2021年英语四级听力美文第93篇:Hotter or Colder ?思维导图

Itwasoncethoughtthatairpollutionaffectedonlytheareaimmediatelyaroundlargecitieswithfactoriesand/orheavyautomobiletraffic.

Today,weknowthatalthoughthesearetheareaswiththeworstairpollution,theproblemisliterallyworldwide.

Onseveraloccasionsoverthepastdecade,aheavycloudofairpollutionhascoveredtheentireeasternhalfoftheUnitedStatesandledtohealthwarningseveninruralareasawayfromanymajorconcentrationofmanufacturingandautomobiletraffic.

Infact,theclimateoftheentireearthmaybeaffectedbyairpollution.

Somescientistsfeelthattheincreasingconcentrationofcarbondioxideintheairresultingfromtheburningoffossilfuels(coalandoil)iscreatinga“greenhouseeffect”—holdinginheatreflectedfromtheearthandraisingtheworld'saveragetemperature.

Ifthisviewiscorrectandtheworld'stemperatureisraisedonlyafewdegrees,muchofthepolaricecapwillmeltandcitiessuchasNewYork,Boston,Miami,andNewOrleanswillbeunderwater.

Anotherview,lesswidelyheld,isthatincreasingparticulatematterintheatmosphereisblockingsunlightandloweringtheearth'stemperature—aresultthatwouldbeequallydisastrous.

Adropofjustafewdegreescouldcreatesomethingclosetonewiceageandwouldmakeagriculturedifficultorimpossibleinmanyofourtopfarmingareas.

Atpresentwedonotknowforsurethateitheroftheseconditionswillhappen(thoughonerecentgovernmentreportpreparedbyexpertsinthefieldconcludedthatthegreenhouseeffectisverylikely).

Perhaps,ifweareverylucky,thetwotendencieswilloffseteachotherandtheworld'stemperaturewillstayaboutthesameasitisnow.