If you wanted to question whether global warming is indeed upon us, last week was not the time to do it. Two weeks before the official beginning of summer, a heat wave baked the eastern third of the U.S. and Canada, driving temperatures high into the 90s and even 100s. At the same time, a flurry of scientific papers was released that seemed to explain all the late-spring suffering. In one study, French researchers reported that heat-trapping greenhouse gases are at their highest levels in 420,000 years. In another, U.S. scientists found that 57 species of butterfly may be altering their migratory patterns in response to changing heat patterns.

　　In light of all this, a sweltering public must have been convinced at last that it's time to do something to cool off the overheated planet, right Wrong. Even as the temperature was climbing, a new survey by the American Geophysical Union found that Americans are less concerned than ever about combatting global warming. "The more we talk about warming," says the study's director, John Immerwahr, "the [more the] public's concern goes down."

　　Such an environmental disconnect may not be much of a mystery. Environmentalists complain that over the past two years industry groups have launched a coordinated advertising campaign to torpedo the 1997 Kyoto treaty, which requires industrial nations to reduce greenhouse emissions. More than $13 million has been spent on ads to block ratification of the treaty by the U.S. Senate. "The purpose of the ads was to convince most Americans that there isn't a problem or that it's too expensive to fix," says National Environmental Trust spokesman Peter Kelly.

　　Environmentalists also criticize President Clinton for what they believe is his failure to press the issue. Only last week, Clinton moved for Kyoto treaty changes that environmental groups see as industry-pleasing loopholes. Says Daniel Weiss, the Sierra Club's political director: "Timid leaders communicate hopelessness." And hopelessness breeds indifference. If such popular so-whating persists, Immerwahr warns, the public may begin grasping at phony solutions to global warming. At the end of last week, some people took comfort from the report of a vast haze of pollutants that collects over the Indian Ocean in the winter, but that researchers only recently studied. Filthy as the cloud is, it does deflect solar radiation, and that could lead to cooling. But scientists warn that we cannot simply pollute our way out of global warming. The soot drops from the hazy atmosphere in weeks, whereas greenhouse gases remain for centuries.

　　The way out of this gridlock, environmentalists say, is to show it's possible to reduce greenhouse gases without sinking the economy. Solutions include cleaner cars and better wind- and solar-power technologies. Says Greg Wetstone, program director for the Natural Resources Defense Council: "When these kinds of options become available, people will feel less hopeless." Of course, it's also possible that only when people feel less hopeless will they press their leaders to make the solutions available.

　　1.According to the author, global warming is ___________.
　　[A] causing a lot of trouble
　　[B] not as serious as it seems
　　[C] felt only in America and Canada
　　[D] what accounts for the high level of greenhouse gases

　　2.Speaking of global warming, American public is ______________.
　　[A] concerned
　　[B] indifferent
　　[C] worried
　　[D] frightened

　　3.The public’s reaction to global warming is mainly a result of _____________.
　　[A] their disbelief of the existence of such problem
　　[B] the advertising campaign of industrial groups
　　[C] the high cost of fixing the problem
　　[D] American Senate’s disapproval of Kyoto treaty

　　4.Which of the following is NOT mentioned in the passage
　　[A] Environmentalists urge President Clinton administration to press the issue.
　　[B] Kyoto treaty aims at curbing the global warming problem.
　　[C] American government is partly responsible for the public’s attitude toward global warming.
　　[D] Industrial groups do not care about global warming.

　　5.It can be inferred from the passage that _____________.
　　[A] environmentalists support the idea of solving global warming through pollution
　　[B] the poor leadership of American President has produced a very bad influence
　　[C] American economy will suffer if global warming is curbed
　　[D] people have no confidence in solving problem of global warming

　　答案：A B B A B

　　篇章剖析：

　　本篇文章以提出问题—分析问题—解决问题的模式分析了公众对待全球变暖的态度，原因以及解决的办法。第一段介绍了全球变暖的事实，第二段介绍了美国公众对待全球变暖漠不关心的态度，第三段分析了造成这种态度的原因，第四段分析了这种态度可能带来的后果，第五段提出了解决之道。

　　词汇注释：

　　migratory: [5mai^rEtEri] adj. 迁移的，迁徙的；移栖的

　　sweltering: [5sweltEriN] adj. 酷热的, 热得发昏的

　　disconnect: [7diskE5nekt] n. 断绝关系；没有关系（瓜葛）

　　torpedo: [tC:5pi:dEu] v. 破坏, 废弃

　　ratification: [7rAtifi5keiFEn] n. 批准

　　move: [mu:v] v. 提议

　　loophole: [5lu:phEJl] n. （为了逃避困难而）含糊其辞

　　phony: [5fEuni] adj. 假冒的，不真实的；假的

　　deflect: [di5flekt] v. 偏斜；偏离；使转向

　　soot: [sut] n. 烟灰；黑烟；烟尘

　　gridlock: [5^ridlCk] n. 完全停滞；完全缺乏移动或进步而导致拥塞或停滞

　　option: [5CpFEn] n. 选择；选择自由； 供选择的事物

　　难句突破

　　1. In light of all this, a sweltering public must have been convinced at last that it's time to do something to cool off the overheated planet, right

　　主体句式：… a … public must have been convinced … that …

　　结构分析：本句中有一个对过去事实猜测的特殊用法：must have done，另外in light of这个介词短语也容易被理解错。

　　句子译文：既然如此，热得难受的公众一定深信现在是采取措施让过热的地球降温的时候了，对吧？错了。

　　2. More than $13 million has been spent on ads to block ratification of the treaty by the U.S. Senate.

　　主体句式：More than $13 million has been spent on ads to block …

　　结构分析：这一句里容易理解出错的就是介词by引导的状语。由于句中包含一个被动语态，所以容易被理解为美国参议院出了这笔广告费，但仔细研究句子关系，会发现这个介词短语实际修饰的是ratification这个包含动作意义的名词，也就是参议院通过该条约。

　　句子译文：为了阻止该协议获得美国参议院批准而投入的广告费用已经超过1300万美元。

　　3. Only last week, Clinton moved for Kyoto treaty changes that environmental groups see as industry-pleasing loopholes

　　主体句式：Clinton moved for … changes that …

　　结构分析：这一句结构并不复杂，但有两个词容易被误解，一个是move，在这里是“提议”而不是“移动”或者“搬家”的意思，另外一个是loophole，不是“弹孔，枪眼”的意思，而是“（为了逃避困难而）含糊其辞”。

　　句子译文：就在上周，克林顿提议修改《京都议定书》，环保团体认为这是一个逃避困难，讨好工业界的举动。

　　题目分析

　　1. 答案为A，属事实细节题。作者在第一段中列举了全球变暖带来的影响，如美国加拿大遭到热浪袭击，蝴蝶改变迁徙方式等，还提到学者们正忙于解释这一切“late spring suffering”，可见全球变暖带来了诸多问题。

　　2. 答案为B，属事实细节题。文中第二段提到现在美国人对于和全球变暖作斗争一事表现得“less concerned than ever”，所以应该选择B。

　　3. 答案为B，属推理判断题。文章第三段讲了工业集团联合起来进行广告攻势，意图破坏《京都议定书》的签署，并通过广告让人们相信全球变暖的问题不存在或者解决这个问题的成本太高。由此可见公众的反应是广告攻势的结果。

　　4. 答案是A，属事实细节题。文章第四段开头指出环保主义者批评克林顿总统没有推动解决这一问题，但并没有提到敦促他去解决。

　　5. 答案为B，属推理判断题。文章第四段批评的克林顿总统的做法，并引用环保者的话说“胆小的领导人不能给人带来希望，从而导致人们的冷漠。”可见总统工作不力带来了极大的负面影响。

　　参考译文：

　　如果你想知道全球变暖是否真的已经来临，上周决不是问这个问题的时候。在夏季正式开始前两周，一股热浪席卷了占美国国土三分之一面积的东部地区和加拿大，使气温高达华氏90多度，甚至达到了100多度。与此同时，一批科学论文也纷纷发表出来，似乎都在解释所有这一切晚春之灾。在一份研究中，法国研究人员报告说使热量难以散发的温室气体现在已经达到了42万年来的最高水平。在另外一份研究中，美国科学家发现57种蝴蝶也许正在改变它们的迁徙路线以回应日益变化的热度模式。

　　既然如此，热得难受的公众一定深信现在是采取措施让过热的地球降温的时候了，对吧？错了。虽然气温在不断攀升，美国地球物理学会的一份最新调查却显示美国人比以往更加不关心同全球变暖作斗争的事情。“我们对变暖谈论得越多，”这现研究的主持人约翰·伊莫瓦尔说道，“公众就越不关心。”

　　这种对环境漠不关心的态度并不难理解。环保主义者抱怨说在过去两年工业集团发起了一场协同广告战，目的就是要破坏1997年签署的要求工业化国家减少温室气体排放量的《京都议定书》。为了阻止该协议获得美国参议院批准而投入的广告费用已经超过1300万美元。“这些广告的目的就是让大多数美国人相信根本不存在这个问题或者解决这个问题代价太过昂贵，”全国环境信托发言人彼得·凯利说道。

　　环保主义者还批评克林顿总统没有推动解决这个问题。就在上周，克林顿提议修改《京都议定书》，环保团体认为这是一个逃避困难，讨好工业界的举动。“峰峦俱乐部”（Sierra Club）的政治事务主管丹尼尔·韦斯说道：“领导人胆小怕事，不能对他们寄予希望。”而正是因为没有希望，人们也就变得漠不关心了。如果这种普遍的听之任之的态度继续下去的话，伊莫瓦尔警告说，公众也许就会对全球变暖问题采取病急乱投医的解决办法。上周末有报道说在冬天印度洋上空降会形成大片由污染物形成的烟雾，一些人对此感到颇感安慰，但研究人员知识刚刚开始研究。这片云层虽然污染严重，但它能够改变太阳辐射的方向，由此带来降温。但科学家警告说我们不能依靠污染来解决全球变暖。那片烟雾中的烟尘及周之内就会污染气层降落下来，而温室气体还将存留几个世纪。

　　环保主义者说，解决这个难题的办法就是向世人表明，人们有可能做到减少温室气体但不影响经济。解决办法包括排污量更小的汽车和更好的风能和太阳能技术。“自然资源保护委员会”项目总监格里格·韦茨通说：“有了这些东西，人们会感到更有希望。”当然，还有一种可能是，只有当人们感到更有希望时，他们才会敦促领导人寻找解决问题的办法。