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.

（材料來自The Economist，有刪改）

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：細(xì)節(jié)理解題。材料第二段提到“極端高溫可能會引起中暑、心臟問題和脫水。老年人因其本身較為脆弱，若無法及時轉(zhuǎn)移到更涼爽的地方，他們面臨的風(fēng)險也會增加”，B選項與材料內(nèi)容相符，故選B。

2.C。解析：細(xì)節(jié)理解題。材料第四段的第二句和第五、六段的第一句分別為“工作場所和學(xué)校需要提高應(yīng)對措施的靈活性”“創(chuàng)建更多涼爽的公共空間以提供救濟和保護”“政府和公眾需要做好更充分的準(zhǔn)備”，由此可知答案為①②③，故選C。

3.D。解析：主旨大意題。材料的主要內(nèi)容是“在全球氣候變暖下，人們?nèi)绾斡行Х乐篃崂酥滤馈?，屬于新聞報道類，故選D。

4.A。解析：主旨大意題。材料的主要內(nèi)容是“在全球氣候變暖下，人們?nèi)绾斡行Х乐篃崂酥滤馈?。A選項“傳播有關(guān)應(yīng)對極端熱浪措施的知識”與材料內(nèi)容相符，故選A。