閱讀理解分析（A） 實(shí)戰(zhàn)演練 三

（三）Weather Map

A weather map is an important tool for geographers. A succession of three or four maps presents a continuous picture of weather changes. Weather forecasts are able to determine the speed of air masses and fronts; to determine whether an individual pressure area is deepening or becoming shallow and whether a front is increasing or decreasing in intensity. They are also able to determine whether an air mass is retaining its original characteristics or taking on those of the surface over which it is moving. Thus, a most significant function of the map is to reveal a synoptic picture of conditions in the atmosphere at a given time.

All students of geography should be able to interpret a weather map accurately. Weather maps contain an enormous amount of information about weather conditions existing at the time of observation over a large geographical area. They reveal in a few minutes what otherwise would take hours to describe. The United States Weather Bureau issues information about approaching storms, floods, frosts, droughts, and all climatic conditions in general. Twice a month it issues a 30-day "outlook" which is a rough guide to weather conditions likely to occur over broad areas of the United States. These 30-day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms.

Considerable effort is being exerted today to achieve more accurate weather predictions. With the use of electronic instruments and earth satellites, enormous gains have taken place recently in identifying and tracking storms over regions which have but few meteorological stations. Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies. But the limitations of weather modification have prevented meteorological results except in the seeding of super-cooled, upslope mountainous winds which have produced additional orographic precipitation on the windward side of mountain ranges. Nevertheless, they have provided a clearer understanding of the fundamentals of weather elements.

［詞匯提示］

geographer n. 地理學(xué)者

air mass n. 氣團(tuán)

synoptic adj. 概要的，天氣的

weather bureau n. 氣象局

meteorological station n. 氣象站

orographical adj. 山岳形態(tài)的，地形的

barometric adj. 大氣壓力的

1. One characteristic of weather maps not mentioned by the author in this passage is________.

A. wind speed

B. thermal changes

C. fronts

D. barometric pressure

2. The thirty-day forecast is determined by examining________.

A. upper air levels

B. satellite reports

C. changing fronts

D. daily air maps

3. The observation of weather conditions by satellites is advantageous because it________.

A. gives the scientist information not obtained readily otherwise

B. enables man to alter the weather

C. uses electronic instruments

D. is modern

4. A weather map is synoptic because it________.

A. summarizes a great deal of information

B. can be interpreted accurately

C. appears daily

D. shows changing fronts

5. At the present time, experiments are being conducted in________.

A. 30-day "outlook"

B. controlling storms

C. satellites

D. manipulating weather

［答案解析］

1．B。［解析］三正一誤細(xì)節(jié)考查題。選項(xiàng)A、C和D都在原文中有所提及，只有B項(xiàng)作者未提到，故答案為B。

2．A。［解析］細(xì)節(jié)考查題。答案在原文第二段最后一句話：These 30-day outlooks are based upon an analysis of the upper air levels which often set the stage for the development of air masses, fronts, and storms.

3．D。［解析］涉及原因的細(xì)節(jié)考查題。文中未提到選項(xiàng)A和B，而選項(xiàng)C和衛(wèi)星的共同使用使得天氣預(yù)報(bào)更為精確。

4．A。［解析］涉及原因的細(xì)節(jié)考查題。此處synoptic意為“概要的”，那么答案就顯而易見了，“氣象圖是展示整體概況的，因?yàn)樗攀隽舜罅康男畔?rdquo;。

5．D。［解析］細(xì)節(jié)考查題。答案在原文最后一段第三句：Extensive experiments are also in progress for weather modification studies. 故答案為D。選項(xiàng)A、B和C都屬于以偏概全的局部信息。