题目

Recently, chocolate lovers were heartbroken as scientists claimed that they can become extinct by 2050. But hey, we have some happy news for you. Scientists can still help save chocolates from dying out! If you are not aware as to why scientists made the statement about the death of this wonderful thing, let us tell you the facts. Chocolate trees, whose seeds are used to make chocolate, grow in the tropical plant world and require very specific weather conditions to prosper.Now, fifty percent of the world's cocoa (可可) beans come from two countries in West Africa: Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Scientists believe that both of these countries will experience a 3.8^circmathrm(F) temperature increase by 2050 due to global warming, endangering the cacao (可可树) farms in the rainforests. These farms will then have to be shifted to cooler mountainous areas, which are the natural habitat of wildlife. This will lead to some tough decisions: whether to grow chocolate or save wildlife.12. What was scientists' recent assertion about chocolates?A) They could become a rare treat in the near future.B) They could calm people down a bit in times of crisis.C) They could prevent people from getting heartbroken.D) They could become unavailable in less than 30 years.

Recently, chocolate lovers were heartbroken as scientists claimed that they can become extinct by 2050. But hey, we have some happy news for you. Scientists can still help save chocolates from dying out! If you are not aware as to why scientists made the statement about the death of this wonderful thing, let us tell you the facts. Chocolate trees, whose seeds are used to make chocolate, grow in the tropical plant world and require very specific weather conditions to prosper. Now, fifty percent of the world's cocoa (可可) beans come from two countries in West Africa: Cote d'Ivoire and Ghana. Scientists believe that both of these countries will experience a $3.8^{\circ}\mathrm{F}$ temperature increase by 2050 due to global warming, endangering the cacao (可可树) farms in the rainforests. These farms will then have to be shifted to cooler mountainous areas, which are the natural habitat of wildlife. This will lead to some tough decisions: whether to grow chocolate or save wildlife. 12. What was scientists' recent assertion about chocolates? A) They could become a rare treat in the near future. B) They could calm people down a bit in times of crisis. C) They could prevent people from getting heartbroken. D) They could become unavailable in less than 30 years.

题目解答

答案

我们来一步一步分析这道题目。 题目问的是：**科学家最近关于巧克力的断言是什么？** 我们先看文章第一段的内容： > "Recently, chocolate lovers were heartbroken as scientists claimed that they can become extinct by 2050." 翻译：最近，巧克力爱好者们感到心碎，因为科学家声称巧克力**可能在2050年灭绝**。 关键词是“become extinct by 2050”，意思是“到2050年可能会灭绝”。 接着文章解释说，巧克力来自可可树（cacao trees），而可可树对生长环境要求很高，主要生长在热带雨林地区，尤其是西非的科特迪瓦和加纳。 由于全球变暖，到2050年这些地区的气温将上升3.8°F（约2.1°C），导致可可树无法正常生长，因此可可种植园可能需要转移到更凉爽的山区，但这又会破坏野生动物的栖息地。 所以，科学家的**主要断言**是：**由于气候变化，可可树可能无法继续在现有地区生长，从而导致巧克力面临灭绝的风险**。 现在我们来看选项： A) 它们在未来不久可能成为一种稀有美食。 ——这个说法有一定道理，但“稀有”程度不如“灭绝”严重，不够准确。 B) 它们可以在危机时刻让人平静一点。 ——这和文章内容无关，文章没有提到巧克力的心理安慰作用。 C) 它们可以防止人们心碎。 ——这是反讽的说法，实际上文章说“巧克力爱好者心碎了”，所以这个选项是颠倒因果，错误。 D) 它们可能在不到30年的时间里变得无法获得。 ——注意，文章发表时间虽未明确，但提到“到2050年灭绝”，假设现在是2020年代，那么“不到30年”是合理的。而且“无法获得”对应“extinct”（灭绝）的含义，即巧克力可能再也生产不了了。 因此，**最准确反映科学家断言的选项是 D**。 --- **答案：D** **解题过程总结：** 1. 定位关键句：“scientists claimed that they can become extinct by 2050”。 2. 理解“extinct”在这里指的是巧克力因可可树无法生长而可能消失。 3. 分析四个选项，排除与原文无关或程度不符的选项。 4. D选项“在不到30年里变得无法获得”最贴近“到2050年灭绝”的含义。 \boxed{\text{D}}

解析

本题考查对文章主旨的把握和细节理解能力。关键点在于抓住科学家的核心断言——巧克力可能因气候变化而灭绝的时间节点。文章开篇明确指出科学家的结论，需结合选项中时间描述和结果的准确性进行匹配。

  1. 定位关键信息：文章首句明确提到“scientists claimed that they can become extinct by 2050”，即科学家认为巧克力可能在2050年前灭绝。
  2. 分析选项：
    • A选项“成为稀有美食”程度不足，原文强调“灭绝”而非“稀有”。
    • B、C选项与文章内容无关，文章未提及巧克力的心理作用。
    • D选项“不到30年无法获得”与“2050年灭绝”时间线一致（假设当前时间为2023年左右），且“无法获得”对应“灭绝”含义。
  3. 排除干扰项：D选项最直接反映原文的核心结论。