Plants are flowering faster than scientists predicted(预测)in reaction to climate change, which could have long damaging effects on food chains and ecosystems．
Global warming is having a great effect on hundreds of plant and animal species around the world, changing some living patterns, scientists say．
Increased carbon dioxide(CO2)in the air from burning coal and oil can have an effect on how plants produce oxygen, while higher temperatures and changeable rainfall patterns can change their patterns of growth．
“Predicting species' reaction to climate change is a major challenge in ecology,” said the researches of several U．S．universities．They said plants had been the key object of study because their reaction to climate change could have an effect on food chains and ecosystem services．
The study, published on the Nature website, uses the findings from plant life cycle studies and experiments across four continents and 1,634 species．It found that some experiments had underestimated(低估)the speed of flowering by 8．5 times and leafing by 4 times．
“Across all species, the experiments under-predicted the speed of the advance－for both leafing and flowering－that results from temperature increases,” the study said．
The design of future experiments may need to be improved to better predict how plants will react to climate change, it said．
Plants are necessary for life on the Earth．They are the base of the food chain, using photosynthesis(光合作用)to produce sugar from carbon dioxide and water．They let out oxygen which is needed by nearly every organism on the planet．
Scientists believe the world's average temperature has risen by about 0．8℃ since 1900, and nearly 0．2℃ every ten years since 1979．
So far, efforts to cut emissions(排放)of planet-warming greenhouse gases are not seen as enough to prevent the Earth heating up beyond 2℃ this century－a point scientists say will bring the danger of a changeable climate in which weather extremes are common, leading to drought, floods, crop failures and rising sea levels．
(1)
What is the key information the author wants to give in Paragraph 1?
[ ]
A．
Plants' reaction to weather could have damaging effects on ecosystem．
B．
The increasing speed of flowering is beyond scientists' expectation．
C．
Climate change leads to the change of food production patterns．
D．
Food chains have been seriously damaged because of weather．
(2)
We can learn from the study published on the Nature website that ________．
[ ]
A．
plants' flowering is 8．5 times faster than leafing
B．
there are 1,634 plant species on the four continents
C．
scientists should improve the design of the experiments
D．
the experiments failed to predict how plants react to climate change
(3)
Scientists pay special attention to the study of plants because ________．
[ ]
A．
they can prove the climate change clearly
B．
they are very important in the food chains
C．
they play a leading role in reducing global warming
D．
they are growing and flowering much faster than before
(4)
What can be inferred from the last two paragraphs about the world's temperature?
[ ]
A．
It has risen nearly 0．2℃ since 1979．
B．
Its change will lead to weather extremes．
C．
It is 0．8℃ higher in 1979 than that of 1990．
D．
It needs to be controlled within 2℃ in this century．
Beijing(Xinhua)－Blind Chinese pianist Sun Yan, 23, will give a concert at the People’s Liberation Army(PLA)Theatre in downtown Beijing．
Sun, a student at the well-known China Central Conservatory of Music, was born with cataracts(白内障), which caused him to become blind．He started learning to play the piano when he was three years old and immediately gained acclaim(喝彩)as a piano virtuoso at the age of six．
Guo Shulan, head of the CCCM, said Sun was the first blind student the school had ever received in its half-century history．The well-known piano teacher, Yang Jun, taught Sun personally and found him to be greatly talented and strongly determined．
At his concert, Sun will play a dozen masterpieces by composers, such as Bach, Beethoven and Chopin．
“Common piano players may have a look at these long and difficult musical pieces while playing, but Sun would have to spend a much, much longer time to fully memorize a piece of music．” Yan said．“He plays the piano for at least six hours every day．”
With painstaking effort for the past few years．Sun achieved very good grades at school and also gained an audience worldwide．He was invited to visit dozens of countries and regions and even performed at top theatres such as Caregie Hall in the United States．
Top fashion brand Mark Fairwhale and piano manufacturer Bosendorfrr will offer Sun a financial support fund and the use of piano, respectively．The PLA Theatre will also provide him technical support and a stage setting design free of charge．Three schoolmates of Sun’s who were also pianists, for winning top prizes in international competitions, will be guest performers at the concert．
Expecting to graduate with a bachelor degree in paino next year, Sun has applied to study for a master’s degree．
“Music changes people’s lives．I hope I can continue to study the piano for the rest of my life,” Sun said．
(1)
Which of the following may be the best title of the passage?
[ ]
A．
Sun Yan’s achievements in music．
B．
Blind Chinese pianist gives concert in Beijing．
C．
Sun Yan, successful blind pianist in China．
D．
Blind pianist gains international fame．
(2)
The underlined word “virtuoso” in the second paragraph most probably means ________．
[ ]
A．
excellent teacher
B．
excellent student
C．
excellent producer
D．
excellent player
(3)
The CCCM has a history of ________．
[ ]
A．
about 23 years
B．
about 50 years
C．
about 10 years
D．
about 150 years
(4)
What does Sun Yan benefit most from on his way to being a well-known pianist besides his born talent?
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