【2016·江苏】
El Nifio, a Spanish term for “the Christ child”, was named bySouth American fisherman who noticed that the global weather pattern, whichhappens every two to seven years, reduced the amount of fishes caught aroundChristmas. El Nifio sees warm water, collected over several years in thewestern Pacific, flow back eastwards when winds that normally blow westwardsweaken, or sometimes the other way round.
The weather effects both good and bad, are felt in many places.Rich countries gain more from powerful Nifio, on balance, than they lose. Astudy found that a strong Nifio in 1997 helped American’s economy grow by 15billion, partly because of better agricultural harvest, farmers in the Midwestgained from extra rain. The total rise in agricultural in rich countries ingrowth than the fall in poor ones.
But in Indonesia extremely dry forests are in flames. A multi-yeardrought (干旱）in south-east Brazil isbecoming worse. Though heavy rains brought about by El Nino may relieve thedrought in California, they are likely to cause surface flooding and otherdisasters.
The most recent powerful Nino, in 1997-98, killed around 21,000 peopleand caused damage worth $36 billion around the globe. But such Ninos come withmonths of warning, and so much is known about how they happen that governmentscan prepare. According to the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however,just 12% of disaster-relief funding in the past two decades has gone onreducing risks in advance, rather than recovery and rebuilding afterwards. Thisis despite evidence that a dollar spent on risk-reduction saves at least two onreconstruction.
Simple improvements to infrastructure (基础设施）can reduce the spread of disease. Better sewers (下水道）make it less likely that heavy rain is followed by an outbreak of thedisease of bad stomach. Stronger bridges mean villages are less likely to beleft without food and medicine after floods. According to a paper in 2011 by MrHsiang and co-authors, civil conflict is related to El Nino’s harmfuleffects—and the poorer the country, the stronger the link. Though therelationship may not be causal, helping divided communities to prepare fordisasters would at least reduce the risk that those disasters are followed bykilling and wounding people. Since the poorest are least likely to make up fortheir losses from disasters linked to El Nino, reducing their losses needs tobe the priority.
1. What can we learn about El Ninoin Paragraph 1?
A.It is named aftera South American fisherman.
B.It takes placealmost every year all over the world.
C.It forcesfishermen to stop catching fish around Christmas.
D.It sees thechanges of water flow direction in the ocean.
2. What may El Ninos bring about tothe countries affected?
A.Agriculturalharvests in rich countries fall.
B.Droughts becomemore harmful than floods.
C.Rich countries’gains are greater than their losses.
D.Poorcountries suffer less from droughts economically.
3. The data provided by ODI inParagraph 4 suggest that_________.
A.more investmentshould go to risk reduction
B. governments of poor countries need more aid
C. victims of El Nino deserve more compensation
D. recovery and reconstruction should come first
4. What is the author’s purpose inwriting the passage?
A. To introduce El Nino and its origin.
B. To explain the consequences of El Nino.
C. To show ways of fighting against El Nino.
D.To urge people to prepare for El Nino.
【答案】1.D2.C 3.A 4.D
【解析】本文介绍了厄尔尼诺想象对地球影响，并告诉我们诺政府应该做更多的资预防厄尔尼诺的危害而不是在出现问题以后再进行重新补救和恢复。
1.D细节理解题。根据第一段最后一句E1Nino seeswarm water.collected over several years in the westem Pacific,flow backeastwards when winds that normally blowwestwards weaken,or sometimes the otherway round可知厄尔尼诺现象见证了海洋中水流方向的变化。故D正确。
2.C细节理解题。根据第二段第二句Rich countriesgain more from powerful Nion ,on balance,than they lose.可知富有国家从厄尔尼诺现象中得到的好处要大于所得到的坏处。接着在第三句中列举了1997年的厄尔尼诺给美国经济带来的好处。故C正确。
3.A 推理判断题。根据第四段第三句According tothe Overseas Development Institute (ODI), however, just 12% of disaster-relieffunding in the past two decades has gone on reducing risks in advance, ratherthan recovery and rebuilding afterwards.根据ODI的观点，为应对厄尔尼诺政府应该做更多的投资预防厄尔尼诺现象的危害而不是在出现问题以后再进行重新补救和恢复。故A项正确。
4.D 目的意图题。本文主要介绍了厄尔尼诺现象对地球的影响，并告诉我们诺政府应该做更多的投资预防厄尔尼诺的危害而不是在出现问题以后再进行重新补救和恢复。再根据最后一句“Since the poorest are least likely to makd up for their losses fromdisasters linked to E1nino,reducing their losses needs to be the priority.”各国政府要把砬少损失放在优先的位置。也就是说我们要事先做好准备。故D项正确。
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