The world's oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last 40 years than previously thought due to climate change, Australian and US climate researchers reported Wednesday. Higher ocean temperatures expand the volume of water, contributing to a rise in sea levels that is submerging small island nations and threatening to do damage in low-lying, densely-populated delta regions around the globe.
The study, published in the British journal Nature, adds to a growing scientific chorus of warnings about the pace and consequences of rising oceans. It also serves as a corrective to a massive report issued last year by the Nobel-winning UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), according to the authors.
Rising sea levels are driven by two things: the thermal expansion of sea water, and additional water from melting sources of ice. Both processes are caused by global warming. The ice sheet that sits atop Greenland, for example, contains enough water to raise world ocean levels by seven metres (23 feet), which would bury sea-level cities from Dhaka to Shanghai.
Trying to figure out how much each of these factors contributes to rising sea levels is critically important to understanding climate change, and forecasting future temperature rises, scientists say. But up to now, there has been a perplexing gap between the projections of computer-based climate models, and the observations of scientists gathering data from the oceans.
The new study, led by Catia Domingues of the Centre for Australian Weather and Climate Research, is the first to reconcile the models with observed data. Using new techniques to assess ocean temperatures to a depth of 700 metres (2,300 feet) from 1961 to 2003, it shows that thermal warming contributed to a 0.53 millimeter-per year rise in sea levels rather than the 0.32 mm rise reported by the IPCC.
Questions:
36. What happens when the ocean's temperature rises?
[A] It causes sea levels to rise.
[B] It causes sea levels to remain constant.
[C] It causes sea levels to decrease.
[D] It causes sea levels to remain calm.
-
The rise in water levels is especially dangerous for small island nations and ______
[A] low-lying urban areas
[B] all coastal cities
[C] people who live on the beach
[D] people who live around the globe
-
The new study ______
[A] shows that thermal warming contributed to a 0.32 millimeter-per year rise in sea levels
[B] did not reveal anything that scientists didn't already know
[C] used new techniques to assess ocean temperatures
[D] shows how quickly the sea levels fall
-
Ultimately, the new study should help scientists to ______
[A] lower water levels
[B] find out what is wrong with the earth
[C] bury sea-level cities like Dhaka and Shanghai
[D] better predict climate change
-
What was the main finding of the study?
[A] Not enough is being done about global warming.
[B] Ocean waters have warmed faster than scientists had previously thought.
[C] The warming of the world's oceans is not a threat.
[D] The rise of sea levels has nothing to do with ocean temperature.
- 细节定位与语义验证
原文明确指出：“Higher ocean temperatures expand the volume of water, contributing to a rise in sea levels”（海洋温度升高会使海水体积膨胀，进而导致海平面上升），选项 A 与原文表述完全一致。
- 干扰项排除
- B “海平面保持不变”、C “海平面下降” 与原文 “导致海平面上升” 直接矛盾；
- D “海平面保持平静” 原文未提及，无中生有。
- 学术扩展：考博英语科普类阅读理解常考查 “因果逻辑”，本题中 “温度升高→体积膨胀→海平面上升” 的链条是核心考点，需精准捕捉科学现象的因果关联。
- 细节定位与语义提炼
原文提及海平面上升 “submerging small island nations and threatening to do damage in low-lying, densely-populated delta regions”（淹没小岛国，并可能对地势低洼、人口密集的三角洲地区造成破坏），“low-lying urban areas”（地势低洼的城市地区）与 “low-lying, densely-populated delta regions” 语义高度一致。
- 干扰项排除
- B “所有沿海城市” 表述绝对，原文仅强调 “地势低洼、人口密集” 的沿海区域，非全部；
- C “住在海滩的人”、D “全球所有人” 语义宽泛，未体现 “地势低洼、人口密集” 的核心限定条件。
- 学术扩展：细节题需关注原文的修饰限定词（如 low-lying、densely-populated），避免被绝对化或宽泛化的选项干扰。
- 细节定位与语义验证
原文明确说明：“Using new techniques to assess ocean temperatures to a depth of 700 metres... it shows that...”（该研究使用新技术评估了 700 米深处的海洋温度……），选项 C 与原文表述一致。
- 干扰项排除
- A“导致海平面每年上升 0.32 毫米” 是 IPCC 的报告结果，而非新研究的发现；
- B “未揭示科学家未知的内容” 与原文 “首次调和了模型与观测数据” 矛盾，新研究有突破性发现；
- D “展示海平面下降速度” 原文未提及，无中生有。
- 学术扩展：科普类文章常强调研究方法的创新性，“using new techniques” 是解题关键，需重点关注研究的技术手段或创新点。
- 推理题定位与逻辑推导
原文指出：“Trying to figure out how much each of these factors contributes to rising sea levels is critically important to understanding climate change, and forecasting future temperature rises”（明确各因素对海平面上升的影响，对理解气候变化和预测未来气温上升至关重要），而新研究首次调和了模型与观测数据，因此能帮助科学家 “更好地预测气候变化”，选项 D 正确。
- 干扰项排除
- A “降低海平面”、B “找出地球存在的问题” 原文未提及，无依据；
- C “淹没达卡和上海等沿海城市” 是海平面上升的潜在后果，而非研究的作用。
- 学术扩展：推理题需基于研究的 “科学价值” 推导结论，本题中研究的核心价值是 “完善气候模型，助力预测”，需把握科研类文章的核心目的。
- 主旨定位与语义提炼
文章开篇即点明核心发现：“The world's oceans have warmed 50 percent faster over the last 40 years than previously thought due to climate change”（过去 40 年全球海洋变暖速度比此前认为的快 50%），选项 B 是对该核心发现的精准概括。
- 干扰项排除
- A “全球变暖的应对措施不足” 原文未提及，无中生有；
- C “海洋变暖不构成威胁” 与原文 “威胁小岛国和低洼地区” 矛盾；
- D “海平面上升与海洋温度无关” 与原文 “温度升高导致海平面上升” 完全矛盾。
- 学术扩展：科普类文章的主旨常位于开篇，需快速定位 “研究结论 + 核心数据”（如 50 percent faster、previously thought），精准把握文章核心信息。
Directions: Read the following text and fill each of the numbered spaces with ONE suitable word chosen from the box below. Write your answers on the ANSWER SHEET.
[but, laws, message, public, president, against, immigrants, instance, business, that, consideration, info, require, spoken, huge]
English as an official language has gained momentum as proponents keep going to the ballot box with measures that discourage bilingual ballots, notices and documents. Thirty states now have 21 specifying that official government communications be in English, says U.S. English, a group 22 promotes the laws. This year such bills are under 23 in 19 legislatures. "It's multiplying tremendously," says Mauro Mujica, a Chilean immigrant and chairman and CEO of U.S. English. "We've made 24 progress."
Critics do not see progress. Some say the increase in the measures nationwide sends a hostile 25 to newcomers. "It just poisons the atmosphere in local communities," says John Trasvina, general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund. Typically the proposed laws 26 that documents, ballots and other communications be published in English. Exempt are communications to protect 27 health and safety or efforts to promote tourism.
- [A] laws [B] message [C] public [D] business
- [A] that [B] but [C] against [D] instance
- [A] consideration [B] info [C] require [D] spoken
- [A] huge [B] public [C] immigrants [D] president
- [A] message [B] laws [C] against [D] info
- 语义逻辑与词汇适配
后文明确提及 “a group that promotes the laws”（一个推广这些法律的组织），此处 “laws”（法律）与后文形成语义呼应，句意为 “30 个州现已出台法律规定政府官方沟通必须使用英语”。
- 干扰项排除
- B “信息”、C “公众”、D “商业” 均无法与后文 “promotes the laws” 形成合理衔接，语义不符。
- 学术扩展：完形填空常考查 “前后语义呼应”，本题需通过后文的 “the laws” 反向推导前文空格的词汇，把握篇章的语义连贯性。
- 语法结构与逻辑衔接
此处为定语从句，先行词为 “a group”，引导词在从句中作主语，故用 “that”，句意为 “一个推广这些法律的组织”。
- 干扰项排除
- B “但是” 表转折，无转折逻辑；
- C “反对” 为介词，无法引导定语从句；
- D “例子” 语义与语境无关。
- 学术扩展：考博英语完形填空中定语从句引导词是高频考点，需重点区分 “that（指人或物，作主语 / 宾语）”“which（指物，作主语 / 宾语）”“who（指人，作主语）” 的用法。
- 固定搭配与语义逻辑
“under consideration” 为固定搭配，意为 “正在审议中”，句意为 “今年有 19 个州的立法机构正在审议此类法案”，符合 “法案推进流程” 的语境。
- 干扰项排除
- B “信息”、C “要求”、D “口头的” 均无法与 “under” 构成合理搭配，语义不符。
- 学术扩展：“under + 名词” 的固定搭配是完形填空高频考点，需积累 “under consideration（审议中）”“under control（可控）”“under investigation（调查中）” 等常用组合。
- 科普类文章重点关注 “因果逻辑”“研究方法”“核心发现”，精准捕捉科学现象的关联；
- 细节题采用 “关键词定位法”，验证选项与原文的语义一致性，关注修饰限定词，避免绝对化选项；
- 主旨题快速定位开篇或结尾的核心结论，把握文章的核心研究发现或观点。
- 积累高频固定搭配（如 under consideration、send a message）和学术词汇搭配，提升选词准确性；
- 强化定语从句、主谓一致等语法考点，确保句式结构正确；
- 做题时注重前后语义呼应，通过后文信息反向推导前文空格词汇，把握篇章连贯性。
- 辩论类写作需明确单一立场，从 “根源 - 影响 - 解决方案” 或 “重要性 - 例证 - 可行性” 维度展开论证；
- 选用具体案例（如中国脱贫攻坚、农村教育现状）增强说服力，避免空泛论述；
- 结尾升华主题，结合社会发展或公共利益，体现学术视野与社会责任感。
通过系统利用真题资料和科学的备考方法，考生可高效提升考博英语综合能力，助力顺利上岸西北农林科技大学博士研究生。
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