应对气候变化最佳方式——种一万亿棵树

Scientists are asking: What is the best way to fight climate change? A new study says: Plant many trees; one trillion trees, maybe more. Swiss scientists say there is enough room for that many trees. In their report in the journal Science, they say there is enough space on the earth, which could cover nine million square kilometers, an area the size of the United States.
Trees take carbon dioxide out of the air, and in return, put oxygen back into the air. The study estimated that over a long period of time, the trees could take in almost 750 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. That is about as much carbon as humans have put into the atmosphere in the past 25 years. What is so bad about carbon dioxide? The gas traps heat, causing temperatures to rise.
Much of the gain from planting trees will come quickly because trees remove more carbon from the air when they are younger, the researchers said. The place that has the best possibility for removing the most carbon is the tropics— the area close to the equator. This method would also have the lowest cost, says the study co-author Thomas Crowther, a climate change ecologist at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich. This is by far, the cheapest and the most effective climate change solution, he said. The six nations with the most room for new trees are Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and China.
Before his study, Crowther thought that there were other more effective ways to fight climate change besides cutting emissions. For example, people could change their diets by no longer eating meat. But, he said, tree planting is far more effective because trees remove so much carbon dioxide from the air.

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1.The second paragraph mainly tells us ________.

A how people plant more trees

B why people should plant more trees

C when people should plant more trees

D where people should plant more trees

解析：选B。主旨大意题。根据文章第二段可知，树木从空气中吸收二氧化碳，释放氧气，二氧化碳会吸收热量，引起温度升高，由此可知第二段主要告诉我们种树的好处，即人们为什么要种树，故选B。

2.The underlined word “That” in Paragraph 2 refers ________.

A tons of oxygen

B the past 25 years

C nine million square kilometers

D 750 billion tons of carbon dioxide

解析：选D。词义猜测题。根据第二段第二句The study estimated that over a long period of time, the trees could take in almost 750 billion tons of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.可知，这项研究估计在很长一段时间内，这些树木可以从大气中吸收将近7500亿吨二氧化碳，而这大约是人类过去25年排入大气层的碳量，由此推出“That”指代7500亿吨二氧化碳，故选D。

3.Which of the following statements is TRUE according to the passage?

A Trees can’t remove the carbon in the tropics.

B Trees are less helpful when they are younger.

C There is enough space to plant one trillion or more trees on the earth.

D People can only plant trees in Russia, the United States, Canada, Australia, Brazil and China.

解析：选C。细节理解题。根据文章第一段第二及三句A new study says: Plant many trees; one trillion trees, maybe more. Swiss scientists say there is enough room for that many trees.可知，地球有足够空间容纳一万亿甚至更多树，故选C。

4.What’s the best title of the passage?

A More trees help fight climate change.

B Carbon dioxide causes temperatures to rise.

C Not eating meat is the best way to fight climate change.

D Cutting emissions is the most effective way to fight climate change.

解析：选A。主旨大意题。根据全文可知，文章主要介绍了瑞士的一项最新科学研究：种树的好处，即树能从空气中吸收二氧化碳，释放氧气，从而起到对抗气候变化的作用，故选A。