2014年英语四级考试模拟试题及答案(第一套)_第4页

　　Directions: There are 2 passages in this section. Each passage is followed by some questions or unfinished statements. For each of them there are four choices marked A), B), C) and D). You should decide on the best choice and mark the corresponding letter on Answer Sheet 2 with a single line through the centre.

　　Passage One

　　Questions 56 to 60 are based on the following passage.

　　Global warming is causing more than 300,000 deaths and about $125 billion in

　　economic losses each year, according to a report by the Global Humanitarian Forum,

　　an organization led by Kofi Annan, the former United Nations secretary general.

　　The report, to be released Friday, analyzed data and existing studies of health,

　　disaster, population and economic trends. It found that human-influenced climate

　　change was raising the global death rates from illnesses including malnutrition (营养

　　不良) and heat-related health problems.

　　But even before its release, the report drew criticism from some experts on

　　climate and risk, who questioned its methods and conclusions.

　　Along with the deaths, the report said that the lives of 325 million people,

　　primarily in poor countries, were being seriously affected by climate change. It

　　projected that the number would double by 2030.

　　Roger Pielke Jr., a political scientist at the University of Colorado, Boulder, who

　　studies disaster trends, said the Forum’s report was “a methodological

　　embarrassment” because there was no way to distinguish deaths or economic losses

　　related to human-driven global warming amid the much larger losses resulting from

　　the growth in populations and economic development in vulnerable (易受伤害的)

　　regions. Dr. Pielke said that “climate change is an important problem requiring our

　　utmost attention.” But the report, he said, “will harm the cause for action on both

　　climate change and disasters because it is so deeply flawed (有瑕疵的).”

　　However, Soren Andreasen, a social scientist at Dalberg Global Development

　　Partners who supervised the writing of the report, defended it, saying that it was clear

　　that the numbers were rough estimates. He said the report was aimed at world leaders,

　　who will meet in Copenhagen in December to negotiate a new international climate

　　treaty.

　　In a press release describing the report, Mr. Annan stressed the need for the

　　negotiations to focus on increasing the flow of money from rich to poor regions to

　　help reduce their vulnerability to climate hazards while still curbing the emissions of

　　the heat-trapping gases. More than 90% of the human and economic losses from

　　climate change are occurring in poor countries, according to the report.

　　注意：此部分试题请在答题卡 2 上作答。

　　56. What is the finding of the Global Humanitarian Forum?

　　A) Rates of death from illnesses have risen due to global warming.

　　B) Global temperatures affect the rate of economic development.

　　C) Malnutrition has caused serious health problems in poor countries.

　　D) Economic trends have to do with population and natural disasters.

　　57. What do we learn about the Forum’s report from the passage?

　　A) It caused a big stir in developing countries.

　　B) It was warmly received by environmentalists.

　　C) It aroused a lot of interest in the scientific circles.

　　D) It was challenged by some climate and risk experts.

　　58. What does Dr. Pielke say about the Forum’s report?

　　A) Its statistics look embarrassing.

　　B) It deserves our closest attention.

　　C) It is invalid in terms of methodology.

　　D) Its conclusion is purposely exaggerated.

　　59. What is Soren Andreasen’s view of the report?

　　A) Its conclusions are based on carefully collected data.

　　B) It is vulnerable to criticism if the statistics are closely examined.

　　C) It will give rise to heated discussions at the Copenhagen conference.

　　D) Its rough estimates are meant to draw the attention of world leaders.

　　60. What does Kofi Annan say should be the focus of the Copenhagen conference?

　　A) How human and economic losses from climate change can be reduced.

　　B) How rich countries can better help poor regions reduce climate hazards.

　　C) How emissions of heat-trapping gases can be reduced on a global scale.

　　D) How rich and poor regions can share responsibility in curbing global warming.