Question

The weather. It's always a talking-point in Britain. Why is that? Is it something strange about British people? Well it's nice to think that a lot of British people are eccentric（古怪）, I mean, the place is famous for it. But really, it's the weather that's the point of note. The UK has some of the most interesting weather in the world.

"Britain does not have a CLIMATE. It just has WEATHER"

In hot countries most of the indoor places that need to be comfortable are air-conditioned, and in cold countries most of the places that need to be comfortable are properly heated. The UK is the exception, since the weather is often interesting and no one really takes heat and cold seriously. So although the weather can be very cold, very hot, very wet, or just wildly confused, it always takes people by surprise.

When it gets to winter and there is actually some SNOW, it always takes the people by surprise. It is frontpage news, and even a few inches of snow brings the country to a standstill. But then, what happens next is even more surprising and catches the folk off guard completely. And who could possibly have predicted it?! IT MELTS! Flooding! What a surprise!

Then in the summer, it gets very hot. If it had been Thailand or Australia, there'd be no problem. It is supposed to be hot, so, there is air conditioning. But in the UK, just total confusion at the sudden hot weather. Shock, health problems, and despite the fact that the country is considered to be where it always rains, summertime brings drought! But do people have cisterns（水箱） and reserve water tanks? Wouldn't it make sense for people to store rainwater in case of drought? Of course it would, but it is a dependency-culture where people have been trained to be dependent on the state, which then means that in emergency people are stuck! Why is the British weather so strange? It is something to do with the combination of an almost Arctic latitude（纬度） combined with being an island and having the Gulf Stream bringing warm weather from the tropics.

Helpful people in the know on geographical meteorology（气象学） have commented that the general situation with the UK weather is even more complex, as many different things contribute to the changeable weather. As well as the North Atlantic drift, there is the fact that the UK is affected by the following major air masses: the tropical maritime（海的）Gulf Stream, the Polar Maritime air from the North, the Arctic Maritime, the Polar Continental, and the Tropical Continental. There's also fast flowing air in Jet Streams. Air goes around in convection currents in Hadley Cells and in Ferrel Cells. Because the British Isles can get weather coming from hot or cold zones, and from land or sea, a changeable hot/cold wet/dry weather is found.

1.What is the British attitude toward heat and cold?

A. Serious.    B. Indifferent.

C. Positive.    D. Careful.

2.How do the British feel when they see snow in winter?

A. Excited.    B. Frightened.

C. Amazed.    D. Disappointed.

3.What happens when the British meet a drought in summer?

A. They have got well-prepared.    B. They get water from the river.

C. They always help each other.    D. They maybe fall into trouble.

4.What is the passage mainly about?

A. Why weather interests the British.    B. Englishmen's attitude to weather.

C. Weather in the United Kingdom.    D. What affects the weather in the UK.

Answer

1.B

2.C

3.D

4.C

【解析】天气是英国人经常说的话题，本文介绍英国的多变天气以及引起英国多变天气的原因。

1.细节理解题。根据第三段的内容The UK is the exception, since the weather is often interesting and no one really takes heat and cold seriously.（英国是个例外，因为天气经常是很有趣的，没有人认真对待热和冷。）可知，英国人对冷和热的态度很冷漠，故选B。

2.细节理解题。根据第四段内容When it gets to winter and there is actually some SNOW, it always takes the people by surprise.（当冬天到来时，事实上会下一些雪，它总是带给人们惊讶。）可知，英国人在冬天看到雪会觉得很惊讶，故选C。

3.推理判断题。根据第五段的内容summertime brings drought! But do people have cisterns(水箱) and reserve water tanks? Wouldn't it make sense for people to store rainwater in case of drought? Of course it would, but it is a dependency-culture where people have been trained to be dependent on the state, which then means that in emergency people are stuck!(夏天会有干旱！人们没有水箱储存水吗？人们储存水以防干旱不是很合理吗？当然合理，但是英国是一个依赖文化的国家，那儿的人们被训练的很依赖国家，这就意味着在紧急情况下人们就卡住了。)可推断，英国人在夏天遇到干旱时会陷入困境，故选D。

4.主旨大意题。通读全文可知，全文介绍英国的多变天气以及引起英国多变天气的原因，故C项Weather in the United Kingdom.（英国的天气）符合，故选C。