Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in controlling the Earth’s climate. Oceans cover 70 per cent of the surface of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What’s newer is the understanding of how this key component(组成部分) of our climate system responds to global warming.
A brake on global warming—for now
One of the oceans’ most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide(CO2), one of the gases that causes global warming. Acting as something absorbing heat, the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.
Fujita explains, “the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—they are putting a brake on the climate system.”
“That’s the good news,” he adds. “The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to balance with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the extreme heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter.” But where and how the oceans release this slowly increased heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile(脆弱的) underwater ecosystems are struggling.
The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying(酸化) because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2. and thus causing a threat to shell-forming species.  Sharp increase in CO2 levels will cause further acidification of the ocean.
Currents distributing heat
Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor(散布者). Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrition around the globe. Just as blood tube bring oxygen and nutrition to cells in the human body, the ocean’s currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 per cent of energy the planet receives from the sun. For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern European a milder climate that it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean’s circulation patterns could throw Europe into a colder period, even as the rest of the world is experiencing warmer temperatures.
【小题1】 We can infer from the passage that _______.

A．the oceans cause global warming	B．the oceans stop global warming
C．the oceans release nutrients and heat	D．the ocean ecosystems face more dangers

【小题2】 From the passage we can learn that ocean’s currents _______.

1. produce oxygen and nutrients around     
2. absorb 25-50% of the energy from the sun
3. distribute the atmosphere hotter        

D.  change the ocean’s circulation patterns
【小题3】 Which of the following are the results of the ocean absorbing heat and CO2?
a. It causes further acidification.        
b. It makes the atmosphere hotter.
c. It balances the oceans with a green-house gas. 
d. It affects shell-forming species.  
e. It makes the oceans act as a heat sponge.           
f. It controls the Earth’s climate.

A．a-c-f

B．a-d-f

C．b-d-e

D．b-c-e

【小题4】 If the ocean’s circulation pattern changed, ______.

A．Asia would suffer a hotter climate.

B．Europe would become hotter

C．the rest of the world would become warmer.

D．the climate of Europe would become colder.

Scientists have long understood the key role that oceans play in controlling the Earth’s climate. Oceans cover 70 per cent of the surface of the globe and store a thousand times more heat than the atmosphere does. What’s newer is the understanding of how this key component(组成部分) of our climate system responds to global warming.

A brake on global warming—for now

One of the oceans’ most important climate functions is absorbing heat and carbon dioxide(CO2), one of the gases that causes global warming. Acting as something absorbing heat, the oceans have absorbed huge amounts of heat and CO2 in the last forty years.

Fujita explains, “the oceans are saving us from faster climate change—they are putting a brake on the climate system.”

“That’s the good news,” he adds. “The bad news is that the oceans only slow the atmospheric warming. Once the oceans come to balance with a greenhouse-gas warmed earth, the extreme heat will remain in the atmosphere and things will get much hotter.” But where and how the oceans release this slowly increased heat is uncertain. And as the ocean stores heat, fragile(脆弱的) underwater ecosystems are struggling.

The most recent scientific report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC) also notes with concern that the ocean is acidifying(酸化) because of increased absorption of atmospheric CO2. and thus causing a threat to shell-forming species.  Sharp increase in CO2 levels will cause further acidification of the ocean.

Currents distributing heat

Another important role the oceans play is that of distributor(散布者). Oceans deliver heat and life-sustaining nutrition around the globe. Just as blood tube bring oxygen and nutrition to cells in the human body, the ocean’s currents carry oxygen, nutrients and heat throughout the Earth. The ocean distributes 25 to 50 per cent of energy the planet receives from the sun. For example, the Gulf Stream carries heat across the Atlantic. This warm current gives northwestern European a milder climate that it would normally have so far north. A change to the ocean’s circulation patterns could throw Europe into a colder period, even as the rest of the world is experiencing warmer temperatures.

1. We can infer from the passage that _______.

A．the oceans cause global warming	B．the oceans stop global warming
C．the oceans release nutrients and heat	D．the ocean ecosystems face more dangers

2. From the passage we can learn that ocean’s currents _______.

1. produce oxygen and nutrients around     
2. absorb 25-50% of the energy from the sun
3. distribute the atmosphere hotter        

D.  change the ocean’s circulation patterns

3. Which of the following are the results of the ocean absorbing heat and CO2?

a. It causes further acidification.        

b. It makes the atmosphere hotter.

c. It balances the oceans with a green-house gas. 

d. It affects shell-forming species.  

e. It makes the oceans act as a heat sponge.           

f. It controls the Earth’s climate.

A．a-c-f

B．a-d-f

C．b-d-e

D．b-c-e

4. If the ocean’s circulation pattern changed, ______.

A．Asia would suffer a hotter climate.

B．Europe would become hotter

C．the rest of the world would become warmer.

D．the climate of Europe would become colder.

 

【2011·重庆主城八区调研】E

Just as the world’s most respected scientific bodies have confirmed that the world is getting hotter, they have also stated that there is strong evidence that humans are driving the warming. Countless recent reports from the world’s leading scientific bodies have said the same thing. For example, a 2010 summary of climate science by the Royal Society stated that: “There is strong evidence that the warming of the Earth over the last half-century has been caused largely by human activity.”

The idea that humans could change the planet’s climate may be counter-intuitive(与直觉不符的), but the basic science is well understood. Each year, human activity causes billions of tons of greenhouse gases to be released（释放）into the atmosphere. As scientists have known for years, these gases hold heat that would otherwise escape to space, wrapping the planet in an invisible blanket.

Of course, the planet’s climate has always been changing thanks to “natural” factors(因素) such as changes in solar or volcanic（火山的）activity, or cycles relating the Earth’s going around the sun. According to the scientific literature, however, the warming recorded to date matches the pattern of warming we would expect from a build-up of greenhouse gas in the atmosphere – not the warming we would expect from other possible causes.

Even if scientists did discover another reasonable explanation for the warming observed so far, that would beg a difficult question. As Robert Henson puts it in The Rough Guide to Climate Change: “If some newly discovered factor can account for the climate change, then why aren’t carbon dioxide（二氧化碳）and the other greenhouse gases producing the warming that basic physics tells us they should be?”

The only way to prove with 100% certainty that humans are responsible for global warming would be to run an experiment with two identical Earths – one with human influence and one without. That obviously isn’t possible, and so most scientists are careful not to state human influence as an absolute certainty.

72. In most scientists’ opinion, the global warming is mainly caused by ________.

   A. solar activity                       

B. volcanic activity

C. the Earth’s going around the sun     

D. human activity

73. The text is developed by ________.

   A. giving typical examples

   B. following the order of space

   C. analyzing a theory and arguing it

   D. comparing and finding differences

74. The underline word “identical” means ________.

   A. totally different                    

B. exactly the same

   C. extremely important                  

D. relatively independent

75. Which of the following can be the best title?

   A. Are All the Scientists Really Scientific?

   B. Where Is Global Warming Leading Us to?

   C. Are Humans Definitely Causing Global Warming?

   D. What’s Relation of Global Warming and Greenhouse Gases?

                                  E

First Man-Bear-Pig , and now global warming; it seems Al Gore never stops to surprise the world. Recently Al Gore produced them movie An Inconvenient Truth which explained the threats and told us how to control global warming. What it left out is that there is no proof that human activity is even causing global warming, let alone if global warming is even taking place.

Global warming is the idea that greenhouse gases that shut in infra-red（红外线）radiation in the earth’s atmosphere are becoming more powerful and heating our planet up. The theory is that if the planet continues to heat up, the polar ice caps could melt and cover the earth in water.

Over the last 100 years the Earth has increased one degree in temperature, and sea level has risen millimeters. Even though this “eye-opening” news is taking place, there is no clear proof saying that it is due to global warming. It could be just a regular weather pattern the earth is circulating . The polar ice caps have not grown or reduced in size since man began tracking them. Also the ground-based temperature has remained the same besides growing cities. In fact most clues support the idea that global warming is not taking place and human activity isn’t causing any earth to melt down.

Although Al Gore insists the world is on its way to certain destruction, the facts say otherwise. It seems that driving to work won’t lead to the doom（末日）of mankind , and the movie Water World won’t be happening any time soon.

72.  It is likely that Al Gore     .

A. is concerned about the threat of global warming

B. holds that human doesn’t cause global warming

C. knows how to stop global warming successfully

D. doesn’t believe global warming is taking place

73. According to the passage, which of the following is NOT true?

A. The earth has risen 1℃ temperature in the last century

B. The sea level is incredibly higher than any time before

C. Some people are upset at the news of global warming

D. The poplar ice caps haven’t grown or reduced in size

74. The author believes that      .

A. most proofs support global warming is happening

B. human activities contribute little to global warming

C. driving to work will lead to the end of mankind

D. A “Water World” will be happening very soon

75.      can be the best title of the passage.

A. A Threatening the Film by Al Gore

B. The Causes of Global Warming

C. The Doom of Mankind ?

D. The Polar Ice Melt Down!