Half of the world’s population is affected by Asian monsoons (季风), but monsoons are difficult to predict. American researchers have put together a 700-year record of the rainy seasons, which is expected to provide guidance for experts making weather predictions.
Every year, moist (潮湿的) air masses，known as monsoon，produce large amounts of rainfall in India, East Asia, Northern Australia and East Africa. All this wet air is pulled in by a high pressure area over the Indian Ocean and a low pressure area to the south.
According to Edward Cook, a weather expert at Columbia University in New York, the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict. In addition, climate records for the area are too recent and not detailed enough to be of much use. Therefore, he and a team of researchers spent more than fifteen years traveling across Asia, looking for trees old enough to provide long-term records. They measured the rings（年轮）, or circles, inside thousands of ancient trees in more than 300 places.
Rainfall has a direct link to the growth and width of rings on some kinds of trees. The researchers developed a document they are calling a Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas. It shows the effect of monsoons over seven centuries, beginning in the 1300s.
Professor Cook says the tree-ring records show periods of wet and dry weather. “If the monsoon basically fails or is a very weak one, the trees affected by monsoons at that location might put on a very narrow ring. But if the monsoon is very strong, the trees affected by that monsoon might put on a wide ring for that year. So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the chronology（大事年表） that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability.” With all this information, researchers say they can begin to improve computer climate models for predicting the behavior of monsoons.
“There has been widespread famine and starvation and human dying in the past in large droughts. And on the other hand, if the monsoon is particularly heavy, it can cause extensive flooding.” said Eugene Wahl, a scientist with America’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “So, to get a sense of what the regional moisture patterns have been, dryness and wetness over such a long period of time in great detail, I would call it a kind of victory for climate science.”
1.What’s the passage mainly about？
A．The effects of Asian monsoons. B．The necessity of weather forecast.
C．The achievements of Edward cook. D．A breakthrough in monsoon prediction.
2.It is difficult for experts to predict Asian monsoons because _______.
A．it is hard to keep long-term climate records.
B．they are formed under complex climate systems.
C．they influence many nations.
D．there is heavy rainfall in Asia.
3.What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Long and detailed climate records can offer useful information for monsoon research.
B．The Monsoon Asia Drought Atlas has a monsoon record for about 1,300 years.
C．The trees affected by monsoon grow fast if the monsoon is weak.
D．The rainfall might be low although the monsoon is strong in monsoon-affected areas.
4.According to Professor Cook, the rings of the trees _______.
A．determine the regional climate.
B．have a great influence on the regional climate.
C．offer people information about the regional climate.
D．reflect all kinds of regional climate information.
5.What do we know about the research according to Eugene Wahl?
A．It is a great achievement in climate science.
B．It should include information about human life in the past.
C．It has analysed moisture models world wide,
D．It will help people prevent droughts and floods.
6.Which of the following best describes the tone of this passage?
A．Matter-of –fact B．Pessimistic C．Humorous D．Friendly.
1.D
2.B
3.A
4.C
5.A
6.A
【解析】
试题分析：本文讲述的是在亚洲季风预测方面取得的一个巨大的成就。
1.D 主旨大意题。根据文章倒数第二段最后一句With all this information, researchers say they can begin to improve computer climate models for predicting the behavior of monsoons.可知本文介绍的是在季风预测方面的所取得的一个巨大的突破，已经设计出预测季风的计算机模型了。故D正确。
2.B 细节题。根据文章第三段1,2行According to Edward Cook, a weather expert at Columbia University in New York, the complex nature of the climate systems across Asia makes monsoons hard to predict.可知复杂的气候体系是其难以预测的主要原因。故B正确。
3.A 推断题。根据第三段2,3行In addition, climate records for the area are too recent and not detailed enough to be of much use.可知太短，不够详细的数据记录不利于我们预测季风，也就是说长期的详细的数据有利于我们预测季风。故A正确。
4.C 细节题。根据文章第五段前5行Professor Cook says the tree-ring records show periods of wet and dry weather. “If the monsoon basically fails or is a very weak one, the trees affected by monsoons at that location might put on a very narrow ring. But if the monsoon is very strong, the trees affected by that monsoon might put on a wide ring for that year. So, the wide and narrow ring widths of the chronology（大事年表） that we developed in Asia provide us with a measure of monsoon variability.”可知树木的年轮可以告诉我们当地的气候变化情况。故C正确。
5.A 推理题。根据文章最后一段1,2行“There has been widespread famine and starvation and human dying in the past in large droughts. And on the other hand, if the monsoon is particularly heavy, it can cause extensive flooding.” said Eugene Wahl可知这一发现作用巨大，在气候科学方面是一个巨大的成就。故A正确。
6.A 推理题。本文主要运用了摆事实，讲道理的方法来讲述科学原理，用一种很平和的实事求是的语调在讲述文章中的原理。故A正确。
考点：考察科普类短文阅读
点评：本文讲述的是在亚洲季风预测方面取得的一个巨大的成就。这篇文章比较难，先看问题，再带着问题读短文，找出各段落的主旨句，理解全文内容，总结全文中心，然后再回到问题上来，很容易选出正确答案。多了解一些常识性知识有利于阅读理解。如果对文章的相关背景有所了解，读起文章一定既省时又省力。因此，在学习过程中，了解各方面的背景知识是十分重要的。
科目：高中英语 来源： 题型：阅读理解
Nothing says love like a dozen long – stemmed roses on Valentine’s Day. More than a million roses will be sold during this festival for lovers, the biggest day of the year for the nation’s rose industry. It’s going to remain the most popular flower because love never goes out of style.
Yes, a rose is a rose is a rose. But selling them is no longer a beautiful experience for traditional flower shops. Supermarkets now offer convenience to the busy and discount rose shops help those hopelessly in love save money. Roses only is a good example of a discount rose retailer that was transformed from a traditional shop to answer the challenge in the’ 90s.
Inside this store on Sixth Avenue near 40 th Street, contemporary white furniture and wall – to – wall mirrors give it an expensive look. Customers move about freely among the counters, looking eagerly at the roses in more than 50 colors from shelf to shelf. Some customers say it’s the high quality of the roses that attracts them there. “I spent $ 20 but the flowers looked like I paid 60 or 70 dollars,” says one customer.
Studies show more people are buying roses in ones, two and threes these days. In fact, more than half of all roses are sold in bunches of fewer than a dozen. But Roses Only's low prices encourage people to spend. Even on Valentine's Day, when the price of a dozen roses and delivery can soar as high as $150, 12 of Roses Only's most expensive flowers sell for just $35. The company's key to success is to hold prices down by controlling every link in the rose chain. It grows its own roses in the sunshine of the Andes Mountains. In addition, the company also sells other items such as ballons and stuffed animals.
While discount rose retailers are witnessing their business bloom, U.S. rose growers aren’t able to compete with the fierce foreign competition. More than 57% of roses sold in the USA are grown in other countries. The biggest foreign producers are Colombia and Ecuador, which accounted for almost 90% of the total imported last year. The trend has hurt domestic rose growers such as Johnson Flowers of California, considered to be this country's leading producer.
Now, instead of fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. "We have a few big fighting overseas rivals, the Johnsons are trying to work with them. “We may also widen our business to include the service area and be a representative for overseas flower producers.”
As a result of severe competition, those in the rose business long for the good old days, whereas ordinary people benefit from the low price.
60．What is the central theme of this text?
A．The US rose business is going from bad to worse in spite of the efforts made.
B．The rose will remain the most popular flower as love never goes out of date.
C．The rose business is trying to meet the challenges in the market to succeed.
D．The rose industry plays an important role in American economy.
61．How does Roses Only obtain success in the discount rose retailing field?
A．By setting up more chain stores across the country.
B．By selling roses in supermarkets.
C．By selling high quality roses at a low price.
D．By selling roses by the dozen.
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