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  3. Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know

Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know

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问题     Do you remember all those years when scientists argued that smoking would kill us but the doubters insisted that we didn’t know for sure; that the evidence was inconclusive, the science uncertain; that the antismoking lobby was out to destroy our way of life and the government should stay out of the way? Lots of Americans bought that nonsense, and over three decades, some 10 million smokers went to early graves.
    There are upsetting parallels today, as scientists in one wave after another try to awaken us to the growing threat of global warming. The latest was a panel from the National Academy of Sciences, enlisted by the White House, to tell us that the Earth’s atmosphere is definitely warming and that the problem is largely man-made. The clear message is that we should get moving to protect ourselves. The president of the National Academy, Bruce Alberts, added this key point in the preface to the panel’s report, "Science never has all the answer. But science does provide us with the best available guide to the future, and it is critical that our nation and the world base important policies on the best judgments that science can provide concerning the future consequences of present actions. "
    Just as on smoking, voices now come from many quarters insisting that the science about global warming is incomplete, that it’s OK to keep pouring fumes into the air until we know for sure. This is a dangerous game: by the time 100 percent of the evidence is in, it may be too late. With the risks obvious and growing, a prudent people would take out an insurance policy now.
Fortunately, the White House is starting to pay attention. But it’s obvious that a majority of the president’s advisers still don’t take global warming seriously. Instead of plan of action, they continue to press for more research—a classic of "paralysis by analysis".
    To serve as responsible stewards of the planet, we must press forward on deeper atmospheric and oceanic research. But research alone is inadequate. If the Administration won’t take the legislative initiative, Congress should help to begin fashioning conservation measures. A bill by Democratic Senator Robert Byrd of West Virginia, which would offer financial incentives for private industry, is a promising start. Many see that the country is getting ready to build lots of new power plants to meet our energy needs. If we are ever going to protect the atmosphere, it is crucial that those new plants be environmentally sound.
The author associates the issue of global warming with that of smoking because______.
选项 A、they both suffered from the government’s negligence
B、a lesson from the latter is applicable to the former
C、the outcome of the latter aggravates the former
D、both of them have turned from bad to worse
答案B
解析 文中讲道，还记得以前的那些岁月吗，当时，科学家认为吸烟会使我们丧命，而怀疑者则坚持认为我们不能肯定这种观点?证据并不确凿，科学对此也不确定?如今，由于科学家一轮又一轮地试图唤醒我们正视全球逐渐变暖的威胁，令人忧虑的相似景象又卷土重来。最近的情况是，一个由白宫召集的全国科学协会小组告诉我们，地球的大气肯定在变暖，而且这个问题主要是人为造成的。正如有关吸烟的问题一样，来自于不同角度的观点坚持认为，有关全球变暖的科学还不完善，我们可以继续向空气中排放烟雾，直到我们确实了解其后果。据此可知，作者认为在吸烟问题上的争论与现在在全球变暖问题上的争论很相似。B项与文章的意思相符，因此B项为正确答案。
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