Question

【题目】Global warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the 21st century, but—regardless of whether it is or isn’t — we won’t do much about it. We will argue over it and may even, as a nation, make some fairly solemn-sounding commitments to avoid it. But the more dramatic and meaningful these commitments seem, the less likely they are to be observed.

Al Gore calls global warming an “inconvenient truth,” as if merely recognizing it could put us on a path to a solution. But the real truth is that we don’t know enough to relieve global warming, and—without major technological breakthroughs—we can’t do much about it.

From 2003 to 2050, the world’s population is estimated to grow from 6.4 billion to 9.1 billion, a 42% increase. If energy use per person and technology remain the same, total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions (mainly, CO2) will be 42% higher in 2050. But that’s too low, because societies that grow richer use more energy. We need economic growth unless we condemn（注定）the world’s poor people to their present poverty and freeze everyone else’s living standards. With modest economic growth, energy use and greenhouse emissions more than double by 2050.

No government will adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back global warming. Still, politicians want to show they’re “doing something.” Consider the Kyoto Protocol (京都议定书). It allowed countries that joined to punish those that didn’t. But it hasn’t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories (签字国) didn’t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets.

The practical conclusion is that if global warming is a potential disaster, the only solution is new technology. Only an aggressive research and development program might find ways of breaking our dependence on fossil fuels or dealing with it.

The trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it’s really an engineering one. The inconvenient truth is that if we don’t solve the engineering problem, we’re helpless.

【1】What is said about global warming in the first paragraph?

A. It may not prove an environmental crisis at all.

B. It is an issue requiring worldwide commitments.

C. Serious steps have been taken to avoid or stop it.

D. Very little will be done to bring it under control.

【2】According to the author’s understanding, what is A1 Gore’s view on global warming?

A. It is a reality both people and politicians are unaware of.

B. It is a phenomenon that causes us many inconveniences.

C. It is a problem that can be solved once it is recognized.

D. It is an area we actually have little knowledge about.

【3】Greenhouse emissions will more than double by 2050 because of ________.

A. economic growth

B. wasteful use of energy

C. the widening gap between the rich and poor

D. the rapid advances of science and technology

【4】The author believes that, since the signing of the Kyoto Protocol, ________.

A. politicians have started to do something to better the situation

B. few nations have adopted real tough measures to limit energy use

C. reductions in energy consumption have greatly cut back global warming

D. international cooperation has contributed to solving environmental problems

【5】What is the message the author intends to convey?

A. Global warming is more of a moral issue than a practical one.

B. The ultimate solution to global warming lies in new technology.

C. The debate over global warming will lead to technological breakthroughs.

D. People have to give up certain material comforts to stop global warming.

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】D

【2】C

【3】A

【4】B

【5】B

【解析】

试题分析: 本文主要将关于全球变暖的问题。关于全球变暖在当前如何解决，作者指出了两点，一是它已经演变成了道德问题，二是只能通过技术突破来解决。

【1】D 推理判断题。根据第一段Global warming may or may not be the great environmental crisis of the 21st century, but—regardless of whether it is or isn’t — we won’t do much about it可知全球变暖可能成为危机也可能不会变成危机，但不管会否变为，我们都不会采取什么措施。这是一个转折句，通常情况下，转折之后的句子具有更重要的意义。可知焦点是我们不会采取措施来应对它。故选D.

【2】C 推理判断题。第二段提到Gore的观点只用了一个词组，即inconvenient truth，字面意思是“会给人们带来不方便的真相”，从这个词组无法判断出其具体含义。此后作者使用了一个as if从句As if merely recognizing it could put us on a path to a solution对这个词组进行描述，“好像仅仅承认它就会使我们走上解决它的道路”，意思也就是承认它就能解决它。这应该是作者对Gore观点的全部理解，此后的几句以But引出转折，是作者开始表达自己的观点，与Gore无关。故选C.

【3】A 细节题。根据第三段With modest growth, energy use and greenhouse emissions more than double by 2050可知温室排放翻倍的原因是modest growth，即适度增长。这里的增长当然是指经济增长，economic作了承前省略处理。故选A.

【4】B 推理判断题。根据第四段No government will adopt rigid restrictions on economic growth and personal freedom (limits on electricity usage, driving and travel) that might cut back global warming可知没有政府抵制经济增长和限制个人的自由(限制用电，驾车和旅行)。再根据后文But it hasn’t reduced CO2 emissions (up about 25% since 1990), and many signatories didn’t adopt tough enough policies to hit their 2008-2012 targets可知它没有减少二氧化碳排放量，许多签署国没有采取足够严格的措施来实现2008-2012的目标。这里所说的目标即是限制能源使用。故选B.

【5】B 态度观点题。根据文章最后一段the trouble with the global warming debate is that it has become a moral problem when it’s really engineering one。engineering one是指工程问题，也就是实际问题。可知作者更倾向于认为全球变暖是一个实际问题，只是现实情况使它变成了一个道德问题，体现出作者的一种无奈感。故选B.