《2025年天利38套五年高考真题汇编详解英语》

C
On September 7, 1991, the costliest hailstorm(雹暴) in Canadian history hit Calgary's southern suburbs. As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about 2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones. But farmers in east - central Alberta—downwind of the hail project flights—worry that precious moisture(水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding.
Norman Stienwand, who farms in that area, has been addressing public meetings on this issue for years. “Basically, the provincial government is letting the insurance companies protect the Calgary - Edmonton urban area from hail,” Mr. Stienwand says, “but they're increasing drought risk as far east as Saskatchewan.”
The Alberta hail project is managed by Terry Krauss, a cloud physicist who works for Weather Modification Inc. of Fargo, North Dakota. “We affect only a very small percentage of the total moisture in the air, so we cannot be causing drought,” Dr. Krauss says. “In fact, we may be helping increase the moisture downwind by creating wetter ground.”
One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell, a research scientist who just retired from the University of Oklahoma. “In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes(龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas,” Dr. Doswell says. “Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.”
Given the degree of doubt, Mr. Stienwand suggests, “it would be wise to stop cloud seeding.” In practice, doubt has had the opposite effect. Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit against cloud - seeding companies. Hence, private climate engineering can proceed in relative legal safety.

28.What does the project aim to do?
A. Conserve moisture in the soil.
B. Prevent the formation of hailstones.
C. Forecast disastrous hailstorms.
D. Investigate chemical use in farming.

29.Who are opposed to the project?
A. Farmers in east - central Alberta.
B. Managers of insurance companies.
C. Provincial government officials.
D. Residents of Calgary and Edmonton.

30.Why does Dr. Doswell mention the tornadoes he saw in 1999?
A. To compare different kinds of seeding methods.
B. To illustrate the development of big hailstorms.
C. To indicate a possible danger of cloud seeding.
D. To show the link between storms and moisture.

31.What can we infer from the last paragraph?
A. Scientific studies have proved Stienwand right.
B. Private climate engineering is illegal in Canada.
C. The doubt about cloud seeding has disappeared.
D. Cloud - seeding companies will continue to exist.

答案： 28.B 细节理解题 [定位句]As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about 2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones.(第一段第二、三句)
译文：因此，自1996年以来，一个保险集团公司每年在Alberta冰雹抑制项目上花费约200万美元。飞机在有威胁的风暴单体中播撒一种化学物质，使小冰晶在变成危险的冰雹之前像雨一样落下。
[解析]该题问的是这个项目旨在做什么。根据定位句可知，该项目是为了抑制冰雹的形成。故选B。
29.A 细节理解题 [定位句]But farmers in east-central Alberta—downwind of the hail project flights—worry that precious moisture(水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding.(第一段最后一句)
译文：但是在Alberta中东部——处于“防冰雹项目”施行的下风处，那里的农民担心人工降雨正在从他们干旱的土地上偷走宝贵的水分。
[解析]该题问的是谁反对这个项目。根据定位句可知，Alberta中东部的农民反对这个项目。故选A。
30.C 推理判断题 [定位句]“Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.”(第四段最后两句)
译文：“人工降雨会制造致命风暴还是减少下风处的水分？当然，没有人真正知道，但是(人工)降雨还在继续。”
[解析]该题问的是为什么Doswell博士提到他在1999年看到的龙卷风。根据第四段内容尤其是第一句中的“One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell”和定位句可知，Doswell博士对人工降雨的安全性持怀疑态度。他说1999年在堪萨斯州目睹了由种子风暴单体形成的重大龙卷风。由此可推知，Doswell博士提到他在1999年看到的龙卷风是为了提示人工降雨可能带来的危险。故选C。
31.D 推理判断题 [解析]根据第五段内容可知，由于缺乏有关其影响的科学证据，无人能成功赢得对人工降雨公司的诉讼。因此，私人气候工程可以在相对合法的条件下进行。由此可推知，人工降雨公司将会继续存在。故选D。