全球变暖下，如何有效防止热浪致死？

When a heatwave in Europe killed more than 70，000 people in 2003， it was seen as a once-in-a-millennium event. August 2023 was on average 1.5°C hotter than the same month between 1850 and 1900. This year could be even worse.

Extreme heat can cause heatstroke， heart problems and dehydration. Populations that are not used to it are more vulnerable. So are the elderly， whose health is often fragile and who find it harder， if stuck， to move somewhere cooler.

Air-conditioning， where affordable， is part of the answer. A study in the Lancet concluded that there were 345，000 heat-related deaths worldwide in 2019 among the over-65s， and that the toll would have been 50% higher without air conditioning. So environmentalists are wrong to shun this wonderful technology.

Three stand out. First， workplaces and schools need to be more flexible. In America states such as California has rules that mandate shade and water breaks for outdoor workers when it is excessively hot. More places need similar guidelines. Also， children should be allowed to study from home when the temperature is too high.

The second step is to create more chilled public spaces to provide relief and refuge. Some American cities have”cooling centres”—as do others in India and Vietnam. Often these are ordinary buildings with air conditioning， from libraries to offices.

Finally， governments and citizens need to be better prepared， particularly in places that are unused to roasting temperatures. After the emergency in 2003 France was shocked into creating a national plan for heatwaves， with an early-warning system and guidelines on everything from sporting events to training medical staff.

Rules should be set by central governments， but the responsibility to enact them should be delegated to cities and towns. Because extreme heat varies according to local conditions， they are best placed to sound the alarm， and citizens can hold local governments accountable if they fail to plan properly.

（材料来自The Economist，有删改）

1. What does extremely hot can cause？

A. It will not cause heatstroke.

B. Older people’s bodies will become increasingly fragile.

C. It will not cause dehydration.

D. It is not harmful to people’s health.

2. What are the three response measures proposed by the author in the article？

①Workplaces and schools need to be more flexible.

②Create more chilled public spaces to provide relief and refuge.

③Governments and citizens need to be better prepared， particularly in places that are unused to roasting temperatures.

④The responsibility to enact them should be delegated to central governments.

A.①②④ B.②④③ C. ①②③ D.②③④

3. What is the passage mainly about？

A. A scientific study. B. An introduction.

C. A novel story. D. A news report.

4. What is the main purpose of the passage？

A. To spread knowledge about the measures about the extremely heatwave.

B. To show the importance of the responsibility of the central government.

C. To call on more and more people buy air-conditioning.

D. To present a new breakthrough in the research of heatwave.

1.B。解析：细节理解题。材料第二段提到“极端高温可能会引起中暑、心脏问题和脱水。老年人因其本身较为脆弱，若无法及时转移到更凉爽的地方，他们面临的风险也会增加”，B选项与材料内容相符，故选B。

2.C。解析：细节理解题。材料第四段的第二句和第五、六段的第一句分别为“工作场所和学校需要提高应对措施的灵活性”“创建更多凉爽的公共空间以提供救济和保护”“政府和公众需要做好更充分的准备”，由此可知答案为①②③，故选C。

3.D。解析：主旨大意题。材料的主要内容是“在全球气候变暖下，人们如何有效防止热浪致死”，属于新闻报道类，故选D。

4.A。解析：主旨大意题。材料的主要内容是“在全球气候变暖下，人们如何有效防止热浪致死”。A选项“传播有关应对极端热浪措施的知识”与材料内容相符，故选A。