Question

Climate change is making it harder than usual for scientists to figure out what the future will bring and what impact weather changes will have on society and the economy. An upsurge of severe weather events has already destroyed homes, businesses and lives. Some fairly simple changes may reduce the toll.
In a laboratory test, a house built with conventional techniques is falling apart in hurricane-force winds.
The survivor has stronger shingles, thicker roof boards, and metal straps holding floors together.
Wind tunnel tests were done by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. It says stronger construction costs a little more, but holds up much better to extreme weather.
The growing number of unusually strong storms, like Typhoon Haiyan, has convinced the Chairman of the U. S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, Tom Carper, that extreme weather is the “new norm（標(biāo)準(zhǔn)）.”
"Extreme weather events have increased in frequency over the past 50 years and are expected to become even more common, more intense, and more costly," said Carper.
Hurricane Sandy hit beachfront businesses along the U.S. East Coast, including Carper's home state. Insurance companies had to pay out huge claims. To limit such losses, the insurance industry can raise premiums（保險費(fèi)） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻擊的）locations and offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.
Managing risks is the job of insurance brokers like Kevin Connelly of the Graham Company, who spoke to VOA via Skype.
“We are either going to price your insurance at a huge markup, or we are not going to write (sell it) it at all, which is just as bad obviously," said Connelly.
Drought is another suspected consequence of climate change, and dry ground means more wildfires in California. Current mathematical models of climate change do a poor job of predicting the economic impact of drought and other weather events, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Robert Pindyck, who spoke via Skype.
“I think all we can do, taking all of that into account, is come up with some very rough numbers, very rough estimates, "said Pindyck. "Consensus estimates that maybe experts provide, that give us a view of what would the catastrophic outcome look like if we don’t do anything?”
To help deal with this serious problem, Pindyck says policymakers should take actions such as imposing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions. A carbon tax would encourage companies and families to use less energy and generate fewer of the gases thought to be driving changes in the climate. But other analysts say it is unlikely a new tax will get approval in the U.S. Congress any time soon.
小題1:What can be inferred from the passage?

A．There are many severe weather events destroying homes, businesses and lives.

B．Stronger construction will save the expense in the long run.

C．Government should be totally responsible for the weather change.

D．Typhoon Haiyan hit Tom Carper's home state.

小題2:What natural disasters are not mentioned in the passage?

A．Drought

B．Hurricanes

C．earthquakes

D．wildfires

小題3:In a laboratory test , what kind of houses can stay up?

A．a(chǎn) house built with conventional techniques

B．A house with stronger shingles

C．A house with thinner roof boards

D．a(chǎn) house with metal floors .

小題4:What won’t insurance companies do to limit such losses?

A．pay out huge claims

B．raise premiums（保險費(fèi)） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻擊的）locations

C．offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.

D．price insurance at a huge markup

小題5:What is the attitude of other analysts towards the new tax on carbon dioxide emissions?

A．supportive

B．doubtful

C．indifferent

D．positive

Answer 1

小題1:B
小題2:C
小題3:B
小題4:A
小題5:B

文章介紹因為低端天氣頻發(fā)，很難預(yù)計它對環(huán)境和人們的生活造成多么大的破壞，為了解決這樣的問題，可以從改善建筑材料做起，保險公司也出臺一系列應(yīng)對措施，專家呼吁政府出臺新的稅法，減少碳排放。
小題1:推理題：從第四段的句子：It says stronger construction costs a little more, but holds up much better to extreme weather.可知堅固的建筑材料成本會高一些，但是能承受住極端天氣的破壞，所以從長遠(yuǎn)角度看是節(jié)約費(fèi)用的。選B。
小題2:細(xì)節(jié)題：文章第五段和第七段提到的自然災(zāi)害有：干旱，颶風(fēng)，野火，但是沒有提到地震，所以選C。
小題3:細(xì)節(jié)題：從文章第三段的句子：可知于牢固的木瓦板的房子在實驗中沒有壞，選B。
小題4:細(xì)節(jié)題：從第七段的句子：To limit such losses, the insurance industry can raise premiums（保險費(fèi)） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻擊的）locations and offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.可知BC是對的，從第九段的句子：可知D是對的，而第六段的句子：Insurance companies had to pay out huge claims. 說明極端天氣會讓保險公司賠付很多，不是它們采取的措施。選A。
小題5:細(xì)節(jié)題：從文章最后一段的句子：But other analysts say it is unlikely a new tax will get approval in the U.S. Congress any time soon.可知其他分析家對新的碳排放稅是懷疑的態(tài)度。選B。