Question

【題目】Are Coral Reefs(珊瑚礁) Adapting to Climate Change?

Scientists reported that climate change might actually be helping ancient trees thrive(長得健壯). Now there seems to be more positive news—this time about the coral in our oceans whose population has been severely affected in last few decades by rising temperatures, disease and human carelessness.

Coral reefs as you probably know are not just colorful calcium carbonate(鈣碳酸鹽)structures that provide shelter to a wonderful number of fish, but also a close relationship or partnership between coral polyps(珊瑚蟲) and single celled living things called zooxanthellae(蟲黃藻). The coral polyps give the zooxanthellae a home and in return the later provide the coral polyps with their vivid color and food. They support each other in a fantastic balance, one that is getting severely damaged by the rising temperatures which are causing the coral polyps to reject their zooxanthellae friends, removing their color and food source.

Scientists estimate the phenomenon of rising temperatures combined with disease has destroyed the coral reef population by more than 80%. It is therefore no wonder that scientists all over the world are looking for solutions to try to restore this all important link to sea life. However, while human efforts like planting the coral again have been somewhat successful, they are not enough to replace all the coral that has been dying due to climate change. That is probably why reports by various researchers about certain types of coral being able to not only survive the changing ocean conditions, but also thrive in it, are being met with such enthusiasm. The most recent findings show that despite higher temperatures the coral reefs seem to be thriving.

These findings are consistent with the lab research conducted by the scientists who tried growing different varieties of coral in waters with higher temperature to see how they would react. They were surprised to discover that most of them survived and some seemed to adapt and grow normally. Encouraged by these and other similar findings, more energetic species have been introduced to see if coral reefs can be restored to their former glory. A program is busy analyzing the world's oceans to find more varieties that can be used for this same purpose．

However, we are not out of the woods yet! Scientists are still not sure how they would introduce these varieties to areas where they are not abundant and more importantly what the consequences would be on the surrounding sea life. Hopefully, the combination of new scientific research and fewer human mistakes will allow our beautiful coral to thrive again!

【1】Which word can be used to complete the following relationship?

Coral reefs are a bridge between coral polyps and zooxanthellae.

→Coral polyps and zooxanthellae depend on one another.

→The ________ between coral polyps and zooxanthellae is suffering from severe damage.

A. homeB. structure

C. balanceD. color

【2】The underlined words in Paragraph 4 mean ________.

A. to allow coral reefs to thrive again

B. to find more varieties of coral

C. to survive the changing ocean conditions

D. to see how coral reacts in higher temperature

【3】We can infer from the passage that ________.

A. climate change has the same effect on both ancient trees and coral

B. replanting the coral can solve the problem of coral reefs' decrease

C. various researchers are interested in the reports on the changing ocean conditions

D. the lab research has encouraged scientists to restore coral reefs to their former glory

Answer 1

【答案】

【1】C

【2】A

【3】D

【解析】

這是一篇說明文。文章主要講了實驗表明，通過引入更有活力的物種，珊瑚礁有望恢復昔日的輝煌。

【1】細節理解題。答案定位在第二段They support each other in a fantastic balance, one that is getting severely damaged by the rising temperatures which are causing the coral polyps to reject their zooxanthellae friends, removing their color and food source.（它們在一種奇妙的平衡中互相支持，而溫度的升高嚴重破壞了這種平衡，導致珊瑚蟲排斥它們的黃藻朋友，失去了它們的顏色和食物來源。）由此可知，珊瑚蟲和黃藻之間的平衡正遭受嚴重破壞，故選C。

【2】推理判斷題。上文Encouraged by these and other similar findings, more energetic species have been introduced to see if coral reefs can be restored to their former glory.說受到這些和其他類似發現的鼓舞，更有活力的物種被引入，看看珊瑚礁是否能恢復到以前的輝煌。由此可知，下文A program is busy analyzing the world's oceans to find more varieties that can be used for this same purpose．意思是程序正忙著分析世界上的海洋尋找更多的可用于這一目的品種。“this same purpose”指的是讓珊瑚礁重新繁榮起來，故選A。

【3】推理判斷題。答案定位在最后一段Hopefully, the combination of new scientific research and fewer human mistakes will allow our beautiful coral to thrive again!（有希望的是，新的科學研究和更少的人為錯誤的結合能讓我們美麗的珊瑚再次繁榮起來!）由此推斷出，這項實驗室研究鼓勵科學家們恢復珊瑚礁昔日的輝煌，故選D。