Climate change is making it harder than usual for scientists to figure out what the future will bring and what impact weather changes will have on society and the economy. An upsurge of severe weather events has already destroyed homes, businesses and lives. Some fairly simple changes may reduce the toll.
In a laboratory test, a house built with conventional techniques is falling apart in hurricane-force winds.
The survivor has stronger shingles, thicker roof boards, and metal straps holding floors together.
Wind tunnel tests were done by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety. It says stronger construction costs a little more, but holds up much better to extreme weather.
The growing number of unusually strong storms, like Typhoon Haiyan, has convinced the Chairman of the U. S. Senate Homeland Security Committee, Tom Carper, that extreme weather is the “new norm（标准）.”
Extreme weather events have increased in frequency over the past 50 years and are expected to bee even more mon, more intense, and more costly, said Carper.
Hurricane Sandy hit beachfront businesses along the U.S. East Coast, including Carper's home state. Insurance panies had to pay out huge claims. To limit such losses, the insurance industry can raise premiums（保险费） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻击的）locations and offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.
Managing risks is the job of insurance brokers like Kevin Connelly of the Graham Company, who spoke to VOA via Skype.
“We are either going to price your insurance at a huge markup, or we are not going to write (sell it) it at all, which is just as bad obviously, said Connelly.
Drought is another suspected consequence of climate change, and dry ground means more wildfires in California. Current mathematical models of climate change do a poor job of predicting the economic impact of drought and other weather events, says Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Robert Pindyck, who spoke via Skype.
“I think all we can do, taking all of that into account, is e up with some very rough numbers, very rough estimates, said Pindyck. Consensus estimates that maybe experts provide, that give us a view of what would the catastrophic oute look like if we don’t do anything?”
To help deal with this serious problem, Pindyck says policymakers should take actions such as imposing a tax on carbon dioxide emissions. A carbon tax would encourage panies and families to use less energy and generate fewer of the gases thought to be driving changes in the climate. But other analysts say it is unlikely a new tax will get approval in the U.S. Congress any time soon.
【小题1】What can be inferred from the passage?A．There are many severe weather events destroying homes, businesses and lives.B．Stronger construction will save the expense in the long run.C．Government should be totally responsible for the weather change.D．Typhoon Haiyan hit Tom Carper's home state.【小题2】What natural disasters are not mentioned in the passage?A．DroughtB．HurricanesC．earthquakesD．wildfires【小题3】In a laboratory test , what kind of houses can stay up?A．a house built with conventional techniquesB．A house with stronger shinglesC．A house with thinner roof boardsD．a house with metal floors .【小题4】What won’t insurance panies do to limit such losses?A．pay out huge claimsB．raise premiums（保险费） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻击的）locationsC．offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.D．price insurance at a huge markup【小题5】What is the attitude of other analysts towards the new tax on carbon dioxide emissions?A．supportiveB．doubtfulC．indifferentD．positiveB
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(答案→)B
解析：文章介绍因为低端天气频发，很难预计它对环境和人们的生活造成多么大的破坏，为了解决这样的问题，可以从改善建筑材料做起，保险公司也出台一系列应对措施，专家呼吁政府出台新的税法，减少碳排放。
【小题1】推理题：从第四段的句子：It says stronger construction costs a little more, but holds up much better to extreme weather.可知坚固的建筑材料成本会高一些，但是能承受住极端天气的破坏，所以从长远角度看是节约费用的。选B。
【小题2】细节题：文章第五段和第七段提到的自然灾害有：干旱，飓风，野火，但是没有提到地震，所以选C。
【小题3】细节题：从文章第三段的句子：可知于牢固的木瓦板的房子在实验中没有坏，选B。
【小题4】细节题：从第七段的句子：To limit such losses, the insurance industry can raise premiums（保险费） for businesses in vulnerable（易受攻击的）locations and offer discounts to clients who make their buildings more resilient with upgraded construction techniques.可知BC是对的，从第九段的句子：可知D是对的，而第六段的句子：Insurance panies had to pay out huge claims. 说明极端天气会让保险公司赔付很多，不是它们采取的措施。选A。
【小题5】细节题：从文章最后一段的句子：But other analysts say it is unlikely a new tax will get approval in the U.S. Congress any time soon.可知其他分析家对新的碳排放税是怀疑的态度。选B。