Part A: Reading Comprehension

Text 3

Heat action plans, or HAPs, have been proliferating in India in the past few years. In general, an HAP spells out when and how officials should issue heat warnings and alert hospitals and other institutions. Nagpur’s plan, for instance, calls for hospitals to set aside “cold wards” in the summer for treating heatstroke patients, and advises builders to give construction laborers a break from work on very hot days.

But implementation of existing HAPs has been uneven, according to a March report from the center for Policy Research. Many lack adequate funding, it found. And their triggering thresholds often are not customized to the local climate. In some areas, high daytime temperatures alone might serve as an adequate trigger for alerts. But in other places, nighttime temperatures or humidity might be as important a gauge of risk as daytime highs.

Mumbai’s April heat stroke deaths highlighted the need for more nuanced and localized warnings, researchers say. That day’s high temperature of roughly 36°C was 1°C shy of the heat wave alert threshold for coastal cities set by national meteorological authorities. But the effects of the heat were amplified by humidity—an often neglected factor in heat alert systems—and the lack of shade at the latemorning outdoor ceremony.

To help improve HAPs, urban planner Kotharkar’s team is working on a model plan that outlines best practices and could be adapted to local conditions. Among other things, she says, all cities should create a vulnerability map to help focus responses on the populations most at risk.

Such mapping doesn’t need to be complex, Kotharkar says. “A useful map can be created by looking at even a few key parameters.” For example, neighborhoods with a large elderly population or informal dwellings that cope poorly with heat could get special warnings or be bolstered with cooling centers. The Nagpur project has already created a risk and vulnerability map, which enabled Kotharkar to tell officials which neighborhoods to focus on in the event of a heat wave this summer.

HAPs shouldn’t just include short-term emergency responses, researchers say, but also recommend medium- to long-term measures that could make communities cooler. In Nagpur, for example, Kotharkar’s team has been able to advise city officials about where to plant trees to provide shade. HAPs could also guide efforts to retrofit homes or modify building regulations. “Reducing deaths in an emergency is a good target to have, but it’s the lowest target,” says Climate researcher Chandni Singh.

31. According to Paragraph 1, Nagpur’s plan proposes measures to

[A]

tackle extreme weather. 

[B]

ensure construction quality. 

[C]

monitor emergency warnings. 

[D]

address excessive workloads. 

32. One problem with existing HAPs is that they

[A]

prove too costly to be implemented. 

[B]

lack localized alert-issuing criteria. 

[C]

give delayed responses to heat waves. 

[D]

keep hospitals under great pressure. 

33. Mumbai’s case shows that India’s heat alert systems need to

[A]

include other factors besides temperature. 

[B]

take subtle weather changes into account. 

[C]

prioritize potentially disastrous heat waves. 

[D]

draw further support from local authorities. 

34. Kotharkar holds that a vulnerability map can help

[A]

prevent the harm of high humidity. 

[B]

target areas needing special attention. 

[C]

expand the Nagpur project’s coverage. 

[D]

make relief plans for heat-stricken people. 

35. According to the last paragraph, researchers believe that HAPs should

[A]

focus more on heatstroke treatment. 

[B]

invite wider public participation. 

[C]

apply for more government grants. 

[D]

serve a broader range of purposes. 

答案解析 (Answers & Explanations)

31. [A] tackle extreme weather.
解析：细节题。第一段提到，那格浦尔的计划要求医院留出“冷病房”治疗中暑病人，并建议建筑商“在非常炎热的日子里（on very hot days）”给建筑工人放假。这些措施显然是为了应对极端的高温天气。因此选项 [A]“应对极端天气（tackle extreme weather）”是正确概括。选项 D “解决过度的工作量”具有迷惑性，但文章强调放假的前提是“非常热的天气”，核心在于天气而非单纯的工作量。

32. [B] lack localized alert-issuing criteria.
解析：细节题。第二段探讨了现有 HAPs 的问题。明确指出：“它们的触发阈值通常没有针对当地气候进行定制（not customized to the local climate）”。后文接着解释有些地方看白天高温，有些地方还得看夜间温度或湿度。“没有针对当地气候定制阈值”，完美对应选项 [B]“缺乏本地化的警报发布标准（lack localized alert-issuing criteria）”。

33. [A] include other factors besides temperature.
解析：细节推理题。第三段以孟买四月份的热射病死亡事件为例，指出那一天的最高温度距离触发警报的阈值还差 1°C，但“热效应被湿度（在热警报系统中经常被忽视的一个因素）和缺乏阴凉处放大了”。既然温度没达标但依然死人，说明现有的警报系统光看温度是不够的，必须“包括除温度之外的其他因素（include other factors besides temperature）”，选 [A]。

34. [B] target areas needing special attention.
解析：细节推理题。第四段末尾说脆弱性地图能帮助“将响应集中在风险最高的人群上”。第五段进一步举例：“拥有大量老年人口或非正式住宅的街区（neighborhoods）……可以获得特别警告或配置冷却中心”。地图的作用就是把这些高风险街区（区域）找出来，也就是“定位/瞄准需要特别关注的地区（target areas needing special attention）”，选 [B]。

35. [D] serve a broader range of purposes.
解析：主旨推理题。最后一段第一句即是主题句：“研究人员表示，HAPs 不应仅仅包含（shouldn't just include）短期的紧急响应，还应建议（but also recommend）中长期的措施（如种树、改造房屋等）”。最后借气候研究员的话总结：“在紧急情况下减少死亡是一个好目标，但这是最低的目标（the lowest target）”。这意味着 HAPs 的目标不应仅局限于短期救急，而应该拓展到中长期的城市改造与降温，即“服务于更广泛的目的（serve a broader range of purposes）”，选 [D]。

核心长难句精解 (High-Light)

1. 被动语态与双破折号插入语的并列结构：
"But the effects of the heat were amplified by humidity—an often neglected factor in heat alert systems—and the lack of shade at the latemorning outdoor ceremony."
【解析】句子的骨干是 `the effects were amplified by A and B`。A 是 `humidity`（湿度），B 是 `the lack of shade...`（缺乏阴凉）。在 `humidity` 后面，作者巧妙地使用了双破折号插入了一个同位语，解释湿度是高温预警系统中经常被忽视的因素。

2. 介词短语修饰主语与定语从句的嵌套：
"For example, neighborhoods with a large elderly population or informal dwellings that cope poorly with heat could get special warnings or be bolstered with cooling centers."
【解析】主语是 `neighborhoods`（街区），其后跟了一个长长的 `with...` 介词短语作后置定语。在介词短语内部，`that` 引导了一个定语从句修饰 `informal dwellings`（那些应对高温能力很差的非正式住宅）。主句的谓语是并列的 `could get... or be bolstered...`。

3. not just... but also 结构与不定式后置定语：
"HAPs shouldn’t just include short-term emergency responses, researchers say, but also recommend medium- to long-term measures that could make communities cooler."
【解析】这句话运用了 `not just... but also...`（不仅……而且……）的并列结构，连接了两个动词 `include` 和 `recommend`，表达了研究人员对高温行动计划的更高期望。`that` 引导定语从句修饰 `measures`，进一步解释了这些中长期措施的目的（让社区变得更凉爽）。