Read the following passage. Summarize the main idea and the main
point(s) of the passage in no more than 60 words. Use your own words as far as
possible.
Rising global temperatures are increasing
exposure to heat stress, which harms human health, agriculture, the economy and
the environment. Most climate studies on projected heat stress have focused on
heat extremes but not considered the role of humidity, another key driver.
"When we look at the risks of a warmer
planet, we need to pay particular attention to combined extremes of heat and
humidity, which are especially dangerous to human health," said senior
author Robert E. Kopp.
"Every bit of global warming make shot,
humid days more frequent and intense. In New York City, for example, the
hottest, most humid day in a typical year already occurs about 11 times more
frequently than it would have in the 19th century," said lead author Dawei
Li.
Heat stress is caused by the body's inability
to cool down properly through sweating. Body temperature can rise rapidly, and
high temperatures may damage the brain and other vital organs. Heat stress
ranges from milder conditions like heat rash and heat cramps to heat
exhaustion, the most common type. Heat stroke, the most serious heat-related
illness, can kill or cause permanent disability without emergency treatment,
according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The study looked at how combined extremes of
heat and humidity increase on a warming Earth, using 40 climate simulations to
get statistics on rare events. The study focused on a measure of heat stress
that accounts for temperature, humidity and other environmental factors, including
wind speed, sun angle and solar and infrared radiation.
Annual exposure to extreme heat and humidity in
excess of safety guidelines is projected to affect areas currently home to
about 500 million people if the planet warms by 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7degrees
Fahrenheit) and nearly 800 million at 2 degrees Celsius (3.6 degrees
Fahrenheit). The planet has already warmed by about 1.2 degrees (2.2 degrees
Fahrenheit) above late 19th century levels.
An estimated 1.2 billion people would be
affected with 3 degrees Celsius (5.4 degrees Fahrenheit) of warming, as
expected by the end of this century under current global policies.
答案: Heat stress from extreme heat and humidity will annually affect areas now home to 1.2 billion people by 2100, assuming current greenhouse gas emissions, according to a new study. That's more than four times the number of people affected today, and more than 12 times the number who would have been affected without industrial era global warming.