Question

【题目】 The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about. But one more has just been added - a communications blackout caused by solar storms.

After a period of calm within the Sun, scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012, just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London.

Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth, causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London.

"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth. The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites," said Professor Richard Harrison, head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire.

At the peak of the cycle, violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections (日冕物质抛射) occur in the Sun's atmosphere, throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter. " A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometers per hour. Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount, can disable satellites, cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications," Professor Harrison added. The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots.

Next week in America, NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO), which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available.

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares (太阳耀斑) and explosions as they occur.

Professor Richard Hold away, the lab's director, said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth "If we have advance warning, we'll be able to reduce the damage. What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem," he said.

【1】 The phrase "communications blackout" in paragraph 1 most probably refers to _______during the 2012 Olympics.

A. the extinguishing of the Olympic torch

B. the collapse of broadcasting systems

C. the transportation breakdown in London

D. the destruction of weather satellites

【2】 What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage?

A. The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth.

B. The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle.

C. It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth.

D. The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections.

【3】 According to the passage, NASA will launch a satellite to _________.

A. take images of the solar system

B. provide early warning of thunderstorms

C. keep track of solar activities

D. improve the communications on Earth

【4】Which of the following might be the best title of the passage?

A. Solar Storms: An Invisible Killer

B. Solar Storms: Earth Environment in Danger

C. Solar Storms: Threatening the Human Race

D. Solar Storms: Human Activities to Be Troubled

Answer 1

【答案】【1】 B

【2】 D

【3】C

【4】 D

【解析】【1】 明确提问是paragraph 1中"communications blackout"的意思，定位到第一段，发现找不到答案，自然明显此举为下一部分内容的总起句。因此线索在第二三段的内容。第三段中causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites = B. the collapse of broadcasting systems

【2】 通过solar activity 定位回原文，发现文章第四、五两段是在described solar activity。将ABCD四个选项与原文进行对比，发现只有D：日冕物质抛射会使得太阳黑子减少，是符合原文含义的。

【3】通过关键词NASA定位回原文，倒数第三段开头NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite 为了monitoring solar activity：监视太阳活动, 可知发射卫星的目的是keep track of solar activities。

【4】 归纳概括题。通读全文可知整篇文章讨论的是太阳运动给人类活动带来的困扰。