VOA慢速：极端天气似乎无处不在
Extreme Weather Seems to Be Everywhere
慢速 | 高考 偏易 | 587词 | 5min18s
刘立军供稿
Part I. QUESTIONS
Listen to the news and choose the best answer to each question you hear.
Q1. What recent event in Brazil was mentioned in the news report?
A. A severe drought in São Paulo.
B. Record high temperatures in multiple cities.
C. Flooding that resulted in at least 100 deaths.
D. A storm preventing rain over southern Brazil.
Q2. How high were the temperatures that voters and politicians in India faced during national elections?
A. 36 degrees Celsius.
B. 46 degrees Celsius.
C. 56 degrees Celsius.
D. 66 degrees Celsius.
Q3. Which country reported deaths due to record heat?
A. The Philippines.
B. Myanmar.
C. Malaysia.
D. Thailand.
Q4. According to the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center, how did the number of tornadoes in April rank historically?
A. It was the second-highest ever recorded for April.
B. It was the highest ever recorded for April.
C. It was the lowest ever recorded for April.
D. It was below average for April.
Q5. What was Jonathan Overpeck’s prediction about the year 2024?
A. It might be a record year for climate policy changes.
B. It might be a potentially significant year for technological advancements.
C. It might be a record year for climate disasters.
D. It might mark a decrease in climate-related issues.
Q6. What is the particular effect of climate change Alvaro Silva pointed out on weather events?
A. It increases the frequency of volcanic eruptions.
B. It affects where and when weather events occur.
C. It causes more predictable weather patterns.
D. It reduces the severity of natural disasters.
Q7. What does the European climate service Copernicus report indicate about the global average temperature?
A. It has been decreasing over the past 11 months.
B. It has shown no significant change since 1950.
C. It has remained stable compared to the pre-industrial period.
D. It has broken the record for the past 11 months.
Q8. What goal did countries set in the Paris Climate Agreement regarding temperature increase?
A. To limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
B. To limit warming to 1 degree Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
C. To limit warming to 2 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
D. There was no specific temperature increase limit set.
Q9. According to Maximiliano Herrera, how many countries or territories broke heat records in the first five days of May?
A. 50 countries or territories.
B. 60 countries or territories.
C. 70 countries or territories.
D. 80 countries or territories.
Q10. What is the main theme discussed in the news report?
A. Political turmoil affecting various countries.
B. Advancements in global climate research.
C. Extreme weather events occurring globally.
D. International efforts to combat climate change.
Part II. TRANSCRIPT
Extreme Weather Seems Nearly Everywhere
In recent months, reports of extreme weather have reached new levels. Some climate scientists say they cannot remember when the world had so much extreme weather.
(Q1) In Brazil, for example, flooding killed at least 100 people and damaged the southern city of Porto Alegre. (Q2) Voters and politicians in India are facing heat as high as 46 degrees Celsius during national elections.
A heat wave caused officials to close schools in the Philippines. (Q3) Thailand has reported deaths from record heat. Weather experts are also reporting high heat in Indonesia, Malaysia, the Maldives and Myanmar. Record temperatures hit many parts of Africa too.
(Q4) In the United States, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center recently put a message on social media service X. It said April had the second-highest number of tornadoes for that month ever recorded.
tornado n. 龙卷风；旋风
Jonathan Overpeck leads the School for Environment and Sustainability at the University of Michigan. He said, “It is not surprising to see worsening climate extremes so early in the year.” The climate expert added, (Q5) “If this record pace of warming continues, 2024 will likely be a record year of climate disasters and human suffering.”
Some scientists have been saying that, when the world is warmer, it is likely to have more extreme weather. They call these “climate events,” including record heat and rainfall. (Q6) They say climate change is also changing where and when weather events take place. Alvaro Silva said that leads to rainy and hot systems staying over areas for longer periods. Silva is a climate scientist at the World Meteorological Organization based in Geneva.
meteorological adj. 气象的
Climate scientists have reported 13 straight months of record high ocean temperatures as a possible influence on the weather extremes.
(Q7) Recently, the European climate service Copernicus reported the 11th record-breaking month in a row for the world’s average temperature. The average global temperature of 15 degrees Celsius in April beat the old record from 2016 by 0.14 degrees Celsius. Copernicus’ data dates back to 1950.
Last month was 1.58 degrees Celsius warmer than what climate scientists call the pre-industrial period of the late 19th century. (Q8) Countries signing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.
Several influences play a part in the recent extremes. Silva said, “climate change is the most important one.”
(Q9) In the first five days of May, 70 countries or territories broke heat records, said climatologist Maximiliano Herrera. He follows temperature records across the world.
Recently in Southeast Asia, “it was the hottest May night ever,” Herrera posted on X. Parts of Thailand did not drop below 31 degrees Celsius.
Many African nations are also facing extreme heat. Herrera said it reached 47.5 degrees Celsius in Kayes, Mali. The capital of Niger, Niamey, had its hottest May night and Burkina Faso’s capital, Ouagadougou, had its hottest night for any month.
The heat in Brazil affected cites like São Paulo and kept a rainstorm from moving over the country’s south. Francisco Aquino, a climatologist at the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, said that caused the weather to become dangerous.
There was also an increase in humidity from the Amazon River area, which Aquino called “flying rivers.” The flying rivers are air currents that carry a lot of water vapor. “These caused clouds to generate extreme rainfall,” he said.
humidity n. （空气中的）湿度
April also brought the heaviest rains ever recorded to the United Arab Emirates. Parts of major highways flooded, as did Dubai International Airport, the world’s busiest airport for international travel.
I’m Dan Novak.
Part III. KEY
Q1. C. 细节题。文本提到：“In Brazil, for example, flooding killed at least 100 people...”意为：“例如在巴西，洪水导致至少100人死亡……”选项C直接反映了新闻中提及的巴西事件。
Q2. B. 细节题。文章中提到：“Voters and politicians in India are facing heat as high as 46 degrees Celsius during national elections.”意为：“在全国选举期间，印度的选民和政治家们面临着高达46摄氏度的高温。”选项B与文中信息相符。
Q3. D. 细节题。文章中指出：“Thailand has reported deaths from record heat.”意为：“泰国报告了由于创纪录的高温导致的死亡事件。” 因此，选项D正确。
Q4. A. 细节题。报道中提到：“…the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center recently put a message on social media service X. It said April had the second-highest number of tornadoes for that month ever recorded.” 意为：“国家气象服务风暴预测中心最近在社交媒体服务端X上发布了一条消息。消息称，四月份的龙卷风数量是有史以来第二高的。”这说明四月份的龙卷风数量排名历史第二。因此，答案选A。
Q5. C. 细节题。Jonathan Overpeck表示：“If this record pace of warming continues, 2024 will likely be a record year of climate disasters and human suffering.”意为：“如果这种创纪录的升温速度持续下去，2024年很可能会是气候灾害和人类苦难的创记录之年。”因此答案是C。
Q6. B. 细节题。Alvaro Silva所述的情况是：“They say climate change is also changing where and when weather events take place.”意为：“他们说气候变化也改变了天气事件发生的时间和地点。” 因此，正确选项为B。
Q7. D. 细节题。Copernicus报告指出：“...the 11th record-breaking month in a row for the world’s average temperature.”意为：“……连续第11个月打破了世界平均气温的记录。”因此，报告表明全球平均气温过去11个月已连续打破记录。答案是D。
Q8. A. 细节题。关于《巴黎协定》设定的目标，文本中提到：“Countries signing the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 set a goal of limiting warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels.”意为：“2015年签署《巴黎协定》的国家设定了一个目标，即将升温限制在工业化前水平之上的1.5摄氏度以内。”选项A与这一信息吻合。
Q9. C. 细节题。Maximiliano Herrera提到：“...70 countries or territories broke heat records...” 意为：“……70个国家或地区打破了高温记录……”因此，答案为C。
Q10. C. 主旨题。整个新闻报道的焦点是关于世界各地极端天气事件的报道。从巴西的洪水、印度的高温，到非洲和东南亚的高温等，新闻涉及多个不同地区面临的极端天气现象。因此，该新闻的主题是全球发生的极端天气事件，答案选择C。
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