Question

Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.

The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health, disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养不良) and heat-related health problems.

But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.

Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people, primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It projected that the number would double by 2030.

Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受伤害的) regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our utmost (极度的) attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”

However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders, who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate treaty.

In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to help reduce their vulnerability(弱点) to climate hazards(危害)while still curbing (限制) the emissions of the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.

1.What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

A．Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.

B．Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.

C．Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.

D．Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.

2.  What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?

A．It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.

B．It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.

C．It was warmly received by environmentalists.

D．It caused a big stir in developing countries.

3. What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum’s report?

A．Its statistics look embarrassing.

B．It is invalid in terms of methodology.

C．It deserves our closest attention.

D．Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.

4.  What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?

A．Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.

B．It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.

C．It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.

D．Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.

5.  What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?

A．How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.

B．How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.

C．How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.

D．How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

 

Answer 1

【答案】

1.B

2.A

3.B

4.D

5.D

【解析】

试题分析：

【小题】B 细节题。由第一段Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum, an organization led by Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.可知B正确

1.A 细节题。根据文章第三段But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.

可知A正确。

2.B细节题。由第五段2,3,4行the Forum’s report was “a methodological embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受伤害的) regions.说明他认为他的研究是无效的。故B正确。

3.D细节题。由根据第五段最后两行” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”以及it was clear that the numbers were rough estimates. 可知D正确

4.D 细节题。有最后两段特别是More than 90% of the human and economic losses from climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.可知D正确

考点：考查科普类短文阅读

点评：本文主要讲述了气候变暖的几位专家的观点，并展开了议论。本文的障碍在于词汇方面，考生要能够在上下文的语境中猜测生词的意思，同时要有很强的归纳总结能力，从从字里行间中推断出对方所持的观点。