单选题 For generations, the Nganyi people of western Kenya have served as rainmakers, helping local communities decide when best to prepare their land and sow their seeds. By observing subtle changes in nature that would be unnoticeable to most people—in air currents, the flowering and shedding of leaves of certain trees, the behaviour of ants, bird songs, etc—they have been able to interpret weather patterns and provide valuable advice.
But the irregular weather patterns brought by climate change mean the rainmakers can no longer use those signs to make their predictions. And they don't have access to the technologies available to meteorologists(气象学家).
"Climate change has come on so fast. People don't know how to adapt or what to plant," says Obedi Osore, a traditional Nganyi weatherman. "Our traditional crops are disappearing because they cannot handle the new conditions. We need new strategies to handle climate change. "
Now a British-Canadian project is doing just that, linking the rainmakers with government meteorologists. The two groups get together each season and produce an agreed forecast to be spread using a variety of methods suited to communities where many cannot read or write—through ceremonies, public meetings and person -to-person communication.
Both parties are pleased with the collaboration. "I think the two sciences are equally valid. We are marrying our energies to help people better," says Mr. Onunga, a Nganyi community elder involved in the project.
"The results have been surprisingly good—the community agreed that the forecast was accurate," says Gilbert Ouma, a lecturer at the University of Nairobi.
"Through this project we hope to learn what it is that we can share together to live today and to adapt to tomorrow," says Professor Laban Ogallo, leader of the Nganyi project.

单选题 Which of the following has been used by traditional Nganyi rainmakers in weather prediction?
A. Plant seeds. B. Dog barks. C. Bird songs. D. Ocean currents.
【正确答案】 C
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节题。
[应试指导] 由第一段最后一句“…the behaviour of ants, bird songs…”可知,C项符合题意,故选C。
单选题 What difficulty do local rainmakers face in making weather predictions?
A. They cannot find an effective way to deliver messages.
B. They lack modern technologies to cope with climate change.
C. They cannot get financial support from the local government.
D. They lack the facilities to stop traditional crops from disappearing.
【正确答案】 B
【答案解析】[解析] 事实细节题。
[应试指导] 由第二段可知,不规律的气候变化使得rainmakers不能用传统的方法去预测天气,而他们又缺少现代化技术,所以预测天气才变得很困难。故选B。
单选题 How do people involved in the British-Canadian project feel about their cooperation?
A. Satisfied. B. Confused.
C. Hopeful. D. Regretful.
【正确答案】 A
【答案解析】[解析] 推理判断题。
[应试指导] 由第五段第一句“Both parties are pleased with the collaboration.”以及第六段“The results have been surprisingly good…”可知,人们对合作感到很满意。A项符合题意,故选A。
单选题 Which statement best expresses the main idea of the passage?
A. A British-Canadian project has been carried out to solve farming problems.
B. The Nganyi people have made weather forecasts by observing changes in nature.
C. New technologies have replaced traditional methods in weather prediction in Kenya.
D. Scientists and Kenyan rainmakers work together in a joint weather prediction project.
【正确答案】 D
【答案解析】[解析] 主旨大意题。
[应试指导] 通读文章可知,文章主要讲的是科学家和肯尼亚唤雨巫师共同工作,以给出准确的天气预报。D项符合题意,故选D。