A new study by researchers at Stockholm University, University of Oulu, and Greifswald University has investigated the potential impacts of climate change on butterflies. In laboratory experiments the researchers exposed the butterflies to simulated(模拟) autumn conditions of varying temperatures and lengths.

The researchers found the butterflies exposed to warmer and longer autumn conditions lost more weight and used more energy than those exposed to milder conditions. Although the butterflies didn’t die immediately under the more elevated conditions, the researchers found that those butterflies that experienced them were less likely to survive to adulthood the following spring.

Dr Matthew Nielsen at the University of Oulu, who conducted the research at Stockholm University, said: “Climate change is making autumns warmer and last longer, and it was this specific combination of conditions that had the greatest impact on the butterflies in our study. We show that stressful conditions experienced at one time of year can have lasting negative consequences at other times of year, linking changes in one season to consequences in others.”

In the study, the butterflies were exposed to temperatures as high as 25°C for up to 16 weeks. Although these simulated autumn conditions seem extreme, the authors say these temperatures already occur in southern parts of the butterflies’ range(活动范围) and could occur further north under future climate change.

During the simulated autumn conditions, the researchers measured how much weight the butterflies lost and how much energy they used. Finally, they followed the butterflies’ survival until they died or became healthy adults during a simulated spring. Because the study was conducted in the lab and specifically designed to determine the limits of butterflies’ tolerance to warmer temperatures, there were some limitations to applying the findings to populations in the wild. For instance, the simulated conditions were constant rather than reflecting natural seasonal and daily variation. 

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1.What happened to butterflies in laboratory experiments?

A They would die young.

B They grew older in spring.

C They gained more weight.

D They needed less energy.

解析：选A。A细节理解题。根据第二段最后一句的“the researchers found that those butterflies that experienced them were less likely to survive to adulthood the following spring.”可以得知，那些经历过实验中更热、更漫长的秋天环境的蝴蝶不太可能在第二年春天存活到成年，即它们容易早死。故选A。

2.What did researchers think of the simulated autumn conditions?

A They were milder in reality.

B They were extreme but real.

C They were closely combined.

D They bring future climate change.

解析：选B。B推理判断题。根据第四段第二句的“Although these simulated autumn conditions seem extreme, the authors say these temperatures already occur in southern parts of the butterflies’ range”可知，尽管这些模拟的秋季条件看起来很极端，但这些温度已经出现在蝴蝶活动范围的南部。故选B。

3.What is the drawback of their experiment?

A It lacked comprehensive data.

B It only simulated two seasons.

C It was done in fixed conditions.

D It designed butterflies’ tolerance.

解析：选C。C细节理解题。根据最后一段最后一句“For instance, the simulated conditions were constant rather than reflecting natural seasonal and daily variation.”可知，模拟的条件是恒定的，而不是反映自然的季节和每日变化。即实验是在固定的环境条件下进行的。故选C。

4.Where does the article most likely come from?

A A travel brochure.

B A wildlife journal.

C A climate report.

D A research paper.

解析：选D。D文章出处题。本文主要讲述研究人员对蝴蝶在炎热的环境下的身体变化的相关研究以及所得到的研究结果，所以最有可能来自一篇研究论文。故选D。