E
Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows—and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war. US researchers found that across the continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years.
Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they suggest conflict arises when the food supply is not enough in warm conditions. Climatic factors have been mentioned as a reason for several recent conflicts. One is the fighting in Darfur in Sudan that has killed 200,000 people and forced two million more from their homes. Previous research has shown an association between lack of rain and conflict, but this is thought to be the first clear evidence of a temperature link.
The researchers used databases of temperatures across sub-Saharan Africa for the period between 1981 and 2002, and looked for connections between above average warmth and civil conflict in the same country that left at least 1,000 people dead. "Studies show that crop output in the region is really sensitive to small shifts in temperature, even of half a degree or so," research leader Marshall Burke, from the University of California at Berkeley, told BBC News.
"Our findings provide strong motivation to increase investments in African adaptation to climate change by such steps as developing crop varieties less sensitive to extreme heat and promoting insurance plans to help protect farmers from negative effects of the hotter climate," said Dr Burke. "If the argument is that the trend towards rising temperatures will increase conflict, then we need to do something around climate change, but more fundamentally we need to resolve the conflicts in the first place."
If the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be unimaginable. If temperatures rise across the continent as computer models project, future conflicts are likely to become more common, researchers suggest. Their study shows an increase of about 50% over the next 20 years.
When projections of social trends such as population increase and economic development were included in their model of a future Africa, temperature rise still emerged as a likely major cause of increasing armed conflict. At next month's UN climate summit (峰会) in Copenhagen, governments are due to debate how much money to put into helping African countries prepare for and adapt to negative effects of climate change.
57．According to the passage, which of the following is one of the reasons for the fighting in Darfur in Sudan?
A．Shortage of drinking water.                         B．Racial discrimination.
C．Rising temperature.                                     D．Demand for planting land.
58．What can we know from the research done by the US researchers?
A．There is no close relation between rainfall and conflict.
B．Temperature greatly affects crop production in sub-Saharan Africa.
C．Temperature will rise by about 50% in Africa over the next two decades.
D．With world cooperation, conflicts in Africa will be reduced by half 20 years later.
59．What can be inferred from the passage?
A．Something must be done to help sub-Saharan countries with better adaptation to climate change to avoid disaster.
B．Conflicts in sub-Saharan countries are sure to be on the rise in future.
C．Temperature in sub-Saharan countries will rise at a faster speed.
D．High temperatures will make sub-Saharan countries unfit to live in.
60．What's the best title for this passage?
A．World cooperation against African conflict
B．Africa's sufferings from climate change
C．Food shortages lead to African conflict
D．Climate drives African conflict

E

       Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows—and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war. US researchers found that across the continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years.

       Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they suggest conflict arises when the food supply is not enough in warm conditions. Climatic factors have been mentioned as a reason for several recent conflicts. One is the fighting in Darfur in Sudan that has killed 200,000 people and forced two million more from their homes. Previous research has shown an association between lack of rain and conflict, but this is thought to be the first clear evidence of a temperature link.

       The researchers used databases of temperatures across sub-Saharan Africa for the period between 1981 and 2002, and looked for connections between above average warmth and civil conflict in the same country that left at least 1,000 people dead. "Studies show that crop output in the region is really sensitive to small shifts in temperature, even of half a degree or so," research leader Marshall Burke, from the University of California at Berkeley, told BBC News.

       "Our findings provide strong motivation to increase investments in African adaptation to climate change by such steps as developing crop varieties less sensitive to extreme heat and promoting insurance plans to help protect farmers from negative effects of the hotter climate," said Dr Burke. "If the argument is that the trend towards rising temperatures will increase conflict, then we need to do something around climate change, but more fundamentally we need to resolve the conflicts in the first place."

       If the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be unimaginable. If temperatures rise across the continent as computer models project, future conflicts are likely to become more common, researchers suggest. Their study shows an increase of about 50% over the next 20 years.

       When projections of social trends such as population increase and economic development were included in their model of a future Africa, temperature rise still emerged as a likely major cause of increasing armed conflict. At next month's UN climate summit (峰会) in Copenhagen, governments are due to debate how much money to put into helping African countries prepare for and adapt to negative effects of climate change.

57．According to the passage, which of the following is one of the reasons for the fighting in Darfur in Sudan?

       A．Shortage of drinking water.                         B．Racial discrimination.

       C．Rising temperature.                                     D．Demand for planting land.

58．What can we know from the research done by the US researchers?

       A．There is no close relation between rainfall and conflict.

       B．Temperature greatly affects crop production in sub-Saharan Africa.

       C．Temperature will rise by about 50% in Africa over the next two decades.

       D．With world cooperation, conflicts in Africa will be reduced by half 20 years later.

59．What can be inferred from the passage?

       A．Something must be done to help sub-Saharan countries with better adaptation to climate change to avoid disaster.

       B．Conflicts in sub-Saharan countries are sure to be on the rise in future.

       C．Temperature in sub-Saharan countries will rise at a faster speed.

       D．High temperatures will make sub-Saharan countries unfit to live in.

60．What's the best title for this passage?

       A．World cooperation against African conflict

       B．Africa's sufferings from climate change

       C．Food shortages lead to African conflict

       D．Climate drives African conflict

Climate has been a major driver of armed conflict in Africa, research shows—and future warming is likely to increase the number of deaths from war. US researchers found that across the continent, conflict was about 50% more likely in unusually warm years.

       Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), they suggest conflict arises when the food supply is not enough in warm conditions. Climatic factors have been mentioned as a reason for several recent conflicts. One is the fighting in Darfur in Sudan that has killed 200,000 people and forced two million more from their homes. Previous research has shown an association between lack of rain and conflict, but this is thought to be the first clear evidence of a temperature link.

       The researchers used databases of temperatures across sub-Saharan Africa for the period between 1981 and 2002, and looked for connections between above average warmth and civil conflict in the same country that left at least 1,000 people dead. "Studies show that crop output in the region is really sensitive to small shifts in temperature, even of half a degree or so," research leader Marshall Burke, from the University of California at Berkeley, told BBC News.

       "Our findings provide strong motivation to increase investments in African adaptation to climate change by such steps as developing crop varieties less sensitive to extreme heat and promoting insurance plans to help protect farmers from negative effects of the hotter climate," said Dr Burke. "If the argument is that the trend towards rising temperatures will increase conflict, then we need to do something around climate change, but more fundamentally we need to resolve the conflicts in the first place."

       If the sub-Saharan climate continues to warm and little is done to help its countries better adapt to high temperatures, the human costs are likely to be unimaginable. If temperatures rise across the continent as computer models project, future conflicts are likely to become more common, researchers suggest. Their study shows an increase of about 50% over the next 20 years.

       When projections of social trends such as population increase and economic development were included in their model of a future Africa, temperature rise still emerged as a likely major cause of increasing armed conflict. At next month's UN climate summit (峰会) in Copenhagen, governments are due to debate how much money to put into helping African countries prepare for and adapt to negative effects of climate change.

68. According to the passage, which of the following is one of the reasons for the fighting in Darfur in Sudan?

       A. Shortage of drinking water.                          B. Racial discrimination.

       C. Rising temperature.                                      D. Demand for planting land.

69. What can we know from the research done by the US researchers?

       A. There is no close relation between rainfall and conflict.

       B. Temperature greatly affects crop production in sub-Saharan Africa.

       C. Temperature will rise by about 50% in Africa over the next two decades.

       D. With world cooperation, conflicts in Africa will be reduced by half 20 years later.

70. What can be inferred from the passage?

A. Something must be done to help sub-Saharan countries with better adaptation to climate change to avoid disaster.

       B. Conflicts in sub-Saharan countries are sure to be on the rise in future.

       C. Temperature in sub-Saharan countries will rise at a faster speed.

       D. High temperatures will make sub-Saharan countries unfit to live in.

Global warming is when the earth heats up，the temperature rises.It happens when greenhouse gases—carbon dioxide，water vapor，nitrous oxide(二氧化氮)，and methane(沼气) trap heat and light from the sun in the earth’s atmosphere，which increases the temperature.This is like when heat is trapped in a car.On a very hot day，the car gets hotter when it is out in the parking lot.This is because the heat and light from the sun can get into the car，by going through the windows，but it can’t get back out.Once the light is inside the car，it is trapped and the heat builds up，just like it does in the earth’s atmosphere.This is what the greenhouse effect does to the earth.The heat and light can get through the atmosphere，but it can’t get out.As a result，the temperature rises.

Sometimes the temperature can change in a way that helps us.The greenhouse effect makes the earth appropriate for people to live on.Without it，the earth would be freezing，or on the other hand it would be burning hot.We would not get the sun’s heat and light to make the night somewhat warm.During the day，especially during the summer，it would be burning because the sun would be up with no atmosphere to filter(过滤) it，so people，plants，and animals would be exposed to all the light and heat.

Although the greenhouse effect makes the earth able to have people living on it，if there gets to be too many gases，the earth can get unusually warmer，and many plants，animals，and people will die.They would die because there would be less food (plants like corn，wheat，and other vegetables and fruits)．This would happen because the plants would not be able to take in the heat.This would cause us to have less food to eat，but it would also limit the food that animals have.Gradually，people，plants，and animals would all die of hunger.

People are doing many things to try to stop global warming.One thing people are doing is carpooling.Carpooling is driving with someone to a place that you are both going to.This minimizes the amount of greenhouse gases put into the air by a car.

Another thing that people are doing is being more careful about leaving things turned on like the television，computer，and the lights.A lot of people are taking time away from the television，and instead，they are spending more time outdoors.This helps our planet out a lot.Now，more people are even riding buses，walking to school，and riding their bikes to lower the amount of greenhouse gases in the air.

Planting trees and recycling also help.If you recycle，less trash goes to the dump，and less trash gets burned.As a result，there are fewer greenhouse gases in our atmosphere.Although adults do many things to help stop global warming，kids can do just as much.

1.By the example given in Paragraph 1，the author wants to ________.

A．explain how greenhouse gases work

B．show his feeling in a car in hot summer

C．tell us cars are causes of greenhouse gases

D．say that there are greenhouse gases in every car

2.The underlined word “it” in Paragraph 2 refers to “________”．

A．light? B．heat

C．temperature? D．greenhouse effect

3.What is the main idea of Paragraph 3?

A．If there is greenhouse effect，all the plants will die.

B．Human beings are likely to disappear from the earth.

C．Crops can’t take the heat if there is greenhouse effect.

D．Although greenhouse effect is necessary，too much of it causes us to die.

4.What will the author most probably discuss in the paragraph that follows?

A．Why cars and buses pollute the air a lot.

B．What kids can do to help stop global warming.

C．What global warming is doing to the environment.

D．Who should be responsible for the environmental problems.