Climate change will force exhausted birds migrating to Europe from Africa to travel further, with possibly disastrous consequences, according to a study.

The annual voyage of some species, which fly north in search of food and suitable habitats, could increase by as much as 400 kilometers (250miles), the research found. “Marathon migrations for some birds are set to become even longer,” said Stephen Willis, a professor at Durham University in Britain and the main architect of the study. “This is bad news for birds like the Whitethroat, a common farmland bird. The added distance is a considerable threat. As temperatures rise and habitats change, birds will face their biggest challenge since the Pleistocene era (更新世:始于距今180万年), which ended 11,000 years ago,” he said in a statement.

Some 500 million birds migrate each year from Africa, some weighing as little as nine grams (three-tenths of an ounce). To complete a voyage that can be thousands of kilometers long, birds have to fatten themselves up to twice their normal weight. Some even shrink their internal organs (收缩内脏) to become more fuel efficient, so any additional distance may be dangerous.

The study finds that from 2071 to 2100, nine out of 17 species examined are going to face longer migrations, particularly birds that cross the Sahara Desert. Some birds traverse the Sahara and the Mediterranean Sea in a one go, while others have a break in northern Africa before crossing. Many fly at night, when temperatures are cooler.

A few—such as the Blackcap—have started to adapt by spending winters in Britain, but such behaviour remains exceptional, the study said. The study forecasts that the migration distance of the Orphean Warbler will jump from 2,700 kilometers (1,700 miles) to between 3,050 and 3,350 kilometers (1,900 and 2,100miles), with even longer increases for the Subalpine and Barred Warblers.

6. What does travelling extra distance mean for some migrating birds?

A. Better living conditions.       B. Better physical health.

C. Stronger ability to fly.         D. Bigger threat to life.

7. To complete the marathon migrations, some birds have to do the following except________.

A. have a break in Sahara  

B. put on more weight

C. reduce the size of internal organs

D. fly at night to avoid the heat

8. What does the underlined word “traverse”in the fourth paragraph mean?

A. Examine.            B. Face.         C. Cross.         D. Challenge.

9. What can we infer from the text?

A. Birds have to migrate from Africa to Europe in winter.

B. Global warming is bad for all birds worldwide.

C. Birds that are of small size don't need to migrate.

D. Some birds have to migrate unless they adapt to climate change.

10. What's the BEST title of the text?

A. Climate change leads to disastrous consequence

B. The annual voyage of some species

C. How birds migrate for longer distances

D. Climate change pushes birds to migrate farther

 

Siberia is a huge territory in Russia. It is more than half of Russia and is 4,000 miles wide.  Most of this area is a forest with animals and birds. In autumn, the forests in Siberia are full of mushrooms and berries(浆果). Many people like picking mushrooms, but that is not as simple as you might think. Old people who live in the villages know places where you can pick lots of mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow in colonies. If you find one, you only need to look around because nearby you'll find more of them.
However, when picking mushrooms, it is important not to choose the wrong kind. You have to be careful because some mushrooms are poisonous even though they look good. The smell can help you choose them, because good mushrooms smell very good.
Siberian people are very friendly and hospitable. If someone invites you home for dinner, you'll soon be full. You should try everything the host is having.
The climate there depends on the territory. Some places have very comfortable climates with hot summers and cold winters. In my opinion, the best season is spring, when nature wakes up after a long winter. It is the time for blossoms and love. Birds come back from other warm countries. Trees become dressed in green. The sun becomes warm and the days are longer. The mood is wonderful and people smile a lot. It is an amazing time.
In winter, you have opportunity for sports. The most popular sport in winter in Russia is cross-country skiing. During weekends, many people go into the country and ski. Noses freeze and cheeks hurt, but people continue to enjoy these times.
【小题1】What is the best title for the passage?

A.Siberia, an interesting and beautiful place.
B.The climate in Siberia.
C.The four seasons in Siberia.
D.Collecting mushrooms in Siberia.
【小题2】Which of the following can help to choose the right mushrooms for dinner?
A.The places.B.The colonies.C.The smell.D.The outlook.
【小题3】Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Siberia in spring?
A.The night is longer.B.Tress turn green.
C.It is warmer.D.There are many birds.
【小题4】What can we conclude about the climate in Siberia?
A.It's cold all the year round.
B.It's hot in summer.
C.The climate is very comfortable.
D.It depends on where your are in Siberia.

A regular drop in the sun’s radiation(辐射) can cause unusually cold winters in parts of North America and Europe, scientists say, a finding that could improve long-range forecasts and help countries prepare for snowstorms.

Scientists have known for a long time that the sun has an 11-year cycle during which radiation measured by sunspots on the surface reaches a peak then falls. But explaining a clear connection to weather is harder.

“Our research confirms the observed connection between solar change and regional winter climate,” lead author Sarah Ineson of the UK Met Office told the reporters in an email. The study was published in the magazine Nature Geoscience on Monday.

The researchers found that the reducing of ultraviolet(UV,紫外线) radiation from the sun can affect high-altitude wind patterns in the Northern Hemisphere(半球), causing cold winters.

“While UV levels won’t tell us what the day-to-day weather will do, they show us the bright future of improved forecasts for winter conditions for months and even years ahead. These forecasts play an important role in long-term possibility planning,” Ineson, a climate scientist, said.

Ineson and colleagues from Imperial College London and the University of Oxford used satellite data that more accurately(精确的) measures UV radiation from the sun and found a much greater change than previously thought.

They found that in years of low activity, unusually cold air forms high in the atmosphere over the tropics. This causes a redistribution(重新分配) of heat in the atmosphere, making easterly winds that bring freezing weather and snowstorms to northern Europe and the United States and milder weather to Canada and the Mediterranean.

When solar UV radiation is stronger, the opposite occurs.

More study was needed, though. A key uncertainty in the experiment lay in the satellite data used, because it covers only a few years. “So questions remain concerning both accuracy(精确) and also applicability to other solar cycles,” she said.

1.The new finding claims cold winters in the North Hemisphere can be caused by ______.

A. a sharp rise in the amount of sunspots

B. a drop in the sun’s UV radiation

C. a complex computer model simulation

D. a clear link between the sun and the earth

2. It has long been known by scientists that ______.

A. UV radiation can affect high-altitude wind patterns

B. there’s a clear connection between the sun’s activity and weather

C. the sun’s radiation reaches a peak every eleven years

D. they can predict day-to-day weather conditions from UV levels

3. What will happen if the sun turns into years of high activity according to the finding?

A. Canada and the Mediterranean will have milder weather.

B. The whole Northern Hemisphere will suffer from extreme winter days.

C. Freezing cold weather will appear in northern Europe.

D. Burning hot weather will appear in the United States.

4. It can be inferred from the passage that ______.

A. researchers have analyzed the data collected in eleven years

B. long-term weather conditions can be accurately predicted depending on UV levels

C. the research doesn’t seem correct and true enough due to limited satellite data used

D. climate scientists have just begun their research in severe weather forecast

 

Siberia is a huge territory in Russia. It is more than half of Russia and is 4,000 miles wide.  Most of this area is a forest with animals and birds. In autumn, the forests in Siberia are full of mushrooms and berries(浆果). Many people like picking mushrooms, but that is not as simple as you might think. Old people who live in the villages know places where you can pick lots of mushrooms. Some mushrooms grow in colonies. If you find one, you only need to look around because nearby you'll find more of them.

However, when picking mushrooms, it is important not to choose the wrong kind. You have to be careful because some mushrooms are poisonous even though they look good. The smell can help you choose them, because good mushrooms smell very good.

Siberian people are very friendly and hospitable. If someone invites you home for dinner, you'll soon be full. You should try everything the host is having.

The climate there depends on the territory. Some places have very comfortable climates with hot summers and cold winters. In my opinion, the best season is spring, when nature wakes up after a long winter. It is the time for blossoms and love. Birds come back from other warm countries. Trees become dressed in green. The sun becomes warm and the days are longer. The mood is wonderful and people smile a lot. It is an amazing time.

In winter, you have opportunity for sports. The most popular sport in winter in Russia is cross-country skiing. During weekends, many people go into the country and ski. Noses freeze and cheeks hurt, but people continue to enjoy these times.

1.What is the best title for the passage?

A.Siberia, an interesting and beautiful place.

B.The climate in Siberia.

C.The four seasons in Siberia.

D.Collecting mushrooms in Siberia.

2.Which of the following can help to choose the right mushrooms for dinner?

A.The places.        B.The colonies.       C.The smell.         D.The outlook.

3.Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of Siberia in spring?

A.The night is longer.                      B.Tress turn green.

C.It is warmer.                           D.There are many birds.

4.What can we conclude about the climate in Siberia?

A.It's cold all the year round.

B.It's hot in summer.

C.The climate is very comfortable.

D.It depends on where your are in Siberia.

 

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