
3.What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?
A. Rising sea levels. B. Warming sea water temperature.
C. Water pollution. D. Growing ice sheets.
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.
B. The average temperature has increased by3°C in recent decades.
C. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.
D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.
5. The best title for the passage is ______.
A. Our planet in danger B. Antarctica melting away
C. Action plan to save Antarctica D. Let's save the ozone layer
高三英语阅读理解简单题
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3oC on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 metres.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3OC and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected - Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 metres."
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 metres higher by the end of the century.
1.The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "__".
A. rapidly B. approximately C. contradictorily D. apparently
2.What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?
A. It is making much of the continent colder.
B. It is causing the ice to melt faster.
C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.
D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.
3. What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?
A. Rising sea levels. B. Warming sea water temperature.
C. Water pollution. D. Growing ice sheets.
4. Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.
B. The average temperature has increased by 3 degree centigrade in recent decades.
C. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.
D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.
5.The best title for the passage is ___ ___ .
A. Our planet in danger B. Antarctica melting away
C. Action plan to save Antarctica D. Let's save the ozone layer
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
The hole in the Earth's ozone layer (臭氧层) has until now protected Antarctica from the worst effects of global warming. But scientists have warned that as the hole closes up in the next few decades, temperatures on the continent could rise by around 3°C on average, with melting ice contributing to a global sea level increase of up to 1.4 meters.
In the past decades the western Antarctic has seen rapid ice loss as the world has warmed, but the other parts of the continent have, paradoxically, been cooling, resulting in a 10% increase in ice in the seas around the region. This is because the hole in the ozone layer has increased cold winds in Antarctica, making much of the continent surface colder than usual.
But now that the gasses that cause the ozone hole have been banned, scientists expect the hole to repair itself within the next 50 to 60 years. By then the cooling effect will have faded out and the Antarctic will face the full impact of global warming. This means an increase in average air temperatures of around 3°C and a reduction in sea ice by around a third.
The biggest threat to the continent comes from warming seas. Robert Johnson, a scientist who monitors Antarctica ice sheets, said, "The ice sheets in Antarctica are hundreds of metres thick. But once warm ocean waters start flowing underneath, the ice will begin thinning and could break up very quickly. "Thinning ice sheets cause ice to break away from the continent and to melt even faster. Escaping ice from western Antarctica has already resulted in a 10% rise in global sea level in recent decades.
Johnson believes that international action to reduce global warming is required immediately or it may be too late. "Everything is connected —Antarctica may be a long way away but it is an important part of the Earth's system," said Johnson. "It contains 90% of the world's ice, 70% of the world's fresh water and that is enough, if it melts completely, to raise sea levels by 63 meters."
Even in a worse-case situation scientists don't expect the ice to entirely disappear, but predict that, because of the melting ice sheets, average sea level rise will be around 1.4 meters higher by the end of the century.
1. The underlined word "paradoxically" (in Paragraph 2) most probably means "__".
A. rapidly B. approximately C. contradictorily D. apparently
2.What is the effect of the hole in the ozone layer on Antarctica?
A. It is causing the ice to melt faster.
B. It is making much of the continent colder.
C. It is making the effects of global warming in the region worse.
D. It is reducing the amount of water in Antarctica.
3.What do scientists think is the biggest danger facing Antarctica?
A. Rising sea levels. B. Warming sea water temperature.
C. Water pollution. D. Growing ice sheets.
4.Which of the following is true according to the passage?
A. Antarctica is currently experiencing the full effects of global warming.
B. The average temperature has increased by3°C in recent decades.
C. Antarctica contains most of the world's fresh water.
D. Ten percent of Antarctica's ice has already been lost.
5. The best title for the passage is ______.
A. Our planet in danger B. Antarctica melting away
C. Action plan to save Antarctica D. Let's save the ozone layer
高三英语阅读理解简单题查看答案及解析
The hole in the earth's protective ozone layer(臭氧层)won't repair itself until about two decades later than had been expected, scientists announced.
The ozone layer blocks more than 90 percent of the sun's ultraviolet radiation(紫外线辐射), helping to make life on Earth possible. For many dacades, ozone was depleted(削减) by chlorine and bromine gas in the air. A hole in the ozone layer formed over the Southern Hemisphere.
Computer models had forecast that the hole would fill back in by 2050. An improved computer model forecasts the recovery won't occur until 2068. The model, fed with fresh data from statellites and airplanes, was supported by the fact that it accurately reproduced ozone levels in the Antarctic stratosphere(平流层)over the past 27 years.
The ozone hole is actually more of a broad region with less ozone than ought to occur naturally. It is not limited to Antarctica, as is often believed.
Over areas that are farther from the poles like Africa or the US, the levels of ozone are only three to six percent below natural levels. Over Antarctica, ozone levels are 70 percent lower in the spring. This new method allows us to more accurately estimate(估计)ozone-depleting gases over Antarctica, and how they will decrease over time, reducing the ozone hole area.
Paul Newman, a scientist,said that the ozone hole has not started to become smaller as quickly as expected. They figure it will not become much smaller until 2018, after which time the recovery should proceed more quickly. And the hole will not be filled in again until 2065.
1.According to the passage, the ozone layer _______
A.absorbs as much as sunlight as possible |
B.protects man against ultraviolet radiation |
C.controls the changes in temperature |
D.prevents the production of carbon dioxide |
2.The improved computer model is believable because _________
A.it was once proved by facts |
B.it has been studied for 27 years |
C.it was created by many scientists |
D.it is related to satellites and airplanes |
3.The underlined word “they” in the fifth paragraph refers to ________
A.the levels of ozone |
B.ozone-depleting gases |
C.the ozone holes |
D.the areas far from the poles |
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
A rare hole has opened up in the ozone layer above the Arctic, in what scientists say is the result of unusually low temperatures in the atmosphere above the north pole.
The hole, which has been (racked from space and the ground over the past few days, has reached record dimensions, but is not expected to pose any danger to humans unless it moves further south. If it extends further south overpopulated areas, such as southern Greenland, people would be at increased risk of sunburn.
However, on current trends the hole is expected to disappear altogether in a few weeks.
Low temperatures in the northern polar regions led to an unusual stable polar vortex(极地漩涡),and the presence of ozone-destroying chemicals such as chlorine(氯)in the atmosphere -- from human activities - caused the hole to form.
“The hole is principally a geophysical curiosity." said Vincent-Henri Peuch. director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service. "We monitored unusual dynamic(动态的)conditions, which drive the process of chemical depletion of ozone. Those dynamics allowed for lower temperatures and a more stable vortex than usual over the Arctic, which then triggered the formation of polar stratospheric(平流层的)clouds and the catalytic(催化的)destruction of ozone."
The hole is not related to the Covid-19 shutdowns that have dramatically cut air pollution and reduced greenhouse gas emissions. It is also too early to say whether the unusually stable Arctic polar vortex conditions are linked with the climate crisis, or part of normal stratospheric weather variability.
Peuch said there were no direct implications for the climate crisis. Temperatures in the region are already increasing, slowing the depletion of ozone, and the hole will start to recover as polar air mixes with ozone-rich air from lower latitudes. The last time similar conditions were observed was in spring 2011.
While a hole over the Arctic is a rare event, the much larger hole in the ozone layer over the Antarctic has been a major cause for concern for more than four decades. The production of ozone-depleting chemicals has been dramatically reduced, under the 1987 Montreal Protocol 蒙特利尔协议),but some sources appear still to be functioning—in 2018. unauthorized emissions were detected from some areas.
New sources of ozone-depleting chemicals were not a factor in the hole observed in the Arctic, said Peuch. "However, this is a reminder that one should not take the Montreal Protocol measures for granted, and that observations from the ground and from satellites are central to avoid a situation where the ozone-destroying chemical level in the stratosphere could increase again.''
1.What is the possible meaning of the underlined word "depletion"?
A.replacement B.consumption
C.increase D.production
2.According to the passage, scientists are concerned about the hole because .
A.it is expected to be a threat to the mankind
B.the new hole is caused by air pollution and greenhouse gas emissions
C.it may encourage further scientific research and environmental awareness
D.it warns us of an oncoming climate crisis
3.What can be learned from the last two paragraphs?
A.The hole over the Arctic shares the same causes as the one over the Antarctic.
B.Human activities are highly responsible for producing ozone-destroying chemicals.
C.The Montreal Protocol has successfully prevented new emissions.
D.Some new illegal emissions are to blame for the hole over the Arctic.
4.The best title for the passage is probably .
A.Record-size Hole Opens in Ozone Layer above the Arctic
B.Actions Urgently Needed for a New Hole in Ozone Layer
C.Environmental Disaster and International Cooperation
D.How a Hole in Ozone Affects our Life on Earth
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Damage to Ozone Layer Gets Worse
In the middle of winter, when snow is falling in many parts of the United States, scientists have sounded a warning to people who plan to spend many hours in the sun this summer.The warning: The sun's summertime rays are more dangerous than once thought.
A team of scientists from 80 nations recently reported to the United Nations that a layer of ozone(臭氧层)in the atmosphere, which protects humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet(紫外线)radiation, will be thinner over the United States this summer.The thinner layer allows more ultraviolet rays from the sun to reach Earth.The extra amount of ultraviolet radiation could cause an increase in the number of cases of skin cancer.
Scientists first became concerned about the layer in the mid-1980s when a hole was discovered in the layer above Antarctica during the winter.The hole was caused in chemicals used in refrigerators and air conditioners.When these chemicals are sent out into the atmosphere, they produce gases that destroy the ozone.
Concern about the protective ozone layer rose more recently when data from satellites and ground stations showed that ozone levels were dropping over areas other than Antarctica.Low ozone levels were recorded in the spring and summer over the United States and over other populated areas in the world.
Although many countries have already begun stopping the use of ozone-destroying chemicals, the new findings are expected to advance the timetable for a total ban of the chemicals.
1.The scientists have observed the ozone layer ______.
A.since 1980 B.since last winter
C.for more than 20 years D.for about one year
2.The ozone layer in the atmosphere can ______.
A.do a lot of good to human beings in many ways
B.protect humans from diseases caused by bad weather
C.do a lot of harm to human beings in the summer-time
D.protect humans from harmful levels of ultraviolet radiation
3.Scientists first found that there was a hole in the ozone layer ______.
A.above Arctic during the winter in the mid-1980s
B.above Antarctica during the winter in the mid-1980s
C.over somewhere in the north of the equator in 1980
D.over the USA in the summertime in the mid-1980s
4.The damage to the ozone layer was caused by ______.
A.the changeable weather B.ozone-destroying chemicals
C.chemicals from refrigerators D.chemicals from air conditioners
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
It’s difficult to imagine now, but at certain points in the Earth’s history, ice covered the entire planet. This frozen Earth, nicknamed Snowball Earth, was “so severe that the Earth’s entire surface, from pole to pole, including the oceans, completely froze over”, said Melissa Hage, an environmental scientist at Emory University in Georgia.
In 1840, Louis Agassiz, a Swiss natural scientist, was among the first to acknowledge and provide evidence that the Earth had gone through ice ages. Joseph Kirschvink, an American geologist, later created the term “Snowball Earth” in a 1992 textbook.
Scientists believe that four severe ice ages occurred between 750 million and 580 million years ago, probably because the Earth’s lands were all located at or near the equator (赤道), which resulted in increased weathering (风化). Weathering is happening when wind and rain break down rocks and minerals on the planets surface. The process leads to decreased carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere, which allows more heat to get away from the surface and into space, cooling the planet, causing the planet into a deep freeze.
The severe ice ages eventually melted away. Scientist believe that volcanoes continued to pump carbon dioxide into the atmosphere throughout the ice ages, eventually warming the planet enough that the water cycle could restart. As the Earth warmed and came out of its deep freeze. a huge explosion of life occurred. known as the Cambrian (寒武纪) explosion.
Will we see another Snowball Earth in our future? According to Hage, it’s unlikely, due to the spread-out of the continents. “Even with extreme winters, continental ice sheets would form, which would stop continental weathering and allow carbon dioxide to build up in the atmosphere, leading to warming rather than freezing,” she said.
1.How many severe ice ages occurred between 750 million and 580 million years ago according to the passage?
A.Three. B.Four.
C.Five. D.Six.
2.What do we know about the Earth according to the passage?
A.The term “Snowball Earth” was first used in 1840.
B.Millions of years ago, the Earths lands weren’t where they are now.
C.Weathering was the main factor of warming the Earth.
D.The Earth was completely covered with ice during the Cambrian period.
3.What probably led to the end of the ice ages?
A.Heat’s escaping. B.An unknown reason.
C.Carbon dioxide from volcanoes. D.A force from the outer space.
4.What is the best title for the text?
A.Snowball Earth: The End of the Life
B.Some Severe lee Ages in the Earths History
C.Frozen Earth: Another lee Age Is Coming
D.Snowball Earth: Will the Blue Planet Go White Again?
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
As we know, the earth's climate has changed over time.The present rate of climate change depends, in large part, on human activities.Today, people all over the world are making everyday choices that help the environment.Small actions matter.In other words, climate change is your business.
A woman in Nicaragua buys fluorescent (荧光的) light bulbs that are 80 percent more energysaving than traditional ones. Many governments are now subsidizing energysaving lights to encourage people to turn to them.Consumers are discovering that the newgeneration bulbs help them save money in the long run.
Agriculture accounts for about 14 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions (排放) , and transporting the food around adds to the environmental cost.There is a team of young vegetable growers in the United Kingdom who want to encourage kids to start planting their own fruit and vegetables.
A young lawyer wearing business clothes rides her bicycle to work in a large U.S.city.She's been biking to work every day for the past two years and says it's a lot easier than many people think.A recent study shows that more Americans bike or walk to work today than before.
A university student from southeastern China carries a reusable shopping bag to cut back on disposable (一次性的) plastics.Some large shopkeepers have removed paper and plastic bags, and consumers are responding.
In Canberra, Australia, summers are hot and winters cold.To save electricity, Adam Wilson in Canberra uses an energysaving heating system, and he keeps the temperature lower than he did in years past.He still makes it through the summer without air conditioning.
1.The passage mainly tells us that________.
A.climate change is concerned with everyone
B.the global warming is getting worse
C.saving energy is of great necessity
D.human is to destroy the environment
2.The underlined word “subsidizing” in Paragraph 2 probably means “________”.
A.charging B.producing
C.giving allowance to D.taking advantage of
3.According to the passage, which of the following is TRUE?
A.The governments don't expect consumers to use the newgeneration bulbs.
B.Agriculture should be responsible for part of the global gas emissions.
C.Many people in Nicaragua go to work on foot or by bike.
D.University students from China always carry disposable shopping bags.
4.We can learn from the last paragraph that________.
A.the climate in Canberra is mild all the year round
B.an energysaving heating system will come into use
C.Adam Wilson has a good habit of saving energy
D.Adam Wilson is skilled in inventing the energysaving equipment
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Earth’s geologic ages---time periods defined by evidence in rock layers----typically last more than three million years. We’re barely 11,500 years into the current age ,the Holocene. But a new paper argues that we’ve already entered a new one—the Anthropocene, or “new man”, age.
The name isn’t brand-new. Nobel Prize winner Paul Crutzen, a co-author of the paper, coined it in 2002 to reflect the changes since the industrial revolution. The paper, however , is part of new push to formalize the Anthropocene age.
Recent human impacts have been so great that they’ll result in an obvious boundary (界限 ) in Earth’s rock layer, the author’s say. “We are so skilled at using energy and exploiting the environment that we are now a defining force in the geological process on the surface of the Earth,” said co-author Jan Zala, a geologist with the University of Leicester in the UK. Even so, it could take years or even decades for the International Union of Geological Science to formalize the new age.
If the concept of the Anthropocene age is to be formalized , scientists will first have to identify and define a boundary line ,or marker, that’s set in stone. “The key thing is thinking about how—thousands of years in the future---geologist might come back and actually recognize in the deposit in the UK.” It’s not as straightforward as you might think. The market has to be very precise, and it has to be recognized in many different parts of the world,” said Haywood, who wasn’t involved in the new study.
One candidate for the market is the distinctive radioactive signature left by atom bomb tests, which began in 1945. “The fallout (沉降 ) is basically across the world,” Haywood said. In a similar way, scientists used traces of the element iridium (铱) left by shooting star strikes to help define the boundary between the Cretaceous and Tertiary periods---the time of the great dinosaur extinctions.
The push for a formal declaration of the Anthropocene age is about more than just scientific curiosity. The move the scientists write in the last issue of the journal Environmental Science & Technology, “might be used as encouragement to slow carbon emissions and biodiversity(生物多样性)loss” or “ as evidence on protection measures” Just as Haywood said, by underlining how much we're changing the environment, the formalization would be "a very powerful statement”.
1.Which of the following is TRUE about the new paper?
A. It denies the existence of the Holocene age.
B. It documents the recent human impacts on earth.
C. It pushes for the formalization of the Anthropocene age.
D. It serves as a warning against the current mineral exploitation.
2.Haywood's words in paragraph 4 indicate that___________________.
A. the key to formalizing the new age is to find a deposit record set in stone
B. the marker has to appear in various places globally to be considered valid
C. finding a marker is a straightforward way to define the beginning of an age
D. future geologists may find it hard to recognize the markers we choose today
3.What can you infer from the passage?
A. The element iridium may work as a marker for the Anthropocene age.
B. The Nobel Prize winner Crutzen invented the name Holocene in 2002.
C. The formalization of the new age may send a message for eco-protection.
D. Human activities have resulted from the change of boundaries in rock layers.
4.What is the best title for the passage?
A. Humans Are Destroying the Earth, Geologists Warn
B. Too Early to Set Things in Stone, Authorities Say
C. More Evidence Is Needed, Universities Require
D. A New Earth Age May Begin, Scientists Argue
高三英语阅读理解困难题查看答案及解析
Until now, little research has been conducted on the association between parents' friendships and the emotional well-being of their adolescent children. A new study from researchers at the University of Missouri suggests that mothers' friendships with other adults can impact their adolescent children's relationships with their own friends, particularly the negative aspects of these relationships such as conflict and opposition.
Gary. C. Glick, a doctoral candidate at MU, and Amanda Rose, professor in the Department of Psychological Sciences, studied the development of friendships and other peer relationships during adolescence and their impact on psychological adjustment. They found that adolescents may mimic the negative characteristics of their mothers' relationships in their own peer-to-peer friendships suggesting that mothers can serve as role models for their adolescents during formative years.
"Mothers who display high levels of conflict with friends may signal to their children that such behavior is acceptable, or even standard in friendships," Glick said. "Additional findings suggest that adolescents take for granted their reactions to their mothers' conflict with adult friends which may lead to anxiety and depression."
Previous research of this type focused on primary-aged children, but MU researchers wanted to expand their study to focus on the formative adolescent years. Youth ranging in age from 10 to 17 and their mothers were surveyed separately to measure regarded positive and negative friendship qualities in both groups. Results showed that positive friendship qualities were not always imitated by adolescents; however, negative and unfriendly relationship characteristics exhibited by mothers were much more likely to be copied by the youth studied. "We know that conflict is a normal part of any relationship---whether it is a relationship between a parent and a child, or a mother and her friends---and we're not talking physical fights but oral conflicts," Glick said. "But being exposed to high levels of such conflict generally isn't going to be good for children. Parents should consider whether they are good role models for their children especially where their friends are concerned. When things go wrong, parents should talk with their children about how to act with their friends, but more specifically, how not to act."
1.The word "mimic" (in Para.2)means ______ .
A. succeed B. discover
C. possess D. imitate
2.In comparison with the previous study, the new study expanded ______ .
A. research goals B. research themes
C. research subjects D. research approaches
3.According to Glick, parents should instruct their children ______ .
A. how to put an end to a wrong friendship
B. how to deal with a troubled friendship
C. how to avoid any conflict with friends
D. how to establish a sincere friendship
4.What does the new study find? ______
A. Teens mirror negative features of mom's friendships.
B. Aggressive mothers ruin their children's friendship.
C. Conflicts and opposition form children's characters.
D. Parent-child relationship affects children's growth.
高三英语阅读理解中等难度题查看答案及解析
Jerry has promised to keep the secret, so he won’t tell anyone _____ asked to.
A. until B. now that C. unless D. even though
高三英语单项填空中等难度题查看答案及解析