『新东方在线托福阅读』为托福考生准备了ETS托福TPO/Official 43 Passage 3阅读练习：Why does the author include the information that in 1997–1998 “Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years”?真题题目及答案解析，TPO/Official 43 Passage 3阅读原文范文音频翻译

托福TPO/Official 43 Passage 3阅读原文Why does the author include the information that in 1997–1998 “Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years”?题目答案及解析-新东方托福官方网校手机版

太平洋的洪堡寒流沿着南美洲的厄瓜多尔和秘鲁海岸向赤道方向流动。

The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America.

当洋流接近赤道时，向西流动的信风使沿岸营养丰富的冷水从较深的地方上升到较浅的地方。

When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones.

This upwelling of water has economic repercussions.

捕鱼，特别是捕捞凤尾鱼，是当地的一项主要产业。

Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry.

在每年的十二月和一月的几个月中，弱而温暖的逆流代替了通常寒冷的沿海水域。

Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters.

没有从下面涌出的营养物质来喂养鱼，捕鱼就会停滞不前。

Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill.

该地区的渔民已经知道这种现象数百年了。

Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years.

实际上，这是他们传统上每年留出的时间，用来保养设备并等待冷水回流。

In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water.

该地区的居民将这种现象命名为厄尔尼诺现象，在西班牙语中是“孩子”的名字，因为它大约在庆祝基督孩子出生时出现。

The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Niño, which is Spanish for “the child,” because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child.

虽然温水逆流通常持续两个月或更短时间，但有时正常流量中断会持续许多个月。

While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months.

在这种情况下，水温不仅会沿海岸升高，而且会在离岸数千公里的范围内升高。

In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore.

在过去的几十年中，“厄尔尼诺现象”一词已用于描述这些异常强烈的事件，而不是一年一度的事件。

Over the last few decades, the term El Niño has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event.

在过去的60年中，至少观察到十个厄尔尼诺现象。

During the past 60 years, at least ten El Niños have been observed.

厄尔尼诺不仅影响赤道太平洋的温度，而且最强烈的厄尔尼诺影响全球天气。

Not only do El Niños affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather.

相互作用产生厄尔尼诺现象的过程涉及整个太平洋地区的情况，而不仅限于南美海域。

The processes that interact to produce an El Niño involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America.

60多年前，英国科学家吉尔伯特·沃克爵士在太平洋东西两侧的气象站发现了地表压力读数之间的联系。

Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific.

他指出，东太平洋的气压升高通常伴随着西太平洋的气压下降，反之亦然。

He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa.

他把这种跷跷板模式称为南方涛动。

He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation.

后来人们意识到，厄尔尼诺现象与南方涛动之间有着密切的联系。

It was later realized that there is a close link between El Niño and the Southern Oscillation.

实际上，两者之间的联系是如此之深，以至于经常将它们统称为ENSO（厄尔尼诺现象—南方涛动）。

In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation).

在典型的一年中，东太平洋的压力比西太平洋的压力高。

During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does.

这种东向西的压力梯度增强了赤道水域上空的信风。

This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters.

这导致了温暖的洋流在赤道从东向西移动。

This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator.

西太平洋形成了厚而温暖的水层，而东太平洋则由于上升流而增强了寒冷的洪堡流。

The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling.

然而，在其他年份中，由于未知原因，南方涛动向相反的方向摆动，极大地改变了上述通常的状况，西太平洋的压力增加而东太平洋的压力减小。

However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific.

压力梯度的这种变化导致信风减弱，甚至在某些情况下逆转。

This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse.

然后，这导致西太平洋的温水向东流动，从而增加了中太平洋和东太平洋的海表温度。

This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific.

东移标志着厄尔尼诺现象的开始。

The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Niño.

科学家们试图通过拼凑一些历史证据来尽可能多地记录过去的厄尔尼诺事件，比如海面温度记录，对大气压力和降雨量的日常观测，南美的渔业记录，以及可以追溯到15世纪的西班牙殖民者的著作。

Scientists try to document as many past El Niño events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries’ records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century.

从这样的历史证据中，我们知道厄尔尼诺现象早在记录出现时就已发生。

From such historical evidence we know that El Niños have occurred as far back as records go.

It would seem that they are becoming more frequent.

记录表明，在十六世纪，厄尔尼诺现象平均每六年发生一次。

Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Niño occurred on average every six years.

过去几十年收集的证据表明，厄尔尼诺现象现在平均每两年发生一次。

Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Niños are now occurring on average a little over every two years.

更令人震惊的是，它们似乎变得越来越强大。

Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger.

1997-1998年的厄尔尼诺现象给从加利福尼亚州到佛罗里达州的美国南部带来了丰富而破坏性的降雨。

The 1997–1998 El Niño brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida.

与大多数年份相比，美国东北部的暴风雪更为频繁和强烈。

Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years.

The word “approaches” in the passage is closest in meaning to

According to paragraph 1, what happens when the Humboldt Current interacts with westward flowing trade winds?

Which of the following questions about the El Niño phenomenon is NOT answered in paragraph 2?

The word “exceptionally” in the passage is closest in meaning to

Paragraph 3 supports which of the following statements about El Niños, as that term is now used?

The phrase “is usually accompanied by” in the passage is closest in meaning to

The word “jointly” in the passage is closest in meaning to

According to paragraph 4, what did Sir Gilbert Walker discover?

According to paragraph 5, what is the end result of the east-to-west pressure gradient in the eastern Pacific during a typical year?

According to paragraph 5, all of the following changes occur in the Pacific before an El Niño begins EXCEPT:

What can be inferred about El Niños from the historical evidence mentioned in paragraph 6?

Why does the author include the information that in 1997–1998 “Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years”?

Look at the four squares  that indicate where the following sentence could be added to the passage. There is clear support for this view in the available documents.  Where would the sentence best fit? Click on a square  to add the sentence to the passage.

Directions: An introductory sentence for a brief summary of the passage is provided below. Complete the summary by selecting the THREE answer choices that express the most important ideas in the passage. Some sentences do not belong in the summary because they express ideas that are not presented in the passage or are minor ideas in the passage. This question is worth 2 points.

El Niño The cold Humboldt Current of the Pacific Ocean flows toward the equator along the coasts of Ecuador and Peru in South America. When the current approaches the equator, the westward-flowing trade winds cause nutrient-rich cold water along the coast to rise from deeper depths to more shallow ones. This upwelling of water has economic repercussions. Fishing, especially for anchovies, is a major local industry. Every year during the months of December and January, a weak, warm countercurrent replaces the normally cold coastal waters. Without the upwelling of nutrients from below to feed the fish, fishing comes to a standstill. Fishers in this region have known the phenomenon for hundreds of years. In fact, this is the time of year they traditionally set aside to tend to their equipment and await the return of cold water. The residents of the region have given this phenomenon the name of El Niño, which is Spanish for “the child,” because it occurs at about the time of the celebration of birth of the Christ child. While the warm-water countercurrent usually lasts for two months or less, there are occasions when the disruption to the normal flow lasts for many months. In these situations, water temperatures are raised not just along the coast, but for thousands of kilometers offshore. Over the last few decades, the term El Niño has come to be used to describe these exceptionally strong episodes and not the annual event. During the past 60 years, at least ten El Niños have been observed. Not only do El Niños affect the temperature of the equatorial Pacific, but the strongest of them impact global weather. The processes that interact to produce an El Niño involve conditions all across the Pacific, not just in the waters off South America. Over 60 years ago, Sir Gilbert Walker, a British scientist, discovered a connection between surface pressure readings at weather stations on the eastern and western sides of the Pacific. He noted that a rise in atmospheric pressure in the eastern Pacific is usually accompanied by a fall in pressure in the western Pacific and vice versa. He called this seesaw pattern the Southern Oscillation. It was later realized that there is a close link between El Niño and the Southern Oscillation. In fact, the link between the two is so great that they are often referred to jointly as ENSO (El Niño–Southern Oscillation). During a typical year, the eastern Pacific has a higher pressure than the western Pacific does. This east-to-west pressure gradient enhances the trade winds over the equatorial waters. This results in a warm surface current that moves east to west at the equator. The western Pacific develops a thick, warm layer of water while the eastern Pacific has the cold Humboldt Current enhanced by upwelling. However, in other years the Southern Oscillation, for unknown reasons, swings in the opposite direction, dramatically changing the usual conditions described above, with pressure increasing in the western Pacific and decreasing in the eastern Pacific. This change in the pressure gradient causes the trade winds to weaken or, in some cases, to reverse. This then causes the warm water in the western Pacific to flow eastward, increasing sea-surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The eastward shift signals the beginning of an El Niño. Scientists try to document as many past El Niño events as possible by piecing together bits of historical evidence, such as sea-surface temperature records, daily observations of atmospheric pressure and rainfall, fisheries’ records from South America, and the writings of Spanish colonists dating back to the fifteenth century. From such historical evidence we know that El Niños have occurred as far back as records go.  It would seem that they are becoming more frequent.  Records indicate that during the sixteenth century, an El Niño occurred on average every six years.  Evidence gathered over the past few decades indicates that El Niños are now occurring on average a little over every two years.  Even more alarming is the fact that they appear to be getting stronger. The 1997–1998 El Niño brought copious and damaging rainfall to the southern United States, from California to Florida. Snowstorms in the northeast portion of the United States were more frequent and intense than in most years.