Embarking on a whirlwind tour of Congress，former U．S．Vice President Al Gore testified before several Senate and House of Representatives committees today，insisting on decisive action to curb global warmin9．①Speaking to overflow crowds，Gore urged lawmakers to solve the climate crisis-一a message that drew praise and some skepticism，from members of Congress．examda.
　　At times，Gore appeared to be replaying scenes from his Oscar-winning documentary，An Inconvent Truth．He painted a bleak picture of Earth’s future，warning that rising levels of carbon dioxide couId haye calamitous effects，such as increased intensity of hurricanes，more intense droughts， and the drowning of coastal cities． examda.　　
　　But Gore diverged from his talking points to offer his thoughts on how to deal with what he called“the most serious[crisis]we’ve ever faced．Among his recommendations were an immediate cap on carbon dio)dioxide emissions；by 2050，Gore said he would like to see a 90％reduction of carbon dioxide levels．
　　Congress appeared largely receptive to his ideas．but not everyone was soId—to put it mildly．“We need to be careful when we talk about so-called scientific facts，”said Representative Joe Barton． Barton presented historical evidence to refute Gore’s assertion that carbon dioxide concentrations preceded temperature rises．“0n this point，Mr．Vice President，you’re not just off a little．You’re totally wrong．” examda.
　　Gore shot back that scientific consensus on climate change was behind him，and that the government must act auickly．“The planet has a fever，”he said．“If your baby has a fever，you go to the doctor．If the doctor says yOU need to intervene here，you don’t say，‘Well，I read a science fiction novel that told me it’s not a problem．’If the crib’s on fire，you don’t speculate that the baby is flame retardant．You take action．”
　　Barton also criticized Gore’s recommendations on freezing carbon dioxide emissions．“tf we took that literallv,we can add no new industry，no new cars on the street，and apparently no new people．Every person emits 0．2 tons of carbon dioxide a year．” examda.
　　Whether Gore’s message wilt be as successful in Congress as it was at the Oscars remains uncertain．⑤But j udging by one of his most vocal opponents，the former vice president may have made some headwav．“Your ideas aren’t all bad，Mr．Vice President，”said Barton．“You list a number of thoughtful responses to global climate change for this committee to consider． [402 words]
　　1．Former U．S．Vice President Al Gore warns that______
　　A．much more intense droughts are inevitable,examda.
　　B．the intensity of hurricanes is to be increased
　　C．most coastal cities will be drowned sooner or later
　　D．the effects of global warming might be catastrophic
　　2．The attitude of Congress members toward Mr．Gore’s urge is______
　　A．either praiseful or skeptical,examda.
　　B．praiseful as well as skeptical
　　C．more praiseful than skeptical
　　D．more skeptical than praiseful
　　3．According to the text，Joe Barton______
　　A．is both stubborn and inflexible,examda.
　　B．doesn’t believe in scientific facts
　　C．refutes Mr．Gore’s urge rationally
　　D．opposes whatever Mr．Gore calls on
　　4．Mr Gore uses the example of a baby with a fever to illustrate that ______
　　A．science fiction novel isn’t a thing to rely
　　B．the fever that the earth has is serious and
　　C．there is a scientific consensus on climate change
　　D．action must be taken immediately to protect the earth
　　5．It is clear that Mr．Joe Barton is______
　　A．both receptive and critical to what Gore insisted on
　　B．uncertain whether Gore will be successful in
　　C．the most intelligent and insightful member in Congress
　　D．also worried about the effect of carbon dioxide emissions

难句透析
　　①[Embarking on a whirlwind tour of Congress]，former U．S．Vice President Al Gore testified before several Sen- ate and House of Representatives committees today，[insisting on decisive action tO curb global warming]．
　　【结构】方括号所标示的现在分词短语“Embarking on…Congress”和“insisting on…warmin9”都用做状语。
　　【释义】美国前副总统戈尔旋风似地在国会内穿梭。今天，他在参众两院的几个委员会讲演，呼吁采取果断行动抑制全球变暖。
　　②He painted a bleak picture of Earth’S future，warning[that rising levels of carbon dioxide could have calamitous effects，such as increased intensity of hurricanes，more intense droughts，and the drowning of coastal cities]．