海洋中储存的碳可能比早期研究中估计的要多

钟翠频 黄连英

The ocean’s capacity to store atmospheric carbon dioxide is some 20% greater than the estimates contained in the latest IPCC report. These are the findings of a study published in the journal Nature on December 6， 2023， led by an international team including a biologist from the CNRS. The scientists looked at the role played by plankton（浮游生物） in the natural transport of carbon from surface waters down to the seabed.

Plankton swallow up carbon dioxide and， as they grow， convert it into organic tissue via photosynthesis（光合作用）. When they die， part of the plankton is transformed into particles known as “marine snow”. Being denser than seawater， these particles sink down to the seabed thus storing carbon there and providing essential nutrients for a wide range of deep-sea organisms， from tiny bacteria to deep-sea fish.

By analyzing a bank of data collected from around the world by oceanographic ships since the 1970s， the team of seven scientists were able to digitally map numbers of organic matter throughout the world’s oceans. The resulting new estimate of carbon storage capacity is 15 gigatonnes per year， an increase of around 20% compared with previous studies （11 gigatonnes per year） published by the IPCC in its 2021 report.

This reassessment of the ocean’s storage capacity represents a significant advance in our understanding of carbon exchanges between the atmosphere and the ocean at the global level. While the team stresses that this absorption process takes place over tens of thousands of years， and is therefore not sufficient to offset the faster and faster increase in CO2 emissions caused by worldwide industrial activity since 1750， the study nonetheless highlights the importance of the ocean ecosystem as a major player in the long-term regulation of the global climate.

（材料来自Science Daily网站，有删改）

1. Why is the latest IPCC report mentioned in Paragraph 1？

A. To list an example.

B. To make a comparison.

C. To illustrate the concept.

D. To clarify the phenomenon.

2. What can we learn from the scientists？

A. Plankton supplies deep-sea fish with lots of nutrition.

B. The ocean’s carbon storage capacity has increased rapidly.

C. Dead plankton is changed into organic tissue via photosynthesis.

D. The ocean may be storing more carbon than estimated earlier.

3. What does the word “offset” underlined in Paragraph 4 probably mean？

A. Cancel out. B. Bring about.

C. Set apart from. D. Take advantage of.

4. What does the author think of the study？

A. Fair. B. Dull.

C. Inspiring. D. Demanding.

1. B。解析：推理判斷题。材料第一段第一句提到“海洋储存大气中的二氧化碳的能力比IPCC最新报告中估计的高出20%左右”，结合材料第一段第二句中的“These are the findings of a study published in the journal Nature”，我们可知作者采用对比法，旨在通过比较引出发表在《自然》杂志上的一项研究结果。故选B。

2. D。解析：推理判断题。材料第三段的最后一句提到“由此得出的碳储量的新估计值为每年150亿吨，比IPCC在其2021年报告中发表的先前研究（每年110亿吨）增加了约20%”，由此可知，海洋中储存的碳可能比早期研究中估计的要多。选项A属于无中生有，选项B属于曲解原文，选项C属于偷梁换柱，故选D。

3. A。解析：词义猜测题。材料第四段中画线词所在句子的大意为“研究团队强调，这一吸收过程需要历经数万年的时间，因此不足以抵消自1750年以来全球工业活动造成的二氧化碳排放量越来越快的增长”，由此可知，“offset”应有“抵消，补偿”之意。故选A。

4. C。解析：观点态度题。材料第四段第一句提到“对海洋储存能力的重新评估代表着我们对全球大气和海洋之间的碳交换的理解取得了重大进展”，另外材料末尾指出“这项研究强调了海洋生态系统作为长期调节全球气候的主要参与者的重要性”，由此可见，作者认为此项研究是能给人们带来启示的。故选C。