阅读理解.
Widespread evidence links global warming to a series of environmental effects.
Starving polar bears are eating one another in the Arctic. Flowers are blooming
(盛开) too soon and die. The ice caps are melting so fast that rising water levels will
threaten coastal towns along Florida within several decades. These are just a few
examples of the terrible consequences of climate change discovered by a new research
in Nature that paints a dark portrait of what a warming world will look like in the years
to come.
The researchers analyzed 829 abnormal phenomena-including melting glaciers
(冰川)-along with nearly 30, 000 changes in plants and animals.and found that about
90% of them are in sync
(同步) with scientists' predictions about how global warming will change the planet.
"In the past three decades, average global temperatures have risen about 0. 60C
and are projected to jump by about l.7℃ by the end of the century," says Cynthia
Rosenzweig, who leads the Climate Impacts Group at NASA's Goddard Institute
for Space Studies at Columbia University in New York. " We've already seen that
a relatively low amount of warming, "she says , " can result in a broad range of changes. "
The unnatural warming caused by man-made greenhouse gases , especially carbon
dioxide produced by cars and coal-powered plants, brings trouble for entire ecosystems.
In North America alone, scientists have identified 89species of plants . such as the
American holly , which have flowered earlier in the spring. In Spain , apple trees bloom
35 days ahead of schedule. in response to the higher temperatures. Other wildlife ,
liketheinsects that use certain plants for food and the birds that feed on the insects, must
then move forward their seasonal stirrings and mating patterns to survive.
To try to follow this time shift.some birds such as robins.the classic symbol of
winter'sthaw , are returning toColorado fromtheir migrations some two weeks earlier
than in years past. All these changes can throw a food chain in disorder, some bird
species that arrive before the insects reappear may starve to death.
"Around the world, plants and animals 'are waking up to an earlier alarm clock than
they used to, "says 'rerry Root, a biologist from Stanford University.
1. The author describes some unnatural phenomena in Paragraph 2
to_____.
A. show a picture of the present world
B. present the results of a recent research
C. indicate the earth is now in great danger
D. call readers' attention to the new research
2. The analysis of abnormal phenomena on earth shows that _______ .
A. most changes agree with scientists' previous predictions
B. global warming has changed all the plants and animals
C. melting glaciers have caused the worst side effects
D. scientists made wrong predictions about the future of earth
3. Why must some birds move about earlier than usual?______
A. Because the warm weather wakes them up earlier.
B. Because certain trees bloom a month ahead of time.
C. Because they need to follow some insects for food.
D. Because the plants they use to hunt food bloom late.
4. What do we know about robins?______
A. Farmers depend on them to tell the time.
B. They used to come back when spring came.
C. They used to predict the change of weather.
D. They usually migrate when seasons change.
5. Which of the following would be the best title for the text?______
A. Man Is to Blame for Global Warming
B. Humans Are Causing the World to Heat Up
C. The Terrible Consequences of Climate Change
D. Global Warming Is Changing Nature's Clock
