职称英语B级(形填空).doc

2012年职称英语理工类B级 教材精讲班课程 第十一篇 Climate change poses major risks for unprepared cities A new examination of urban policies has been (1) carried out by Patricia Romero Lankao. She is a sociologist specializing in climate change and (2) urban development. She warns that many of the world’ s fast-growing urban areas, especially in developing countries, will likely suffer from the impacts of changing climate. Her work also concludes that most cities are failing to (3) reduce emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse (4) gases. These gases are known to affect the atmosphere. “Climate change is a deeply local issue and poses profound threats to the growing cities of the world,” says Romero Lankao. “But too few cities are developing effective strategies to (5) protect their residents”. Cities are (6) major sources of greenhouse gases. And urban populations are likely to be among those most severely affected by future climate change. Lankao’s findings highlight ways in which city presidents are particularly vulnerable, and suggest policy interventions that could offer immediate and long-term (7) threats. The locations and dense construction patterns of cities often place their populations at greater risk for natural disasters. Potential (8) threats associated with climate include storm surges and prolonged hot weather. Storm surges can flood coastal areas and prolonged hot weather can heat (9) paved cities more than surrounding areas. The impacts of such natural events can be more serious in an urban environment. For example, a prolonged heat weave can increase existing levels of air pollution, causing widespread health problems. Poorer neighborhoods that may （10） lack basic facilities such as drinking water or a dependable network of roads, are especially vulnerable to natural disasters. Many residents in poorer countries live in substandard housing (11) without access to reliable drinking water, roads and basic services. Local governments, _(12) therefore, should