研究人員稱，目前全球氣候變暖的速度和程度超過了過去 2000 年中的任何類似事件。這表明，像 “小冰河期” 這樣著名的歷史事件與上個世紀所見的全球變暖的規模無法相提并論。

文字稿

From the ‘Roman Warm Period’ to the ‘Little Ice Age’ that began in the 14th Century, the past two millennia have seen periods of hot and cold weather that have extended for centuries. As a result, many have argued that the current period of global warming that started with the Industrial Revolution is part of a natural pattern and the human role in creating it has been exaggerated.

從羅馬溫暖期到 14 世紀開始的小冰河期，過去的 2000 年經歷了幾個世紀的冷熱交替。因此，許多人認為，始于工業革命的當前全球氣候變暖是一種自然現象，而人類在其中所扮演的角色被夸大了。

This new study suggests that is not the case. Scientists reconstructed the major climate events of the past 2,000 years by looking at around 700 records, including tree rings, ice cores and lake sediments. Not one single event affected as much of the world as the present period of warming is now doing. Other scientists who’ve looked at the study have been impressed by the quality of the research.

這項新的研究表明事實并非如此。科學家們通過查閱包括樹木年輪、冰芯和湖泊沉積物在內的約 700 項記錄，重現了過去 2000 年的主要氣候事件。沒有一個單一的事件像目前氣候變暖一樣對世界的影響那么大。其他看過這項研究的科學家對這項研究的質量交口稱贊。

The scientists involved argue that the new findings debunk many theories put forward by climate sceptics to explain the rise in temperatures, including variations in solar activity. The current period of climate change is mainly down to humans, they argue. Natural causes, they say, are simply not sufficient to explain the warming scene over the last century and a half.

參與研究的科學家們認為，這些新發現推翻了氣候變化懷疑論者為解釋氣溫上升而提出的許多理論，包括太陽活動的變化。他們認為，目前的氣候變化主要是由人類造成的。他們說，自然原因根本不足以解釋過去一個半世紀全球氣候變暖的現象。

詞匯

millennia 一千年
the Industrial Revolution 工業革命
exaggerated 被夸大了
reconstructed 重現了
tree rings 樹木的年輪
ice cores 冰芯
sediments 沉淀物
debunk 揭露……的真相
sceptics 持懷疑態度的人
solar activity 太陽活動
natural causes 自然因素

閱讀理解：請在讀完上文后，回答下列問題 。

1. What has the weather been like over the past 2,000 years?

2. How were scientists able to reconstruct the climate events of the past 2,000 years?

3. Why are some scientists impressed by this new research?

4. True or false? Natural causes cannot explain the warming climate in the last century and a half.

答案

1. What has the weather been like over the past 2,000 years?
The past two millennia have seen periods of hot and cold weather that have extended for centuries.

2. How were scientists able to reconstruct the climate events of the past 2,000 years?
Scientists reconstructed the major climate events of the past 2,000 years by looking at around 700 records.

3. Why are some scientists impressed by this new research?
Other scientists who’ve looked at the study have been impressed by the quality of the research.

4. True or false? Natural causes cannot explain the warming climate in the last century and a half.
True. Scientists say natural causes are simply not sufficient to explain the warming scene of the last century and a half.