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

You often hear people refer to Africa as a country, not a continent. It is often a region that is described as being unified around poverty, disease and despair. Africa is far from being a homogenized continent. It has more than 50 countries, each with unique culture, landscape and tradition.

Africa’s diversity is apparent to anyone who travels to the continent. In the north, you have countries like Morocco, Algeria and Egypt, which have a long tradition of welcoming visitors. Further south there is Kenya and Tanzania, both renowned for their wildlife and for Africa’s tallest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro. On the southern tip of the continent is South Africa, the region’s economic and political superpower which in itself lies many fascinating cultures. There are also the trouble spots like Congo and Sudan which are almost all but avoided by travelers.

Travel in Africa can be rough. It can also be a great joy. If you have patience, a willingness to maintain an open mind, a desire to explore and the ability to laugh at the strange, your African travels will change your life.

There are many entry points to Africa. Your best bet in terms of cheap airfare is to fly into one of the bigger cities like Johannesburg or Nairobi. Depending on where you are starting from flights to Africa can be either quite cheap or outrageously expensive. As is true nearly everywhere, flying into the biggest cities is usually your best bet for a cheap ticket.

Many people who travel to Africa prefer to do so in a group or through an organized adventure trip. This is especially the case with safari trips. BootsnAll has some of the best African adventure trips and safaris in the world. We work closely with local tour providers to offer you many options at very affordable rates.

 If you are looking for a place to stay in, check out the hotels in Africa or the hostels in Africa for those on a tighter budget.

Still want more? You can learn from those who have been to Africa by sharingideas and thoughts on our Africa community message board.

1.From the first paragraph, we know when mentioning Africa, people often_______.

A．regard it as a continent, nota country    

B．connect it with poverty, disease and despair

C．consider it a nice place to travel in

D．admit there are more than 50 countries.

2.Africa’s tallest peak, Mt. Kilimanjaro is________.

A．in the north      B．in the south      C．in the middle    D．off the sea shore

3.What can we infer from the underlined part in Para.2?

A．Travelers seldom go to visit Congo or Sudan.

B．People in Congo and Sudan are trouble-makers.

C．Congo and Sudan are as powerful as South Africa.

D．There are few sightseeing spots in Congo or Sudan.

4.Your African travels will be a great joy, if you have_________.

①patience      ②a willingness to maintain an open mind

③a desire to explore      ④the ability to laugh at the strange

A．①②③     B．①③④     C．②③④     D．①②③④

5.What’s the author’s purpose in writing this passage?

A．Introducing some information of Africa.      

B．Encouraging people to travel in Africa.

C．Reminding travelers of the danger in Africa.

D．Telling people the cheap air fare to Africa.

       While in-car satellite navigation systems are considered a great surprise of the technological age, they are also destroying our ability to read maps and weakening our very sense of self, according to one of the nation’s leading geographers.

       Rita Gardener, president of the Royal Geographical Society, said, “If you are looking at a road map of Great Britain, apart from looking at roads, you will get a feel for the natural environment you are moving through and that will tell you something about the economy and the history.”

       “An ability to place oneself in a spatial (空间的) setting in this way is important,” Dr Gardner added, “because it provides an insight (洞察力) into the societal, environmental and economic changes that govern all our lives. It also sharpens our hunter instincts (本能) and sense of discovery.”

       “Look, for example, at a map of rural East Anglia,” she said, “and you will see the route from Cambridge to the coast with the A14 running through it. You’ll see that Bury St Edmunds has grown dramatically in the last 15 years because there are lots of new development and new light industry. This tells you that it is on the route between the Midlands and the coast at Harwich and it has benefited from increased traffic to the Continent.” She said, “You would get none of that information from a sat-nav.”

       While emphasizing the importance of being able to read a map, Dr Gardner is less concerned about teaching children to memorize maps of continents, rivers and capital cities. A recent survey by National Geographic Kids magazine found that 20 per cent of children in Britain cannot find their own country on a world map, she said.

       “It is much more important that kids know about major continents and different climate zones than that they know the name of a particular country, providing they know how to look it up in a map.”

       “What’s important is that when they fly on holiday from Manchester to Malaga, they have an understanding that they are moving into a different geographical zone and they know why the Mediteranean landscape is different from what they see at home,” she said.

1．The passage mainly deals with _____.

      A．the importance of geography knowledge in our life

       B．the differences between sat-nav systems and maps

       C．the importance of the ability to read maps

       D．the advantage of a sat-nav system

2．What does the underlined word “it” refer to in Paragraph 4?

       A．Harwich                                             B．Midlands

C．Bury St Edmunds                                D．East Anglia

3．In Dr Gardner’s opinion, kids in Britain _____.

      A．should memorize all the continents, rivers and capital cities in maps

       B．had better fly to Malaga to realize different landscapes between Mediterranean and UK

       C．should master some basic principles of geography

       D．can turn to a sat-nav for help for a lack of geography knowledge

4．Which of the following is TRUE according to the passage?

       A．The road map tells us more than just the route from one place to another.

       B．We can tell the history and economy of a region with the help of a sat-nav.

       C．A sat-nav contains as much information as a map.

      D．Children who know about different climate zones can find their own country in a world map.