A
The ozone hole that opens every year over the Antarctic is on course to be the smallest in three decades, scientists have said.
Researchers say the hole is also a particularly unusual shape this year, being heavily skewed(扭曲) towards South America instead of centring on the South Pole. According to the British Antarctic Survey, the hole had reached an area of 11 million square kilometres in early September, when the annual “spring warming” event kicked in much earlier than usual. In 2018, the hole reached a maximum area of 22. 9 million square kilometres. In 2002, the polar vortex split in two, creating two separate ozone holes over the continent.
Anna Jones, a scientist at the British Antarctic Survey, told The Independent the shape of the hole this year was “very unusual”. She said, “This is a pretty new phenomenon. It could be a multiple collection of factors. ”
Satellite records for the polar vortex in Antarctica go back to the late 1970s, but the 2002 split vortex is the only other major change. “Scientists haven’t quite figured it out yet. . . there are various things they can look at, but it’s certainly very unusual, ” Dr Jones said.
Dr Jones said the key to reducing the size of the ozone hole in the long term was continuing to clampdown on the illegal man-made chemicals causing the destruction. She also warned people living in South America could now be at risk from dangerous UV radiation as the ozone has thinned. “The key thing is that the gases that destroy ozone are still around, still in the atmosphere, ” she said. “I doubt we will see this again next year. We can’t be relieved, it absolutely doesn’t mean the ozone hole is never going to be seen again. ”
【文章大意】本文为说明文, 讲的是科学家研究发现今年南极上空臭氧空洞的形状“异乎寻常”, 严重向南美倾斜。
1. What can be a suitable title for the text?
A. The Strangely Shaped Antarctic Ozone Hole
B. The Terrible Environmental Pollution in the World
C. The Great Damage Done to the Environment in Antarctic
D. The Risk of Dangerous UV Radiation in the Atmosphere
【解析】选A。主旨大意题。纵观全文可知本文讲的是今年南极上空臭氧空洞的形状“异乎寻常”, 严重向南美倾斜, 与A项一致, 故选A。
2. What does the underlined part “clampdown on” in the last paragraph mean?
A. increase B. limit C. pour D. release
【解析】选B。词义猜测题。根据最后一段第一句话中的“the key to reducing the size of the ozone hole”和“. . . the illegal man-made chemicals causing the destruction”可知, 此处表示减小臭氧层空洞的关键仍是限制破坏臭氧层的非法人造化学品, 故选B。
3. What can we learn according to the passage?
A. The ozone hole over the Antarctic will not be seen again.
B. The polar vortex in Antarctica first happened to the late 1970s.
C. In 2002, the hole reached a maximum area of 22. 9 million square kilometres.
D. The annual “spring warming” event usually kick in later than early September.
【解析】选D。细节理解题。根据最后一段最后一句话可知A项错误; 根据第四段第一句话可知南极极地涡旋的卫星记录可以追溯到20世纪70年代末而不是极地涡旋第一次发生于此时间, 故B项错误; 根据第二段第三句话可知C项错误; 根据第二段第二句话中的“. . . in early September, when the annual “spring warming” event kicked in much earlier than usual. ”可知D项正确, 故选D。
4. The passage can be read from .
A. An environment newspaper
B. A fashion magazine
C. An entertainment magazine
D. A school textbook
【解析】选A。推理判断题。本文讲的是环境方面的新发现, 故选A。
