2.6 考研英语阅读模拟试题【难度7.2】

Section II Reading Comprehension 

Part A 

Directions: Read the following four texts. Answer the questions below each text by choosing A, B, C or D. Mark your answers on the ANSWER SHEET. 

Text 4

What ought, in normal circumstances, to have been a relatively cool year turned out to be one of the hottest on record. This week the main climate-monitoring groups in Europe and America released their report cards for 2025. These are consistent with an acceleration in the pace of global warming.

The past 11 years are the warmest since records began. Hottest of the lot was 2024, which coincided with a strong El Niño—a pattern of winds and ocean currents that nudges the thermometer upwards—combined with a peak of the 11-year solar cycle when the sun shines brightest. But in 2025 El Niño tailed off, to be replaced by its opposite pattern, La Niña, and the sun began to dim. That 2025 was cooler than its predecessor was no surprise. But as La Niña years go, it was sweltering: the hottest yet. The most recent previous La Niña year—2022—was 1.15°C warmer than the preindustrial average. Last year was 1.44°C warmer, a significant bump upward.

Many climate scientists are reluctant to draw grand conclusions about the exceptional warming since 2023 because they remember a time when the opposite happened. In the early 2000s, temperatures were persistently lower than climate models predicted—resulting in a so-called “climate hiatus”. That prompted sweeping declarations from sceptics that climate change had stopped. In fact, natural climate cycles had merely conspired to cool things down temporarily.

There are, nevertheless, several lines of evidence that a sustained acceleration of warming is going on. One is that the underlying problem, manmade greenhouse-gas emissions, is increasing. Another, paradoxically, is that a second sort of pollution, by sulphate particles, is diminishing. Sulphates are bad for human health, and stricter regulation has diminished two of their main sources—cargo ships and Chinese coal-fired power plants. But sulphates also serve to reflect solar radiation back into space. So, while stripping sulphates out of the air is a hygienic boon, it also boosts warming.

There is also debate about whether the climate may be more sensitive to greenhouse gases than generally assumed. A joint project published this week by climate researchers at the University of Exeter suggests this sensitivity is at the upper end of mainstream estimates and warns that the global temperature rise could pass 2°C by mid-century. Climate models show that the effects of global warming, including the risk of irreversible tipping points, are much greater beyond 2°C than the 1.5°C enshrined in the UN Paris agreement.

One factor behind last year’s extreme heat was unusually hot weather at the ends of the Earth. February 2025 saw the lowest ice cover across both poles since satellite observations began, and Antarctica experienced its hottest year on record. In Europe, hot and windy conditions spread wildfires, particularly in Spain and Portugal. These added nearly 14m tonnes of carbon to the atmosphere, in the form of carbon dioxide and also soot which, being black, absorbs solar radiation and thus contributes to global warming.

If trends continue, the 1.5°C milestone will be passed sooner than expected. Carlo Buontempo, director of Europe’s Copernicus Climate Change Service, says a change in mentality is required. “It’s not a question of not having the overshoot,” he says, “but of figuring out how to manage it.” Perhaps the next 12 months will throw a curveball and bring cooler temperatures. But that seems unlikely. Forecasters are expecting a return of El Niño later this year. Climate researchers expect 2026 to be another one for the leader-boards.

36. The year 2025 is considered "sweltering" primarily because _______.

[A] it surpassed 2024 as the hottest year on record 

[B] it recorded unusually high temperatures despite cooling factors 

[C] it coincided with the peak of the 11-year solar cycle 

[D] it marked the return of a strong El Niño phenomenon

37. Scientists are cautious about declaring a permanent acceleration of warming because _______.

[A] natural climate cycles have previously caused deceptive pauses in warming 

[B] current climate models have consistently overestimated global temperature 

[C] the data from the early 2000s proved that climate change had stopped 

[D] the transition from El Niño to La Niña makes accurate prediction impossible

38. The author mentions the reduction of sulphate particles to illustrate _______.

[A] the success of international regulations on cargo ships 

[B] the direct link between Chinese coal plants and global health 

[C] a paradoxical situation where pollution control exacerbates warming 

[D] the necessity of reflecting solar radiation back into space

39. The joint project by the University of Exeter warns that _______.

[A] the UN Paris agreement has set the temperature limit too high 

[B] the global temperature rise is likely to stabilize at 1.5°C 

[C] irreversible tipping points will certainly occur before mid-century 

[D] the climate might be more sensitive to greenhouse gases than thought

40. Carlo Buontempo’s statement suggests that future climate strategy should focus on _______.

[A] preventing the temperature from ever exceeding 1.5°C 

[B] calculating the exact date of the overshoot 

[C] coping with the consequences of inevitable temperature rise 

[D] ignoring the 1.5°C milestone as it is no longer relevant

附注：根据历年考研英语真题阅读题源外刊等，摘选最新文章，模拟仿真出题。

参考答案见以下。

36. 【答案】B

【解析】题型：因果细节题

定位： 第二段 "...But in 2025 El Niño tailed off, to be replaced by its opposite pattern, La Niña... But as La Niña years go, it was sweltering: the hottest yet."

分析： 2025年之所以被称为“酷热”（sweltering），不是因为它是史上最热（2024才是），而是因为尽管有 La Niña 和太阳变暗这两个通常会导致降温的因素（cooling factors），它依然打破了 La Niña 年的高温记录。故选 B。

干扰项：[A] 2024 是 "Hottest of the lot"。 [C] 这是 2024 年的情况。 [D] 2025 年是 La Niña，不是 El Niño。

37. 【答案】A

【解析】题型：因果细节题

定位： 第三段 "...because they remember a time when the opposite happened... resulting in a so-called 'climate hiatus'... natural climate cycles had merely conspired to cool things down temporarily."

分析： 科学家持谨慎态度是因为他们记得 2000 年代初的“气候停滞”（hiatus），当时自然周期暂时掩盖了变暖趋势。他们担心现在的加速可能也是自然周期导致的假象，正如以前的停滞是假象一样。故选 A。

干扰项：[B] 2000 年代初确实比预测的低，但并不代表模型“一贯高估”。 [C] 这只是怀疑论者的观点（declarations from sceptics），事实并非如此。 [D] 文中未提及这种转换导致预测不可能。

38. 【答案】C

【解析】题型：修辞目的/例证题

定位： 第四段 "Another, paradoxically, is that a second sort of pollution... is diminishing... while stripping sulphates out of the air is a hygienic boon, it also boosts warming."

分析： 作者提到硫酸盐减少是为了说明一个“悖论”（paradoxically）：治理污染（对健康有益）反而导致了变暖加速（因为少了反射阳光的粒子）。这对应选项 C。

干扰项：[A] [B] 虽然文中提到了航运和中国电厂，但这只是背景细节，不是提及硫酸盐减少的主要逻辑目的。 [D] 这是一个物理机制，不是作者想要说明的观点（作者并不是在呼吁为了降温而保留污染）。

39. 【答案】D

【解析】题型：细节题

定位： 第五段 "A joint project... suggests this sensitivity is at the upper end of mainstream estimates..."

分析： 埃克塞特大学的研究表明，气候对温室气体的敏感度可能处于主流估值的上限，即气候可能比预想的更敏感。这对应选项 D。

干扰项：[A] 文中未批评巴黎协定定得太高。 [B] 研究警告可能到本世纪中叶超过 2°C，而不是稳定在 1.5°C。 [C] 原文说超过 2°C 后风险更大，没说“肯定会发生”。

40. 【答案】C

【解析】题型：推断题

定位： 最后一段 "'It’s not a question of not having the overshoot,' he says, 'but of figuring out how to manage it.'"

分析： Buontempo 认为问题不在于“不超标”（即承认超标已不可避免），而在于“如何管理它”。这意味着策略重心应从“预防超标”转向“应对/管理后果”。这与选项 C "coping with the consequences..." 一致。

干扰项：[A] 此时已不再是预防（not having）的问题了。 [B] 他关注的是管理（manage），不是计算日期。 [D] 并非忽略，而是承认会超过并管理其后果。

【参考译文】

在正常情况下本该是相对凉爽的一年，结果却成了有记录以来最热的年份之一。本周，欧洲和美洲的主要气候监测机构发布了 2025 年的成绩单。这些报告与全球变暖步伐加速的趋势是一致的。

过去 11 年是有记录以来最暖的时期。其中最热的是 2024 年，该年恰逢强厄尔尼诺现象（一种推高温度的风和洋流模式）与 11 年太阳周期的峰值（此时太阳最亮）相结合。但在 2025 年，厄尔尼诺现象逐渐减弱，取而代之的是其相反模式——拉尼娜现象，且太阳也开始变暗。2025 年比前一年凉爽并不令人意外。但就拉尼娜年而言，它是酷热的：是有史以来最热的一个。据世界气象组织称，上一个拉尼娜年（2022 年）比工业化前的世界平均气温高出 1.15°C。而去年则高出 1.44°C，这是一个显著的跃升。

许多气候科学家不愿对 2023 年以来的异常变暖得出宏大的结论，因为他们记得以前发生过相反的情况。在 2000 年代初，气温持续低于气候模型的预测——导致了所谓的“气候停滞”。这促使怀疑论者全面宣称气候变化已经停止。事实上，那只是自然气候周期暂时共同作用，让地球冷却了下来。

尽管如此，仍有几条证据表明变暖正在持续加速。一是根本问题——人为温室气体排放——不仅在持续，而且规模在扩大。另一个悖论是，第二种污染——大气中的硫酸盐颗粒——正在减少。硫酸盐对人类健康有害，更严格的监管已经减少了其两个主要来源——货船和中国燃煤电厂。但硫酸盐也有将太阳辐射反射回太空的作用。因此，虽然去除空气中的硫酸盐是卫生方面的福音，但它也助推了变暖。

关于气候是否可能比普遍假设的对温室气体更敏感，也存在争议。埃克塞特大学的气候研究人员本周发表的一个联合项目表明，这种敏感性处于主流估值的上限，并警告说，如果是真的，全球气温上升可能在本世纪中叶超过 2°C。气候模型显示，全球变暖的影响，包括不可逆转的临界点风险，在超过 2°C 时要比联合国《巴黎协定》中铭记的 1.5°C 大得多。

去年极端高温背后的一个因素是地球两端异常炎热的天气。2025 年 2 月，两极的冰盖覆盖率创下了自 1970 年代末卫星观测开始以来的最低水平，南极洲经历了有记录以来最热的一年。与此同时，在欧洲，炎热和多风的天气引发了野火，特别是在西班牙和葡萄牙。这向大气中增加了近 1400 万吨碳，形式包括二氧化碳和煤烟，黑色的煤烟会吸收太阳辐射，从而加剧全球变暖。

如果趋势在未来几年持续下去，1.5°C 的里程碑将比预期更早被跨越。欧洲哥白尼气候变化服务中心主任卡洛·邦滕波（Carlo Buontempo）表示，需要改变心态。“这不再是一个不超标的问题，”他说，“而是关于弄清楚如何管理它。”也许未来 12 个月会出人意料地带来更凉爽的气温。但这似乎不太可能。预报员预计厄尔尼诺现象将在今年晚些时候回归。气候研究人员预计 2026 年将是另一个榜上有名的年份。

附注：

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