研究人员称，目前全球气候变暖的速度和程度超过了过去 2000 年中的任何类似事件。这表明，像 “小冰河期” 这样著名的历史事件与上个世纪所见的全球变暖的规模无法相提并论。

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.

从罗马温暖期到 14 世纪开始的小冰河期，过去的 2000 年经历了几个世纪的冷热交替。因此，许多人认为，始于工业革命的当前全球气候变暖是一种自然现象，而人类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.

这项新的研究表明事实并非如此。科学家们通过查阅包括树木年轮、冰芯和湖泊沉积物在内的约 700 项记录，重现了过去 2000 年的主要气候事件。没有一个单一的事件像目前气候变暖一样对世界的影响那么大。其他看过这项研究的科学家对这项研究的质量交口称赞。

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.

参与研究的科学家们认为，这些新发现推翻了气候变化怀疑论者为解释气温上升而提出的许多理论，包括太阳活动的变化。他们认为，目前的气候变化主要是由人类造成的。他们说，自然原因根本不足以解释过去一个半世纪全球气候变暖的现象。

词汇

millennia 一千年
the Industrial Revolution 工业革命
exaggerated 被夸大了
reconstructed 重现了
tree rings 树木的年轮
ice cores 冰芯
sediments 沉淀物
debunk 揭露……的真相
sceptics 持怀疑态度的人
solar activity 太阳活动
natural causes 自然因素

阅读理解：请在读完上文后，回答下列问题 。

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.