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(4) 
The following passages were adapted from articles published in the mid-1990s.
Passage A
In January 1995 a vast section of ice broke off the Larsen ice shelf in Antarctica. While this occurrence, the direct result of a regional warming trend that began in the 1940s, may be the most spectacular manifestation yet of serious climate changes occurring on the planet as a consequence of atmospheric heating, other symptoms - more intense storms, prolonged droughts, extended heat waves, and record flooding have been emerging around the world for several years.
According to scientific estimates, furthermore, sea-level rise resulting from global warming will reach 3 feet (1 meter) within the next century. Such a rise could submerge vast coastal areas, with potentially irreversible consequences.
Late in 1995 the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that it had detected the “fingerprint” of human activity as a contributor to the warming of atmosphere. Furthermore, panel scientists attributed such warming directly to the increasing quantities of carbon dioxide released by our burning of fossil fuels. The IPCC report thus clearly identifies a pattern of climatic response to human activities in the climatological record, thereby establishing without doubt that global warming can no longer be attributed solely to natural climate variability.
Passage B
Over the past two decades, an extreme view of global warming has developed. While it contains some facts, this view also contains exaggerations and misstatements, and has sometimes resulted in unreasonable environmental policies.
According to this view, global warming will cause the polar ice to melt, raising global sea levels, flooding entire regions, destroying crops, and displacing millions of people. However, there is still a great deal of uncertainty regarding a potential rise in sea levels.
Certainly, if the earth warms, sea levels will rise as the water heats up and expands. If the polar ice caps melt, more water will be added to the oceans, raising sea levels even further. There is some evidence that melting has occurred; however, there is also evidence that the Antarctic ice sheets are growing. In fact, it is possible that a warmer sea surface temperature will cause more water to evaporate, and when wind carries the moisture- laden air over the land, it will precipitate out as snow, causing the ice sheets to grow. Certainly, we need to have better knowledge about the hydrological cycle before predicting dire consequences as a result of recent increases in global temperatures.

This view also exaggerates the impact that human activity has on the planet. While human activity may be a factor in global warming, natural events appear to be far more important. The 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines, for example, caused a decrease in the average global temperature, while El Nino, a periodic perturbation in the ocean' s temperature and circulation, causes extreme global climatic events, including droughts and major flooding. Of even greater importance to the earth’ s climate are variations in the sun' s radiation and in the earth' s orbit. Climate variability has always existed and will continue to do so regardless of human intervention. 

单选题 Which one of the following questions is central to both passages?
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】这两篇文章都关注了目前地球气候变暖的趋势， 这通常被称为“全球变暖” 。 “两篇文章都一致认为地球的气候确实变暖了，但很明显两位作者在这个问题上的观点不同。 第一篇文章最后一段中， 作者提出了全球变暖的原因是“the increasing quantities of carbon dioxide released by our burning of fossil fuels. ” 第二篇文章最后一段中， 另一位作者提出“While human activity may be a factor in global warming, natural events appear to be far more important. ” 。 因此两篇文章的关注点都在全球变暖在多大程度上归因于人类或自然。
单选题 Which one of the following is mentioned in passage B but not in passage A as a possible consequence of global warming?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】在第二篇第二段中， 作者指出， 全球变暖导致海水温度升高， 南极洲冰盖将会增加。 第一篇文章没有提到任何南极冰盖可能会增长的可能性。 因此A项正确。
单选题 The authors of the two passages would be most likely to disagree over_____
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】根据第一篇文章最后一段， 作者提到“global warming can no longer be attributed solely to natural climate variability. ” 第二篇文章最后一段， “While human activity may be a factor in global warming, natural events appear to be far more important. ” 由此可见第一篇文章作者认为人类活动对全球变暖负有重大责任， 但第二篇的作者认为自然事件可能对地球气候产生更大的影响。
单选题 Which one of the phenomena cited in passage A is an instance of the kind of “evidence” referred to in the middle of the second paragraph of passage B?
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】第一篇文章第一句中提到“a vast section of ice broke off the Larsen ice shelf in Antarctica” ， 这是冰架融化的证据， A项正确。 尽管自20世纪40年代以来南极地区的高温可能是导致极地冰融化的原因， 但它不能作为融化的证据。 因此B项错误。C、 D、 E项都是全球变暖可能的后果， 不能作为极地冰盖融化的证据。
单选题 The author of passage B would be most likely to make which one of the following criticisms about the predictions cited in passage A concerning a rise in sea level?
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】根据第二篇文章第二段， 作者认为温暖的水温可能会导致更多的蒸发， 这反过来又会使极地冰帽的降雪增多， 从而导致冰帽的增加。 作者总结了关于海平面的讨论: “Certainly, we need to have better knowledge about the hydrological cycle before predicting dire consequences as a result of recent increases in global temperatures. ” 第一篇文章的作者显然没有考虑到B篇中可能的缓和因素， 因此第二篇作者可能会认为这些预测对于水循环理解不足。
单选题 The relationship between passage A and passage B is most analogous to the relationship between the documents described in which one of the following?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】题干两篇文章都在讨论全球变暖的原因。 第一篇文章作者认为人类活动对全球变暖负有重大责任， 但第二篇的作者认为自然事件可能对地球气候产生更大的影响。 C项两篇文章也都承认物种正在减少这一趋势， 但是认为承担责任的主要方面有所不同。 第一篇文章认为人类活动是主要原因， 第二篇文章认为自然循环是主要原因， 因此C项正确。
单选题 Which one of the following most accurately describes the relationship between the argument made in passage A and the argument made in passage B?
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】第一篇文章提出了全球变暖的可能原因即影响， 并指出这种影响是不可逆转的。 第二篇文章第一段指出全球变暖这一观点“extreme” 、 “contains exaggerations and misstatements” ， 因此作者认为全球变暖现象的一些结论缺乏基础。