2015年12月英语四级真题第3套 Part III Section A

But the U.S. was the exception: November was the warmest ever globally, and current data indicates that 2013 is likely to have been the fourth hottest year on record.

转折类 But However Yet Nevertheless Nonetheless On the contrary In contrast

这个 implication 传达的是:尽管 Americans 可能基于 local experience 产生了 climate isn't warming 的 impression,但这只是 regional anomaly,并不能 represent global reality。作者通过这个 contrast 预先 address 并 refute 可能存在的 skepticism。对于整篇 article 的 thesis,这个 implied meaning 起到了 crucial foundational role——它 establishes 了 global warming 是 ongoing reality 这个 premise,为后文 discuss El Niño 和 predict 2014 将更热提供了 credible context。Without 这个 clarification,readers 可能会被 opening 的 cold spell description 误导,从而 question 后续关于 warming trend 的 predictions。

For many Americans, 2013 ended with an unusually bitter cold spell.

模糊限制语 unusually abnormally exceptionally particularly relatively somewhat rather

Unusually 这个 hedge 的 implication 是:2013 年底的 cold spell 是 anomaly,而非 new normal。作者通过这个 qualifier 暗示 warm weather 才是 recent years 的 typical pattern。这个 implied meaning 对 article's thesis 非常 critical——它 preemptively defuses 可能出现的 counterargument。Readers 如果刚经历了 bitter cold,可能会 doubt 关于 global warming 的 claims,但 unusually 这个词 signals 他们的 recent experience 是 statistical outlier。这个 implication 为后文的 data(warmest November globally, fourth hottest year)铺垫了 logical foundation,使 transition 更加 smooth 和 convincing。

Enjoy the snow now, because chances are good that 2014 will be even hotter, perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept.

情态词 chances are good that likely probably it is probable that may might could

这个 modal expression 的 implication 是:作者基于 scientific evidence 有 high confidence 在 2014 的 temperature outlook,但保持了 appropriate scientific caution。'Chances are good' 传达的是 strong probability 而非 speculation,暗示后面会有 solid reasoning。对 article's purpose,这个 implication 非常 strategic——它 builds anticipation for the explanation 即将到来。同时,'perhaps the hottest year since records have been kept' 这个 escalation emphasizes potential severity,为 introduce El Niño concept 创造了 compelling motivation。这个 implied high confidence level 也 enhances author's credibility as someone who understands climate patterns,making 后续的 El Niño explanation 更 authoritative。

So large is the Pacific, covering 30% of the planet's surface, that the additional energy generated by its warming is enough to touch off a series of weather changes around the world.

因果强调类 So large So large...that So significant...that Such...that So much...that To such an extent that So powerful that

这个 causal emphasis 的 implication 是:El Niño 的 global impact 不是 arbitrary,而是 directly derives from Pacific Ocean's massive scale。作者暗示这是 fundamental geographic reality,not just correlation。Specific quantification('30% of the planet's surface')makes 这个 causal link 更 tangible 和 convincing。对 article's thesis,这个 implied inevitability 非常 important——它 transforms El Niño from 一个 regional weather event 到 legitimate global phenomenon。这个 implication 也 sets up reader expectations for the diverse impacts 将在后文 described。By establishing size-based causality,作者 provides rational foundation for why 一个 Pacific warming event 能 affect precipitation in Africa, Americas, 和 Asia,making the subsequent examples 更 credible 而非 surprising。

They can lead to extreme rain in parts of North and South America, even as southern Africa experiences dry weather.

对比类 even as while whereas at the same time simultaneously meanwhile in the meantime

这个 concessive contrast 的 implication 是:El Niño 不是 uniform global effect,而是创造 geographically diverse 甚至 opposite impacts。'Even as' signals 这些 contradictory outcomes 是 simultaneously occurring parts of the same phenomenon,implying El Niño 是 highly complex system with far-reaching tentacles。对 article's thesis,这个 implied complexity serves multiple purposes:首先,它 demonstrates El Niño's truly global nature through concrete regional examples;其次,它 conveys 这个 phenomenon 的 power——something that can simultaneously cause floods in one continent 和 droughts in another 必然是 formidable force;最后,这个 implication 为 readers 提供 tangible understanding of 'global weather changes' mentioned earlier,transforming abstract statement into concrete realities。Multiple contrasting examples 也 reinforce 前文关于 Pacific's size enabling worldwide impacts 的 causal claim。