《2025年小题狂做高中英语必修第三册译林版》

B
[江苏南京雨花台中学月考]Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can ruin a region’s agriculture. They’re also becoming increasingly common as the planet warms. In a study published in the journal Communications Earth & Environment, we found that the risk of flash droughts, which can develop in just a few weeks, is on the rise in every major agricultural region around the world in the coming decades.
In North America and Europe, cropland that had a 32% annual chance of a flash drought a few years ago could have a greater chance of a flash drought by the final decades of this century. That result would put food production, energy, and water supplies under increasing pressure. The cost of damage will also rise. A flash drought in the Dakotas and Montana in 2017 caused 2. 6 billion in agricultural damage in America alone.
All droughts begin when rainfall stops. What’s interesting about flash droughts is how fast they strengthen themselves, with some help from the warming climate. When the weather is hot and dry, soil loses moisture rapidly. Dry air extracts moisture from the land, and rising temperatures can increase this evaporative( 蒸发的) demand. The lack of rain during a flash drought can further contribute to the feedback processes. Under these conditions, crops and vegetation begin to die much more quickly than they do during typical long-term droughts.
In our study, we used climate models and data from the past 170 years to assess the drought risks ahead under three conditions for how quickly the world takes action to slow the pace of global warming. If greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles, power plants, and other human sources continue at a high rate, we found that cropland in much of North America and Europe would have a 53% annual chance of flash droughts, by the final decades of this century. Globally, the largest increases in flash droughts would be in Europe and the Amazon. Slowing emissions can reduce the risk significantly, but we found flash droughts would still increase by about 6% worldwide under low emission conditions.
(C) 1. What is the feature of flash droughts?
A. Seldom happen and greatly beneficial.
B. Frequently happen and low risky.
C. Suddenly happen and highly destructive.
D. Regularly happen and slightly harmful.
(C) 2. Which of the following statements may the author agree with?
A. Crops and vegetation die more quickly during long-term droughts.
B. Slowing emissions can completely solve the problem of flash droughts.
C. In Europe cropland will suffer from more flash droughts by the end of this century.
D. Flash droughts won’t have any effect on food production, energy, and water supplies.
(B) 3. What may be a factor that strengthens flash droughts?
A. Adequate rainfall.
B. The warming climate.
C. The cold and wet weather.
D. Long-term droughts.
(D) 4. How can humans help reduce flash droughts?
A. By studying climate models.
B. By speeding up global warming.
C. By changing cropland into forests.
D. By decreasing greenhouse gas emissions.

答案： B
【语篇导读】本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了骤旱的特点、影响以及人类可以采取的预防措施。
1. C 细节理解题
【关键句】Flash droughts develop fast, and when they hit at the wrong time, they can ruin a region’s agriculture.
释义：骤旱发展迅速，当它们在错误的时间袭来时，可能会破坏一个地区的农业。
【解析】根据关键句可知，骤旱的特点是突然发生且具有高度破坏性。故选C项。
2. C 推理判断题
【关键句】In North America and Europe, cropland that had a 32% annual chance of a flash drought a few years ago could have a greater chance of a flash drought by the final decades of this century.
释义：在北美洲和欧洲，几年前每年有32%的可能性会发生骤旱的农田，在21世纪最后几十年有更大的可能性会发生骤旱。
【解析】根据关键句可知，研究发现，到21世纪末，欧洲的农田可能将遭受更多的骤旱，可见作者会赞同C项的表述。
【干扰项辨析】根据第三段最后四句可知，在炎热干燥（hot and dry）且少雨（lack of rain）的情况下，即在骤旱的情况下，作物和植被死亡的速度比在典型的长期干旱条件下更快，A项的表述错误，所以排除。根据最后一段最后一句可知，减缓排放能减少骤旱发生的风险，但在低排放条件下，骤旱发生的可能性仍将增加约6%，这说明减缓排放无法杜绝骤旱发生，所以排除B项。
3. B 细节理解题
【关键句】What’s interesting about flash droughts is how fast they strengthen themselves, with some help from the warming climate.
释义：骤旱的有趣之处在于，在气候变暖的帮助下，它们自我强化的速度非常快。
【解析】根据关键句可知，气候变暖是骤旱增强的一个因素。故选B项。
4. D 推理判断题
【关键句】Slowing emissions can reduce the risk significantly, but we found flash droughts would still increase by about 6% worldwide under low emission conditions.
释义：减缓排放可以显著降低骤旱风险，但我们发现，在低排放条件下，全球发生骤旱的可能性仍将增加约6%。
【解析】根据关键句可推知，人类可以通过减少温室气体排放从而减少骤旱的发生。故选D项。