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The Great Barrier Reef has
seen its third mass bleaching (大规模白化) event in five years. For
the first time, all three sections of the Australian reef have been badly
affected. The damage happened in February when the area was exposed to the
hottest month of water temperatures on record.
Surveys conducted by Terry
Hughes at James Cook University in Australia and his team during March made it
known that 25 percent of the reef had been badly bleached and 35 percent
bleached to some degree. The northern, central and southern sections of the
reef were all hit.
Terrible bleaching also
struck in 1998, 2002, 2016 and 2017, but was limited to one or two sections.
This is the first time that all three sections have experienced terrible
bleaching at exactly the same time, says Hughes. "It's heartbreaking."
Some of the damaged corals (珊瑚) will survive, including
more heat-resistant (耐热的) species. But many others
were probably "literally cooked" at the peak of the heatwave in early
2020, says Hughes. Others will die more slowly from stress over the next few
months, he adds. Hughes has serious concern about the southern reef, which was
mostly unaffected in former bleaching events and hasn't developed the same heat
resistance as other parts.
The 2016 and 2017 events
killed about half the coral on the reef. It usually takes a decade for even
fast-growing corals to recover, meaning the latest damage will seriously weaken
the reef's ability to recover, says Hughes. The high frequency of mass
bleaching in recent years has been driven by climate change, which results from
human activity and is steadily raising ocean temperatures. The only way to deal
with the problem is to immediately reduce the release of greenhouse gases, says
Hughes.
(1)
What can we learn from the surveys by Hughes and his team?
A . The entire reef has experienced bleaching.
B . The surveys about the reef are done once a year.
C . The hottest month of water temperatures is February.
D . 60 percent of the reef suffered from serious bleaching.
(2)
Why is Hughes worried about the southern reef most?
A . Many corals will die slowly from stress.
B . It has been badly bleached for several years.
C . It hasn't formed the ability to fight against the heat.
D . The government hasn't shown any concern about it.
(3)
What is this text mainly about?
A . Surveys on reef bleaching.
B . A report on climate change.
C . An investigation into global warming.
D . Warning messages on human activities.
答案: A
C
A