Monitoring global warming usually requires a Ph. D. and enough maths to glaze your eyes. But that Francisco Lopez and Ruby Nostrant track（记录）what climate change is doing to five different plants in Tucson, Arizona and they are only in the second grade.
“We are collecting data because the weather is changing and the plants are blooming,” Ruby explained.
Scores of other students at Borton Primary Magnet School and Sunnyside High School in Tucson are heading outdoors to be part of a new scientific push to figure out how the biological timing of the earth is changing. It’s a research project that the average person, even a kindergartner, can join in.
The National Phenology（生物气候学）Network is calling on volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. It’s called Project Budburst. When it was first open to the public last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states.
“All people can contribute to it by tracking the timing of flowering events or leaf-out events for plants and animals in their backyard,” said Phenology Network director Jake Weltzin. He calls the volunteers “citizen-scientists.”
The idea is that tracking flowers blooming—especially lilacs（丁香）; which everyday people have helped track for decades—is fairly simple. The Website http://www.Windows.ucar.edu/ citizen_science/budburst/index.html gives directions on what to look for in different parts of the country.
University of Maryland professor David Inouye said it’s so easy to figure out what’s blooming that a lack of special knowledge isn’t a problem.
University of Arizona ecology graduate student Lisa Benton coordinated（协调）the Tucson high school students as they looked at plants five minutes from their high school. Each student has specific guidelines and she’s been happy so far with the data she is getting. For his part, second-grader Francisco said he had fun helping out.
“I like going out in the desert,” he said. “I want to be an Einstein.”
【小题1】Francisco Lopez and Ruby Nostrant are monitoring global warming by .A．watching early spring blooms and changes in animalsB．studying the biological timing of earthC．collecting data of the local weatherD．tracking the early spring blooms of some local plants【小题2】Those who participate in Project Budburst are mostly .A．ecology college graduatesB．high school studentsC．mon peopleD．experts【小题3】What David Inouye says suggests that .A．the study carried out by students is convincingB．the students still need special training to study climate changeC．it is difficult to study climate changeD．to figure out what’s blooming needs special knowledge【小题4】Who is primary school student joining in the Project Budburst?A．Lisa Benton.B．David InouyeC．Francisco Lopez.D．Jake Weltzin.【小题5】We can conclude from the passage that .A．changes in animals caused by global warming happen earlier than those in plantsB．the biological timing of earth is changing because of climate changeC．the effect of climate change in Tucson, Arizona can be hardly noticedD．all the plants in Tucson, Arizona are blooming earlier because of climate changeD
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(答案→)D
解析：本文介绍了大众普通人可以参加监测全球变暖导致的生物时间的变化。参加监测全球变暖一般需要博士学位和高深的数学知识，但是Project Budburst 可以让志愿者参加，可以是大学生，中学生甚至是小学生都可以。因为有专门的网站进行专业的指导，所以普通人所做的研究令人信服。
【小题1】细节理解题。从第二段的“We are collecting data because the weather is changing and the plants are blooming,” Ruby explained.可知他们正在收集有关天气变化和植物盛开的数据。故选D。
【小题2】推理判断题。从第四段的When it was first open to the public last year, thousands of people participated in 26 states.可知去年Project Budburst 第一次对公众开放时，26个州成千上万的人参加了。所以参加这个工程的是大众普通人。故选C。
【小题3】推理判断题。第六段的gives directions on what to look for in different parts of the country.专门有网站给指导。第七段的University of Maryland professor David Inouye it’s so easy to figure out what’s blooming that a lack of special knowledge isn’t a problem. David Inouye说，找出盛开的花是如此容易,缺乏专业的知识不是一个问题。可知在有指导的情况下，学生做的研究有说服力。故选A。
【小题4】细节理解题。从第八段的For his part, second-grader Francisco said he had fun helping out可知Francisco是小学二年级的学生。故选C。
【小题5】推理判断题。从第四段的The National Phenology（生物气候学）Network is calling on volunteers to help track early spring blooms and eventually changes in animals caused by global warming. 可知全球变暖导致春天开花时间的变化。故选B。