Question

Rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are a major cause of climate change, and now a new study has confirmed that atmosphere CO₂ is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.
Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. “We’ve been going to the same spot in the Pacific Ocean, and we try and characterize long-term change in the open ocean environment. And one of the key things that we measure is CO₂ levels. And we’ve been able to record this increasing quantity of atmosphere CO₂ into the ocean.”
Scientists expected that as atmosphere CO₂ increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.
“As carbon dioxide dissolves in the water or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic acid,” Dore explains. “And therefore, as the concentration of CO₂ in the atmosphere goes up and that exchanges with the surface seawater, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic.”
The seawater samples Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirm what the theory predicts.
The effect was particular striking at about 250 meters down, and again at 500 meters. Dore and his colleagues came up with two possible explanations. It could be that surface water picked up CO₂ and then moved to those depths. Or there could be a biological explanation.
“It’s important to realize that the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It’s potentially catastrophic.”
【小题1】What can be the best title of the passage?

A．Scientist Researching Seawater

B．Sea Life Facing Danger

C．Oceans Becoming More Acidic

D．Climate Change Affecting Seawater

【小题2】With the increase of atmospheric CO₂, _______.

A．more corals will appear in the sea

B．the chemical balance of the seawater is affected

C．the surface water is becoming warmer

D．the pH of the ocean out here has been increasing

【小题3】Which of the following shows the process of the impact of atmospheric CO2 on sea life?
a. Sea life is endangered.
b. CO₂ goes into the surface water.
c. The ocean chemistry is affected.
d. CO₂ decreases the pH and makes the seawater more acidic.
e. CO₂ levels in the atmosphere go up.

A．a→b→c→d→e	B．e→b→c→d→a
C．a→e→b→c→d	D．e→d→c→b→a

【小题4】Scientist Robert Dore came to the conclusion based on_______.

A．the expectation of other scientists

B．some former theory

C．his research and analysis

D．a major cause of climate change

Answer 1

【小题1】B
【小题2】B
【小题3】B
【小题4】C

解析试题分析：一项新的研究已经证实，大气中二氧化碳也在着海洋物质的化学平衡，对海洋生命有着潜在的伤害。二氧化碳气体被海洋吸收，逐渐使海水原来的酸碱平衡被打破，这样的话，海洋生物就失去了生存的环境而面临死亡的危险。
【小题1】根据第一段“and now a new study has confirmed that atmosphere CO₂ is also affecting the ocean chemistry and potentially harming sea life.”第三段“as atmosphere CO₂ increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water, with a potentially harmful impact on shellfish and coral in particular.”和最后一段“the oceans are really becoming acidic. And it can have negative impacts on a whole variety of sea life from fish to coral. It’s potentially catastrophic.”可知，文章讲的是大气中二氧化碳含量的升高对海洋生态造成的威胁，故选B。
【小题2】根据第三段“as atmosphere CO₂ increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water”可知，随着二氧化碳含量的增多，越来越多的二氧化碳被海洋吸收，这会影响海水的化学平衡，故选B。
【小题3】根据第三、四段“as atmosphere CO₂ increased, more and more of the carbon dioxide would be absorbed into the ocean, affecting the chemical balance of the sea water ...As carbon dioxide dissolves in the water or seawater in this case, it forms a weak acid, carbonic acid, it drives the pH down, and makes it more acidic”可知，先是大气中的二氧化碳含量增加，排除A、C；接着是二氧化碳被海水吸收，影响海水的化学平衡，随着酸性物质的形成，海水的PH值下降，给海洋生态环境带来威胁，故选B。
【小题4】根据“Montana State University scientist Robert Dore has been researching the water in the Pacific Ocean for almost two decades. ...The seawater samples Dore and his colleagues have analyzed confirm what the theory predicts.”可知，科学家得出的结论是建立在研究和分析的基础之上的，故选C。
考点：环保类短文阅读