Ⅰ.阅读理解
A
(2024·浙江1月高考题)
On September 7, 1991, the costliest hailstorm (雹暴) in Canadian history hit Calgary's southern suburbs. As a result, since 1996 a group of insurance companies have spent about $2 million per year on the Alberta Hail Suppression Project. Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones. But farmers in east-central Alberta—downwind of the hail project flights—worry that precious moisture (水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding.
Norman Stienwand, who farms in that area, has been addressing public meetings on this issue for years. “Basically, the provincial government is letting the insurance companies protect the Calgary-Edmonton urban area from hail，” Mr. Stienwand says, “but they're increasing drought risk as far east as Saskatchewan.”
The Alberta hail project is managed by Terry Krauss, a cloud physicist who works for Weather Modification Inc. of Fargo, North Dakota. “We affect only a very small percentage of the total moisture in the air, so we cannot be causing drought，” Dr. Krauss says. “In fact, we may be helping increase the moisture downwind by creating wetter ground.”
One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell, a research scientist who just retired from the University of Oklahoma. “In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes (龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas，” Dr. Doswell says. “Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.”
Given the degree of doubt, Mr. Stienwand suggests, “it would be wise to stop cloud seeding.” In practice, doubt has had the opposite effect. Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit against cloud-seeding companies. Hence, private climate engineering can proceed in relative legal safety.
语篇导读：本文是一篇说明文。文章主要介绍了1991年9月7日，加拿大历史上损失最大的冰雹袭击了卡尔加里的南郊。因此，自1996年以来，一组保险公司每年在艾伯塔省冰雹抑制项目上花费约200万美元。飞机在有威胁的风暴中心中播撒一种化学物质，使小冰晶在变成危险的冰雹之前像雨一样落下。但是，在艾伯塔省中东部的农民们担心，“冰雹计划”飞行的下风处，宝贵的水分正被人工降雨从他们干渴的土地上偷走。
1．What does the project aim to do？ B
A．Conserve moisture in the soil.
B．Prevent the formation of hailstones.
C．Forecast disastrous hailstorms.
D．Investigate chemical use in farming.
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中“Airplanes seed threatening storm cells with a chemical to make small ice crystals fall as rain before they can grow into dangerous hailstones.(飞机在有威胁的风暴中心播撒一种化学物质，使小冰晶在变成危险的冰雹之前像雨一样落下。)”可知，这个项目的目标是防止冰雹的形成。故选B。
2．Who are opposed to the project？ A
A．Farmers in east-central Alberta.
B．Managers of insurance companies.
C．Provincial government officials.
D．Residents of Calgary and Edmonton.
解析：细节理解题。根据第一段中“But farmers in east-central Alberta—downwind of the hail project flights—worry that precious moisture (水分) is being stolen from their thirsty land by the cloud seeding.(但是，在艾伯塔省中东部的农民们担心，“冰雹计划”飞行的下风处，宝贵的水分正被人工降雨从他们干渴的土地上偷走。)”可知，艾伯塔省中东部的农民反对这个项目。故选A。
3．Why does Dr. Doswell mention the tornadoes he saw in 1999？ C
A．To compare different kinds of seeding methods.
B．To illustrate the development of big hailstorms.
C．To indicate a possible danger of cloud seeding.
D．To show the link between storms and moisture.
解析：推理判断题。根据倒数第二段“One doubter about the safety of cloud seeding is Chuck Doswell, a research scientist who just retired from the University of Oklahoma. ‘In 1999, I personally saw significant tornadoes (龙卷风) form from a seeded storm cell in Kansas，’ Dr. Doswell says. ‘Does cloud seeding create killer storms or reduce moisture downwind? No one really knows, of course, but the seeding goes on.’(查克·多斯韦尔是一位刚刚从俄克拉何马大学退休的研究科学家，他对人工降雨的安全性持怀疑态度。‘1999年，我在堪萨斯州亲眼目睹了由种子风暴细胞形成的重大龙卷风，’多斯韦尔博士说。‘人工降雨会制造致命风暴还是减少顺风处的水分？当然，没有人真正知道，但是播种还在继续。’)”可推知，多斯韦尔博士提到他在1999年看到的龙卷风是为了提示人工降雨可能带来的危险。故选C。
4．What can we infer from the last paragraph？ D
A．Scientific studies have proved Stienwand right.
B．Private climate engineering is illegal in Canada.
C．The doubt about cloud seeding has disappeared.
D．Cloud-seeding companies will continue to exist.
解析：推理判断题。根据最后一段“Due to the lack of scientific proof concerning their impacts, no one has succeeded in winning a lawsuit against cloud-seeding companies. Hence, private climate engineering can proceed in relative legal safety.(由于缺乏有关其影响的科学证据，没有人成功地赢得了对人工降雨公司的诉讼。因此，私人气候工程可以在相对合法的安全条件下进行。)”可推知，从最后一段我们能推断出人工降雨公司将继续存在。故选D。
