Save winters in the Alps 拯救阿爾卑斯山的冬天

蔣建平

阿爾卑斯山正面臨氣候威脅。自19世紀(jì)以來，這些山脈的平均氣溫上升了2 ℃，大約是全球平均上升氣溫的兩倍。在冬天，阿爾卑斯山的雪來得更晚，融化得更快……

題材：環(huán)保 體裁：說明文 文章詞數(shù)：329 建議用時：6分鐘

Alpine winters are dying. Since the 19th century， average temperatures in these mountains have risen by two degrees Celsius—about twice the global average. Snow is arriving later in the season and melting sooner. The Alps as a whole have lost about a month of snow cover， according to scientists who analyzed data from more than 2，000 weather stations.

To many of the 14 million people who live in one of the worlds most densely populated mountain ranges， the effects are terrifying. The economy here depends on snow to lure 120 million tourists a year.

To save themselves， the people of the Alps are going to lengths. An estimated 100，000 snowmaking machines now power the Alpine ski industry. Beyond snow storehouses like Kitzsteinhorn， desperate locals are wrapping the ice on a few of the Alps roughly 4，000 glaciers， to try to delay the rapid melting caused by global warming. Some of these methods are suitable and attractive; others are environmentally and economically questionable.

I was lucky enough to grow up in the Alps at a time when snow was abundant. I remember the excitement of leaving my tiny footprints in the seasons first snowfall; I remember the color of my dads cheeks as he shoveled （鏟） the house free， again and again. My parents clapped my first skis on my feet before I was three. That period turns out to be a period in history.

The pandemic shut down ski tourism across the Alps. Millions of hotel beds stayed cold. But climate change poses a more profound threat. One or two degrees of warming may not sound like much， but it can determine whether precipitation （降水） falls as snow—or rain. Turn up the temperature just a level， and snowflakes might never form. Thats why the Alps are in deep trouble， says Yves Lejeune， the scientist in charge of the Col de Porte meteorological observatory， at 4，350 feet in the western French Alps.

1. What does the first paragraph mainly talk about？

A. Global warming.

B. Economic changes in the Alps.

C. Challenges that Alpine winters face.

D. Findings from scientists new research.

2. The underlined word “l(fā)ure” in paragraph 2 can be replaced by .

A. lose B. draw C. guide D. change

3. Whats the authors attitude to the methods in paragraph 3？

A. Objective. B. Subjective. C. Supportive. D. Worried.

4. Whats the main threat to the ski tourism across the Alps？

A. Local population. B. The pandemic.

C. The lower temperature. D. Climate change.

熟詞生義

To save themselves， the people of the Alps are going to lengths. 為了拯救他們自己，阿爾卑斯山的居民正在竭盡全力。

go to lengths （to do sth） 竭盡全力（做某事）

e.g. She goes to extraordinary lengths to keep her private life private. 她竭盡全力讓自己的私生活不受干擾。C2D5BA86-65F2-4874-9215-7F046271D7EC