首页
外语
计算机
考研
公务员
职业资格
财经
工程
司法
医学
专升本
自考
实用职业技能
登录
外语
New ice core samples taken from the centre of the Greenland ice-sheet have given a detailed record of the last "interglacial(间冰期
New ice core samples taken from the centre of the Greenland ice-sheet have given a detailed record of the last "interglacial(间冰期
admin
2010-07-24
34
问题
New ice core samples taken from the centre of the Greenland ice-sheet have given a detailed record of the last "interglacial(间冰期)" which ran from about 135,000 to 115,000 years ago. The cores, taken from a depth of 2,780 to 2,870 metres, show that during this period the climate oscillated(摆动) between three states instead of remaining in one, as in the whole of recorded human history. The middle state was like our own, but the others were either much colder or warmer.
Worse, it seems that the climate flipped from one Condition to another very rapidly. "It apparently took very little time, perhaps less than a decade or two, to shift between the states," Dr. J. C. W. White of the Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research at the University of Colorado wrote earlier this year in the scientific journal, Nature: "We humans have built a remarkable socio-economic system during perhaps the only time when it could be built, when the climate was stable enough to let us develop the agricultural infrastructure(基础设) required to maintain an advanced society. "
We do not know why we have been so blessed. But if the Earth had an operating manual, the chapter on climate might begin with a warning that the system has been adjusted at the factory for optimum comfort-so don’t touch the dials.
Unfortunately, we have been "twiddling the knobs(旋钮)" for decades. In December 1995 the official Intergovernmental Panel on Climatic Change (IPCC., which represents the work of 2,000 top meteorologists from around the world, concluded that global warming due to human activities is probably already taking place. Global warming sounds deceptively favorable to inhabitants of countries which currently experience harsh winters. In fact, with global warming, the world would struggle to cope with the effects of even a steady, gradual warming. This was spelt out to members of the British Royal Society by Sir John Houghton, chairman both of Britain’s Royal Commission of Environmental Pollution and of one of the main IPCC working groups. Houghton put forward the IPCC picture of seas flooding much of Egypt, Southern China and Bangladesh, making "many millions" of people homeless ; of hordes of "environmental refugees" and of wars breaking out over dwindling ( becoming gradually smaller) fresh water supplies, as world rainfall patterns changed.
There is at least a chance that the world could adapt to steady warming if it happened slowly enough. However, many scientists, believe that even this prediction from the IPCC is too cautious.
What does "we have been ’twiddling the knobs’ for decades" mean?
选项
A、We have been changing the climate with thoughtless actions for decades.
B、We have been handling machines with poor skills for decades.
C、We have been following a misleading chapter about the earth for decades.
D、We have been mistaken in the belief in developing the agricultural infrastructure.
答案
A
解析
根据以上的理解,此句中的twiddling the knobs与上一句中的touch the dials相比,更进一步。这用来比喻人们一直不顾大自然的法则,行为过分,改变了地球上的环境,包括气候。
转载请注明原文地址:https://kaotiyun.com/show/kVN7777K
0
大学英语四级
相关试题推荐
OneafternoonjustbeforeChristmas,anoldgentlemanwas【B1】______throughthecitycentre.Thegaily【B2】______shopswerepacked
Therearetwofactorsthatdetermineanindividual’sintelligence.Thefirstisthesortofbrainheorshewasbornwith.Human
Ifwearetoensurethatourchildrenandgrandchildreninheritaworldthatisnotalteredfortheworsebyglobalwarming,we
A、ToanItalianrestaurantacrossthestreet.B、ToaFrenchrestaurantonRainbowAvenue.C、ToaMexicanrestaurantaroundthec
Throughouthistorythebasicunitofalmosteveryhumansocietyhasbeenthefamily.Membersofafamilylivetogetherunderthe
Marriageisthesociallyrecognizedandapprovedunionbetweenindividuals,whocommittooneanotherwiththeexpectationofa
Marriageisthesociallyrecognizedandapprovedunionbetweenindividuals,whocommittooneanotherwiththeexpectationofa
Marriageisthesociallyrecognizedandapprovedunionbetweenindividuals,whocommittooneanotherwiththeexpectationofa
WhenIsay"communication,"mostofyoumaythinkabout【B1】______communication—thatisthewordsweusewhenwetalktosomeone.
AstheworldexcitedlygreetedSnuppy,thefirstcloned(克隆)dog,commentatorscelebratedourcleverness.Manyfeelproudthato
随机试题
A.地西泮B.佐匹克隆C.唑吡坦D.三唑仑E.苯巴比妥用于治疗严重睡眠障碍;偶发性失眠症和暂时性失眠症的是
下列选项中,不属于民事诉讼当事人的是
目多见于
大多数Burkitt淋巴瘤染色体为
继发性腹膜炎最常见的病原菌是
在IP协议中用来进行组播的IP地址是()地址。
下列各项中,在计算企业全部投入资本总额时不需要考虑的是()。
按照设计模式的目的进行划分,现有的设计模式可以分为三类。其中创建型模式通过采用抽象类所定义的接口,封装了系统中对象如何创建、组合等信息,其代表有①模式等;②模式主要用于如何组合已有的类和对象以获得更大的结构,其代表有Adapter模式等;
执行下列语句后,输出结果为steven的是 Char * str="steven"; cout. write(str, );
HowdidtheEnglishChannelcomeintobeing?
最新回复
(
0
)