# Can hurricanes be moderated or diverted? - 科目：雅思阅读真题（Part 3） - 考频：中频 - 最近考试：2025.4.26/2017.3.18 - 题目数：14 - 来源页：https://www.yaquan.site/paper/088e468b-0844-4e43-94ee-216ea0962cda（在线机考练习与音频请访问该页面） - 数据更新：2026-10-29 ## 题目原文 A Each year, massive swirling storms bringing along winds greater than 74 miles per hour wipe across tropical oceans and land on shorelines - usually devastating vast swaths of territory. When these roiling tempests strike densely inhabited territories, they have the power to kill thousands and cause property damage worth of billions of dollars. Besides, absolutely nothing stands in their way. But can we ever find a way to control these formidable forces of nature? B To see why hurricanes and other severe tropical storms may be susceptible to human intervention, a researcher must first learn about their nature and origins. Hurricanes grow in the form of thunderstorm clusters above the tropical seas. Oceans in low-latitude areas never stop giving out heat and moisture to the atmosphere, which brings about warm, wet air above the sea surface. When this kind of air rises, the water vapour in it condenses to form clouds and precipitation. Condensation gives out heat in the process the solar heat is used to evaporate the water at the ocean surface. This so-called invisible heat of condensation makes the air more buoyant, leading to it ascending higher while reinforcing itself in the feedback process. At last, the tropical depression starts to form and grow stronger, creating the familiar eye - the calm centre hub that a hurricane spins around. When reaching the land, the hurricane no longer has a continuous supply of warm water, which causes it to swiftly weaken. C Our current studies are inspired by my past intuition when I was learning about chaos theory 30 years ago. The reason why long-range forecasting is complicated is that the atmosphere is highly sensitive to small influences and tiny mistakes can compound fast in the weather- forecasting models. However, this sensitivity also made me realise a possibility: if we intentionally applied some slight inputs to a hurricane, we might create a strong influence that could affect the storms, either by steering them away from densely populated areas or by slowing them down. Back then, I was not able to test my ideas, but thanks to the advancement of computer simulation and remote-sensing technologies over the last 10 years, I can now renew my enthusiasm in large-scale weather control. D To find out whether the sensitivity of the atmospheric system could be exploited to adjust such robust atmospheric phenomena as hurricanes, our research team ran simulation experiments on computers for a hurricane named Iniki that occurred in 1992. The current forecasting technologies were far from perfect, so it took us by surprise that our first simulation turned out to be an immediate success. With the goal of altering the path of Iniki in mind, we first picked the spot where we wanted the storm to stop after six hours. Then we used this target to generate artificial observations and put these into the computer model. E The most significant alteration turned out to be the initial temperatures and winds. Usually, the temperature changes across the grid were only tenths of a degree, but the most noteworthy change, which was an increase of almost two degrees Celsius, took place in the lowest model layer to the west of the storm centre. The calculations produced wind-speed changes of two or three miles per hour. However, in several spots, the rates shifted by as much as 20 mph due to minor redirections of the winds close to the storm’s centre. In terms of structure, the initial and altered versions of Hurricane Iniki seemed almost the same, but the changes in critical variables were so substantial that the latter one went off the track to the west during the first six hours of the simulation and then travelled due north, leaving Kauai untouched. F Future earth-orbiting solar power stations, equipped with large mirrors to focus the sun’s rays and panels of photovoltaic cells to gather and send energy to the Earth, might be adapted to beam microwaves which turn to be absorbed by water vapour molecules inside or around the storm. The microwaves would cause the water molecules to vibrate and heat up the surrounding air, which then leads to the hurricane slowing down or moving in a preferred direction. G Simulations of hurricanes conducted on a computer have implied that by changing the precipitation, evaporation and air temperature, we could make a difference to a storm’s route or abate its winds. Intervention could be in many different forms: exquisitely targeted clouds bearing silver iodide or other rainfall-inducing elements might deprive a hurricane of the water it needs to grow and multiply from its formidable eyewall, which is the essential characteristic of a severe tropical storm. ## 题目与答案 ### 27. 27 Paragraph A 27 Paragraph A - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：are hurricanes unbeatable? 原文定位：But can we ever find a way to control these formidable forces of nature 同义替换：「Are hurricanes unbeatable」↔「can we ever find a way to control」 ### 28. 28 Paragraph B 28 Paragraph B - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：how hurricanes form 原文定位：To see why hurricanes and other severe tropical storms may be susceptible to human intervention, a researcher must first learn about their nature and origins; At last, the tropical depression starts to form and grow stronger, creating the familiar eye 同义替换：「How hurricanes form」↔「nature and origins」 ### 29. 29 Paragraph C 29 Paragraph C - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：re-visiting earlier ideas 原文定位：Our current studies are inspired by my past intuition when I was learning about chaos theory 30 years ago;I can now renew my enthusiasm in large-scale weather control 同义替换：「re-visiting earlier ideas」↔「renew my enthusiasm」 ### 30. 30 Paragraph D 30 Paragraph D - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane 原文定位：our research team ran simulation experiments on computers for a hurricane named Iniki that occurred in 1992;With the goal of altering the path of Iniki in mind 同义替换：「How a laboratory exercise」↔「simulation experiments on computers」；「re-routed a hurricane」↔「altering the path of Iniki」 ### 31. 31 Paragraph E 31 Paragraph E - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：how lives might have been saved 原文定位：the latter one went off the track to the west during the first six hours of the simulation and then travelled due north, leaving Kauai untouched 同义替换：「How lives might have been saved」↔「leaving Kauai untouched」 ### 32. 32 Paragraph F 32 Paragraph F - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：exciting ways to utilise future technologies 原文定位：Future earth-orbiting solar power stations, equipped with large mirrors to focus the sun’s rays;might be adapted to beam microwaves;which then leads to the hurricane slowing down or moving in a preferred direction 同义替换：「Exciting ways to utilise future technologies」↔「Future earth-orbiting solar power stations」；「utilise」↔「adapted to」 ### 33. 33 Paragraph G 33 Paragraph G - hurricanes in history - how hurricanes form - how a laboratory exercise re-routed a hurricane - exciting ways to utilise future technologies - are hurricanes unbeatable? - re-visiting earlier ideas **答案**：a range of low-tech methods 原文定位：Intervention could be in many different forms: exquisitely targeted clouds bearing silver iodide or other rainfall-inducing elements 同义替换：「A range of」↔「many different forms」；「low-tech methods」↔「intervention」 ### 34. Hurricanes originate as groups of 34_____ over the tropical oceans. Low-latitude seas continuously provide heat and moisture to the atmosphere, producing warm, humid air above the sea surface. Hurricanes originate as groups of 34_____ over the tropical oceans. Low-latitude seas continuously provide heat and moisture to the atmosphere, producing warm, humid air above the sea surface. **答案**：thunderstorms 原文定位：Hurricanes grow in the form of thunderstorm clusters above the tropical seas 同义替换：「originate as groups of」↔「grow in the form of thunderstorm clusters」；「over the tropical oceans」↔「above the tropical seas」 ### 35. When this air rises, the water vapour in it condenses to form clouds and precipitation. 35_____ releases heat - the solar heat it took to evaporate the water at the ocean surface. When this air rises, the water vapour in it condenses to form clouds and precipitation. 35_____ releases heat - the solar heat it took to evaporate the water at the ocean surface. **答案**：condensation 原文定位：Condensation gives out heat in the process the solar heat is used to evaporate the water at the ocean surface 同义替换：「releases」↔「gives out」 ### 36. This so-called latent 36_____ of condensation makes the air more buoyant, causing it to ascend still higher in a self-reinforcing feedback process. This so-called latent 36_____ of condensation makes the air more buoyant, causing it to ascend still higher in a self-reinforcing feedback process. **答案**：heat 原文定位：This so-called invisible heat of condensation makes the air more buoyant 同义替换：「latent」↔「invisible」 ### 37. Eventually, the tropical depression begins to organise and strengthen, forming the familiar 37_____ - the calm central hub around which a hurricane spins. Eventually, the tropical depression begins to organise and strengthen, forming the familiar 37_____ - the calm central hub around which a hurricane spins. **答案**：eye 原文定位：At last, the tropical depression starts to form and grow stronger, creating the familiar eye - the calm centre hub that a hurricane spins around ### 38. On passing over 38_____, the hurricane’s sustaining source of warm water is cut off, which leads to the storm’s rapid weakening. On passing over 38_____, the hurricane’s sustaining source of warm water is cut off, which leads to the storm’s rapid weakening. **答案**：land 原文定位：When reaching the land, the hurricane no longer has a continuous supply of warm water, which causes it to swiftly weaken 同义替换：「passing over」↔「reaching」；「cut off」↔「no longer has a continuous supply of」；「rapid」↔「swiftly」 ### 39. 39 What encouraged the writer to restart researching hurricane control? 39 What encouraged the writer to restart researching hurricane control? - the huge damage hurricane trigger - the developments in computer technologies - the requirement of some local people - the chaos theory learnt as a student **答案**：the developments in computer technologies 原文定位：Back then, I was not able to test my ideas, but thanks to the advancement of computer simulation and remote-sensing technologies over the last 10 years, I can now renew my enthusiasm in large-scale weather control 同义替换：「encouraged the writer to restart researching」↔「renew my enthusiasm」；「developments in computer technologies」↔「advancement of computer simulation and remote-sensing technologies」 ### 40. 40 What was the writer’s reaction after their first experiment? 40 What was the writer’s reaction after their first experiment? - surprised that their intervention had not achieved a lot - ecstatic with the achievement the first experiment had - surprised that their intervention had the intended effect - regretful about the impending success **答案**：surprised that their intervention had the intended effect 原文定位：The current forecasting technologies were far from perfect, so it took us by surprise that our first simulation turned out to be an immediate success 同义替换：「intervention had the intended effect」↔「immediate success」 --- 以上内容由鸭圈雅思真题库（www.yaquan.site）提供，收录近期雅思考试真题回忆，支持在线机考模式免费练习。