8．The 2012 London Olympics had enough problems to worry about．But one more has just been added-a communications blackout caused by solar storms．
After a period of calm within the Sun，scientists have detected the signs of a flesh cycle of sunspots that could peak in 2012，just in time for the arrival of the Olympic torch in London．
Now scientists believe that this peak could result in vast solar explosions that could throw billions of tons of charged matter towards the Earth，causing strong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites and interact links sending five Olympic broadcast from London．
"The Sun's activity has a strong influence on the Earth．The Olympics could be in the middle of the next solar maximum which could affect the functions of communications satellites，"said Professor Richard Harrison，head of space physics at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory in Oxfordshire．
At the peak of the cycle，violent outbursts called coronal mass ejections （日冕物質(zhì)拋射） occur in the Sun's atmosphere，throwing out great quantities of electrically-charged matter．"A coronal mass ejection can carry a billion tons of solar material into space at over a million kilometres per hour．Such events can expose astronauts to a deadly amount，can disable satellites，cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications，"Professor Harrison added．The risk is greatest during a solar maximum when there is the greatest number of sunspots．
Next week in America，NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory （SDO），which will take images of the Sun that are 10 times clearer than the most advanced televisions available．
The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory helped to make the high-tech cameras that will capture images of the solar flares （太陽耀斑） and explosions as they occur．
Professor Richard Hold away，the lab's director，said that the SDO should be able to provide early warning of a solar flare or explosion big enough to affect satellite communications on Earth"If we have advance warning，we'll be able to reduce the damage．What you don't want is things switching off for a week with no idea of what's caused the problem，"he said．
72．The phrase"communications blackout"in paragraph 1 most probably refers toB during the 2012 Olympics．
A．the extinguishing of the Olympic torch
B．the collapse of broadcasting systems
C．the transportation breakdown in London
D．the destruction of weather satellites
73．What can be inferred about the solar activity described in the passage？D
A．The most fatal matter from the corona falls onto Earth．
B．The solar storm peak occurs in the middle of each cycle．
C．It takes several seconds for the charged matter to reach Earth．
D．The number of sunspots declines after coronal mass ejections．
74．According to the passage，NASA will launch a satellite toC
A．take images of the solar system B．provide early warning of thunderstorms
C．keep track of solar activities D．improve the communications on Earth
75．Which of the following might be the best title of the passage？D
A．Solar Storms：An Invisible Killer
B．Solar Storms：Earth Environment in Danger
C．Solar Storms：Threatening the Human Race
D．Solar Storms：Human Activities to Be Troubled．
分析 本文是一篇說明文，文章談?wù)摰恼翘柫Ｗ拥淖兓赡軙绊憡W運(yùn)會．科學(xué)家已經(jīng)發(fā)現(xiàn)跡象，太陽黑子運(yùn)動周期的高峰在2012，也就是倫敦奧運(yùn)會到來之際，科學(xué)家認(rèn)為這可能導(dǎo)致大量的太陽爆發(fā)峰值可以將數(shù)十億噸帶電物質(zhì)投向地面，造成強(qiáng)烈的太陽風(fēng)暴可能堵塞通信衛(wèi)星和互動鏈接發(fā)送廣播從而影響倫敦奧運(yùn)會．
解答 72．B．詞義推測 明確提問是paragraph 1中"communications blackout"的意思，根據(jù)第三段中"causingstrong solar storms that could jam the telecommunications satellites the collapse of broadcasting systems andinternet links sending live Olympic broadcast from London"可知，communications blackout就是指由于太陽粒子的變化會引起奧運(yùn)會廣播系統(tǒng)的崩潰．故選B．
73．D 推理判斷．根據(jù)第四段"At the peak of the cycle，violent outbursts called coronalmass ejections （日冕物質(zhì)拋射）occur in the Sun'satmosphere"可知，是在最高峰的時候出現(xiàn)coronal mass ejections，那么最高峰以后，太陽粒子的數(shù)量會有所減少．故選D．
74．C 細(xì)節(jié)理解．由第五段"NASA is scheduled to launch a satellite for monitoring solar activity called the Solar Dynamics Observatory"可知，NASA將發(fā)射一顆衛(wèi)星監(jiān)視太陽的活動．注意選項"keep track of"與原文"monitor"是同義替代．故選C．
75．D 標(biāo)題判斷．縱觀全文及第四段"disable satellites，cause power failures on Earth and disturb communications"可知，文章介紹的是太陽運(yùn)動給我們帶來的麻煩，故選D．
點(diǎn)評 解答細(xì)節(jié)理解題時，一個常用的方法就是運(yùn)用定位法，即根據(jù)題干和選項中的關(guān)鍵詞從原文中找到相關(guān)的句子，與選項進(jìn)行比較從而確定答案；推理判斷題既要求學(xué)生透過文章表面文字信息推測文章隱含意思，又要求學(xué)生對作者的態(tài)度、意圖及文章細(xì)節(jié)的發(fā)展作正確的推理判斷，力求從作者的角度去考慮，不要固守自己的看法或觀點(diǎn)．
