2006年6月恩波英语四级模考（一）

　Test Paper Two
　　Part Ⅳ Short Answer Questions (15 minutes)
　　Directions: In this part there is a short passage with eight questions or incomplete statements. Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions or complete the statements in the fewest possible words(not exceeding 10 words)
　　Mark Twain once remarked that the most impressive quality of weather was its dazzling(使人眼花缭乱的)uncertainty. More than a century later, we are still struggling to precisely predict, much less control, the atmospheric conditions around us. Yet researchers are at work on many fronts in the attempt to master the weather.
　　For instance, we’ve made some progress in getting clouds to rain more or less on command. Recent studies show that water-absorbing salts scattered by aircraft may bring about a rainfall more effectively than dry ice. The crystals attract water droplets that otherwise would form around tiny specks of dust and remain too small and light to plunge to earth.
　　We can’t yet “make” rain, but under the right conditions, a touch of airborne salt increases rainfall by 12 to 14 percent.
　　Many people, on the other hand, are more interested in knowing whether it will rain at all –or rain so hard that they might expect some damage. Most forecasts are reasonably accurate from about 12 hours out to around five days. Any forecasts closer than that—or more remote –are problematic. But progress is being made in both directions.
　　Nationwide, for instance, there’s growing interest in “nowcasting”—creating highly detailed forecasts for areas that extend out a mere 30 minutes or so. This is a tough task. Looking only at a growing thunderstorm itself doesn’t give you enough information to accurately predict its development and path. You have to understand the environment the storm is in, including storms around it, atmospheric stability, and other factors.
　　Long—term forecasts are also improving thanks to more powerful computers, improved modeling, and satellite and ocean—sensor data. We’ll probably never be able to say that a storm will hit Seattle one year from now, but we’re learning about different weather cycles and their implications.
　　What about actually changing the weather? “The idea of controlling the weather is science fiction,” snorts Professor Roni Avissar at Rutgers University.
　　Nevertheless, people may one day have to seriously consider ways to reverse a different, unintended weather experiment: global warming caused by excess “greenhouse” gases from burnjing fossil fuels (矿物燃料)。



One idea is to with deflect(使偏斜) solar radiation with a giant mirror in space.
　　Possible. But why not deal with the cause rather than the symptom? To do that, we could launch into space large solar collectors that would beam microwave energy to Earth to be used as electricity, replacing fossil fuels. Vast improvements in electronics and remote assembly techniques may someday mean that this weather control, at least, could become science fact rather than science fiction.
　　1. According to Mark Twain, it is _____________________________to predict the weather.
　　2. Though we can’t yet make rain, we can,__________________________, command clouds to rain.
　　3. It is difficult to make accurate weather forecasts within 12 hours or __ _____________five days.
　　4. To predict accurately the development and path of a thunderstorm,, meteorologists have to understand______________________________
　　5. To make long—term forecasts, we have to learn about__________________________.
　　6. Professor Roni Avissar at Rutgers University thinks that the idea of changing the weather is__________________________________________.
　　7. What does the author think of the idea of deflecting solar radiation to reverse global warming?
　　8. What does the author suggest we do to deal with global warming?

　　Part Ⅴ Writing (30 minutes)
　　Directions: Suppose you are Michael. You bought a digital camera in a shop but found it has some problems after using it for a short period of time. Now, you are allowed 30 minutes to write A Letter of Complaint to the manager of the shop. You should write a letter with at least 120 words including the information given below in Chinese:
　　Outline
　　1. 说明你在何时、何地购买了何种型号的数字照相机。



　　2. 使用中出现的问题。
　　3. 希望能够调换或退货。